GEP - Current Events Email - September 01, 2008

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Dear Teacher:

Each month World Savvy will post current events resources for one topic, with links for articles at varying reading levels, a list of relevant standards, and discussion questions and curriculum that can be used to teach about the issues covered by that news story. For more in-depth current events resources, please preview and subscribe to our World Savvy Monitor, www.monitor.worldsavvy.org.

Georgia-Russia Conflict

As the Olympics were getting underway in Beijing last month, with the specter of press restrictions and human rights concerns already looming over the Chinese government, another major world event put a pall on the start of the Games. Georgian and Russian troops clashed over a breakaway region known as South Ossetia, then agreed to a tense cease-fire and partial troop withdrawal, all of which served to highlight Russia's renewed dominance and the role of Western loyalties in the former Soviet Republics.

Advanced Article: www.cnn.com
Intermediate Article: news.bbc.co.uk
Beginning Article: www.pbs.org

Background and Multimedia:
Series of background articles and updates: news.bbc.co.uk
Video: Global news perspectives on the Georgia-Russia conflict: www.linktv.org
The Ethnic Toll in Georgia (TIME) www.time.com
Analysis: Newsweek - www.newsweek.com

Discussion Questions:

1. What recently happened in Georgia in August 2008? Where is Georgia?
2. What was the immediate cause of this conflict? What are some of the historical causes leading up to this conflict?
3. What were the results of the conflict? Where does the situation stand today?
4. How did the international community respond to this conflict? In particular, how did the United States respond? Do you agree or disagree with U.S. response?
5. Russia just recognized the independence of the two disputed regions in Georgia, South Ossetia and Abkhazia, though it was opposed to the recent independence of Kosovo. Why would Russia take this stance? Why do people in these regions want to be autonomous from Georgia? Do you believe these two regions should become independent?

Curriculum:

1. UNHCR - Population Displacement in the Commonwealth of Independent States since 1991: http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/template?page=home&src=static/teaching-tools/tchhist/15-18lp.htm
2. Choices - Russia's Transformation: Challenges for U.S. Policy (new unit for sale) http://www.choices.edu/resources/whatsNew.php
3. Lesson idea: Is this a flare-up of old Cold War tensions, or something new? Read article below for critical analysis: http://www.fair.org/index.php?page=3596
4. Russia and the other Former Soviet Republics in Transition: (full unit for purchase, background info and resources downloadable for free) http://www.southerncenter.org/transition_russia.html

California Standards:

World History: 10.9 - Intl Developments post WWII, 10.10 - Contemporary Nation Building

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