Tank+Man+Unit


 * ​ Welcome all. This is Mr. Roland Kerner, social studies student teacher at Benson Polytechnic High School. This Wikispace is designed to aid students through our last unit of study on China.**

The class as been asked the Essential Question: In China today does Economic Freedom equal Political Freedom?

The following links are videos, handouts, and assignments for our unit.

The Final Project is also listed, which allows for student choice and liberty in answering the Essential Question. The project is designed for students to a create thesis statement with evidence from a topic, such as the environement or human rights.

This unit concludes the study of Asia for the 10th grade class of Modern World History at Benson Polytechnic High School in Northeast Portland, OR. The study of Asia as been centered on China, with this unit focused on the watershed moment of the Tiananmen Square Uprising. In the aftermath of the political suppression by the Chinese government on its own people to peacefully assembly, China took a dramatic turn in how it controls its population. President Clinton renewed China’s most favorite nation trade status and the result has been China becoming a world economic power. The government is communist but the economy is capitalist. One can argue China has used capitalism as a means of control over its people. The citizenry has no more political liberty then it did prior to the uprising in 1989. What the people do have is economic liberty. It is the modern paradoxical struggle of China today, and how long can this model last? The students in this unit will examine these issues. We will begin with ‘Tank Man’ and his significance in relation to the meaning of Control in China. This is will be followed by an examination of the 1989 uprising and how the government reacted to the event and to the aftermath. The students will critically analyze the modern meaning of government control and economic freedom by looking at the topics of the 2008 Olympics Games, the environment, and human rights, among others. The students will come to their own conclusions in a unit project by answering the essential question.

Students Responsibilites for THIS UNIT- Including FINAL PROJECT GUIDELINES

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STUDENTS SHOULD USE THE FOLLOWING LINKS AS AN AID FOR THEIR RESEARCH FOR THE FINAL PROJECT. THESE ARE ONLY STARTING POINTS TO FIND PRIMARY SOURCES.

Tank Man Documents:

1. Tank Man []

2. Chinese students asked about who is Tank Man

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3. BBC News on the ground in Tiananmen Square

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4. Tiananmen Square Tribute

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5. Ted Koppel with Charlie Rose - on China today.

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6. Amnesty International - 2008 Olympics

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7. C-Span on China

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8.CNN News Article on China with President Clinton

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9. Democray Now Radio Articles on China Today

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10. President Clinton and China

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11. OTHER DOCUMENTS- USE FOR FINAL PROJECT STARTING POINTS

Human Rights.org []

UN-MADE in China campaign []

Business in China []

More on 2008 Olympics []

Interest Survey Guide:

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Lesson Map on Unit Plan:

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