Conflict: Case Studies
Learning Objectives
- Students will analyze recent trends in global conflicts, especially in the post-WWII years.
- Students will consider major historical and modern day examples of conflict and identify patterns and underlying themes.
Materials
Homework Due
- Students will complete Parts 1 and 2 of the guided reading handout.
Class One
- (40 Minutes) Mapping Conflict Activity
- Hand out the Mapping Conflict Activity instructions and blank world map.
- Students will begin by using information from their Guided Reading Handout to map conflicts on the provided map. They will follow the instructions on the attached direction sheet to create a map that visually represents the major conflicts they read about for homework.
- Students should then complete Part 3 of the Guided Reading Handout using Resource Conflicts, Explained and add that information to their map. NOTE: You could have students jigsaw this portion to save time.
- (5 Minutes) Debrief
- Discuss the questions from Part 3 of the Mapping Conflict Activity.
- What patterns do you notice about the conflicts on your map? Where do most occur (or not occur)? What types of conflict are most common? Were most of these conflicts completely isolated or were there larger global implications?
- Discuss the questions from Part 3 of the Mapping Conflict Activity.
Homework
- Divide students into the three groups below. Each group will complete their assigned section of Part 4 of the Guided Reading Handout using the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict Timeline. Students should mark the 3-5 most significant events in their timeline to share with classmates during the next class.
- Group 1: Nov. 29, 1947 - Oct. 30, 1991
- Group 2: Sep. 13, 1993 - Jan. 29. 2006
- Group 3: Jun. 25, 2006 - Oct. 7 2003
Class Two
- (5 Minutes) Homework Jigsaw: Students will share out the 3-5 most significant events from their section of Part 4 of the Guided Reading Handout.
- (10 Minutes) Discussion: As a class, discuss the major underlying issues or themes related to the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict. To help keep discussion focused, reference the timeline date of 1947 as the start of the modern conflict. Consider the following:
- What are the major issues related to the conflict?
- How do territorial disputes factor into this conflict?
- What makes the issues in this conflict unique?
- (20 Minutes) Global Conflict Activity:
- Direct students to the Global Conflict Tracker | Council on Foreign Relations.
- Divide the class into groups and assign each group 3 or 4 conflicts that are listed on the tracker. Have groups use the tracker to learn more about their assigned conflicts by taking brief notes on the attached worksheet.
- Students will share information about these various conflicts in order to drive a brief discussion where students will identify common themes and patterns underlying conflict. Using either poster paper or a shared online canvas such as Mural, share one big map of the world on which students will visually represent information about their conflict. At the location of the conflict, ask students to represent visually a brief overview and the underlying issues. Ideally, whether electronically or on poster paper, this work should be done collaboratively and concurrently. As the map fills up, take a moment to reflect with students on the diverse and widespread nature of conflict.
- Note: There is a blank map below. For electronic work, simply copy and paste the map into your digital tool. For poster paper you can project the image and trace a simplified outline of the map. If you have a large wall map already in your room, students could use post-it notes.
- (10 Minutes) Debrief: After students explore the map, ask them to consider general themes about what causes conflict using the following questions: While these conflicts may all seem quite different on the surface, what core themes exist? What problems or issues are most likely to fuel conflict?
Vocabulary
- alliance
an official partnership between two or more parties based on cooperation in pursuit of a common goal, generally involving security or defense.
- arms control agreement
an agreement between two or more countries to limit or reduce the number or capabilities of weapons and related systems. A nuclear arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union was a defining element of the Cold War.
- communism
a political and economic system in which private property is eliminated in favor of common, public ownership of the means of production (such as factories), natural resources, and more, leading to the creation of a stateless, classless society.
- conventional weapons
weapons of warfare, ranging from rifles to missiles, other than nuclear, biological, and chemical weapons.
- disarmament
the renunciation of given weapons, or all weapons, by states or other entities that possess them. One provision of the Nuclear Nonproliferation Treaty (NPT) calls for countries with nuclear weapons to take steps “in the direction of nuclear disarmament,” or the elimination of their nuclear arsenals.
- drone
an unmanned, remotely piloted vehicle generally used for reconnaissance and combat. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
- multilateral
undertaken among three or more entities, usually countries. The term frequently describes organizations such as the United Nations (UN).
- referendum
a vote, typically organized by a government, in which participants approve or reject a certain policy proposal. This is a form of direct democracy, in which citizens themselves (as opposed to elected representatives) make a policy decision.
- refugee
defined by the UN Convention and Protocol Relating to the Status of Refugees, as someone who has fled conflict or persecution in their home country, has a reasonable fear that returning would be unsafe, and is protected by international law. In many countries, the term refugee also refers to someone who has sought and received asylum in a new country.