7th Grade Research: Genocide  

LIBRARY RESEARCH SCHEDULE

Genocide Research Project

Background

In 1948, three years after World War II and the horrible events of the Holocaust, representatives of the United Nations held the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of Genocide.  At the convention the definition of genocide was completed.  The ultimate goal was to identify and prevent genocide around the world.  Genocide is the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group, as such:

a)      Killing members of the group;

b)      Causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group;

c)      Deliberately inflicting on the group conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction in whole or in part;

d)      Imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group;

e)      Forcibly transferring children of the group to another group.”

We will be working with this definition along with the eight stages of genocide theory proposed by Gregory Stanton in 1996.  The eight stages include: classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial.  In this context, we will research and analyze instances of genocide over the past one hundred years, such as occurred during the Holocaust, and in Armenia, Bosnia, Cambodia, Darfur, or Rwanda. 

Task Definition and Timeline

Your job is to research one occurrence of genocide from the list provided by your Social Studies teacher, and determine how the genocide meets the criteria of the eight stages, as defined by Gregory Stanton.  You will develop a thesis statement, two body paragraphs and a conclusion.  Grading rubrics will be provided by both the Social Studies and English teachers. 

Your research will be conducted in the library and at home, using both print and on-line resources. Both your Social Studies teacher and the School Librarian will provide instruction on research and critical thinking skills during the class periods spent in the library. For your research, you will use “NoodleTools,” an on-line program for citation creation, note taking and outlining. You will also continue your research and practice note taking skills through nightly homework assignments.

With guidance from your Social Studies teacher, you will create a working outline for your research paper, which will then be used in your English class to write a formal paper, using MLA format and citations.

Your paper will:

·         Explain: Provide background information on the genocide (Introduction)

·         Evaluate: How does the genocide fit the United Nations definition of genocide and does it meet all eight stages of genocide? 

·         Analyze:  Choose two stages for further research and include the research as part of the required body paragraphs (2)

·         Explain:  Summarize what you have learned about the genocide and draw a conclusion from your findings.

Photo credit: Gale Cengage Learning