Oklahoma Academic Standard 5. The student will evaluate post World War II regional events leading to the transformations of the modern world (1945-1990 CE).  

Objective 5.7  Compare multiple perspectives to examine the religious, ethnic, and political origins, as well as the lasting impact of modern genocide and conflicts including

  A. actions of the Khmer Rouge in Cambodia

  B. Northern Ireland’s Troubles

  C. ethnic-cleansing in the Balkans

  D. Rwanda’s mass murders

  E. crisis in Darfur

In a Nutshell

Students should examine repeated acts of genocide in the modern era by investigating common dynamics and contexts that lead to genocide. It is important for students to understand that the events which lead to genocide cut across race, time and culture. Students should analyze instances of discrimination and prejudice through analysis of the actions of perpetrators and bystanders during episodes of human rights violations in Ireland, Cambodia, Rwanda, and Darfur.

Teacher Action 

Student Action 

• Aid students to assess the significance and impact national and world history, tracing the continuity of past events to the present using the example of the Khmer Rouge regime and its legacy in Southeast Asian politics and human rights. 

• Provide students opportunities to evaluate the extent to which political and economic decisions have had significant historical and global impact on human and physical environments of various places and regions. 

• Analyze complex and interacting factors that influence multiple perspectives during different historical eras or contemporary events. 

• Construct visual and/or multimedia presentations related to modern-day ethnic conflicts using a variety of media forms to enhance understanding of findings and reasoning, for diverse audiences.

Key Concepts 

Misconceptions 

• Pol Pot regime and continued repercussions in Southeast Asia

• Sinn fein; Irish nationalism, religious-based prejudice, economic and political repression

• Slobodan Milosevic, ethnic-based violence and atrocities

• role of Human Rights Watch and other humanitarian non-government organizations

• Hutu and Tutsi tribal identities, ethnic and religious-based violence and political oppression; Arab vs Non-Arab ethnic cleansing

• response by United Nations and unilateral actions by world nations 

• Students may incorrectly assume that acts of genocide are entirely based on ethnic or religious differences, often neglecting to realize the political and economic motivations that contribute to suspicion, identification of scapegoats, and often the eventual acts of genocide. 

Instructional Resources