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Robert Culpepper: CWI Lesson Plan

• CLASS:
  Contemporary World Issues
  
  
• GRADE LEVEL:
  freshman, sophomore, junior, senior high school
  
  
• TOPIC:
  The United Nations:The Origin and Creation of the United Nations
  
  
• RATIONALE:
  Because of the changing world political structure, and the common misconceptions people have of the U.N. it is important that the adults of tomorrow understand what the United Nations really is and how it really works.
  
  
• GOAL:
  The students will learn the six major components of the U.N. and the mission of peacekeepers.
  
  BEHAVIORAL OBJECTIVES:
  
  
  1. On a test to be given after receiving the information in this lesson, the student will name at all six major components of the United Nations without error.
     
  2. Given this lesson of instruction, the student will list at least two of the prerequisites for U.N. peacekeepers to be deployed.
     
  3. Given a test and this lesson of instruction, the student will write a short paragraph on three of the major U.N. components explaining the function of each one. Each paragraph should not be less than four sentences and should not exceed ten sentences. The sentences should be of medium quality (less than five spelling mistakes, proper grammar and at least 10 words per sentence).
     
  4. On a test to be given the student will write a paragraph stating the general mission of all U.N. peacekeepers. The paragraph should not be less than four sentences and should not be more than ten sentences. The sentences should be of at least medium quality (less than five spelling mistakes, proper grammar and at least 10 words per sentence).
  
  
• PRE-TEST:
  
  
  1. What do peacekeepers do? (they attempt to maintain a stable peace where an agreement is already in place.)
     
  2. What are the major parts of the U.N.? (Secretariat, General Assembly, Security Council)
     
  3. What is the purpose of the United Nations Organization? (to protect, preserve and promote world peace)
  
  
• OUTLINE OF CONTENT:
  
  The United Nations:Structures and Components
  1. The Three Major Parts
     1. Secretariat
     2. Security Council
     3. General Assembly
     4. Economic and Social Council
     5. Trusteeship Council
     6. International Court of Justice
  2. The United Nations’ Mission
     1. World Peace
     2. Peacekeepers (a.k.a. Blue Helmets)
  
  
• METHOD:
  The class will begin with a 5-7 minute discussion about U.N. peacekeeping operations around the world. The students will have a chance to voice their opinions, then the lesson will begin. From the discussion, the class will progress to the lecture component of the lesson where several questions will be asked by the teacher of the students. After the lecture, students will be given a handout assignment to be completed.
  
  
• TEACHING ACTIVITIES
  

  TRANSPARENCY	U.N. quote-of-the-day by Henry Cabot Lodge Jr.
  TRANSPARENCY	Objectives for lesson 2
  DISCUSSION	Have the students tell what they believe about U.N. peacekeeping operations around the world.
  LECTURE	There are six major organs to the United Nations as set up by the U.N. Charter. They are the Secretariat, the Security Council, the General Assembly, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council and the International Court of Justice. The Three most powerful bodies are the Secretariat, the Security Council and the General Assembly.
  POSTER	The United Nations (Secretariat, Sec. Council, Gen. Ass.)
  TRANSPARENCY	Structure of the U.N. as set up by the U.N. charter
  LECTURE	The Secretariat is the administrative unit of the U.N. and the head of the Secretariat is called the Secretary General. To make a broad generalization, the Secretary is similar in status to our U.S. President, or England’s Prime Minister. The Secretary presides over the General Assembly at times, but more often than not he sees to the basic administrative tasks of the U.N. The Secretary has no real executive powers. The Secretary from time to time will mediate peace talks and tour the world ironing out global problems. Most recently, we’ve seen U.N. Secretaries addressing the issues of world population and world famine.
  QUESTION	Give me an example of what you think the Secretary General would do in a given day? (Application) (a) meet with heads of state, the Security Council, etc...
  LECTURE	The Security Council is where the vast power of the U.N. lies. The Security Council monitors and makes the major decisions on matters of world peace and security. There are 15 seats on the council, and five of the seats permanently belong to the U.S., Russia, France, Great Britain and China. The other ten seats sit on the council for two years and rotate between other member states, with the General Assembly electing five new members each year. In the past decade though, Japan and Germany have both occupied steady seats on the council. Each seat has a vote, but the five permanent members have the special veto power. A veto by any member can cancel or prevent any action from being taken on any issue.
  QUESTION	Why would a country veto a Security Council resolution? (Analysis) (a) to prevent an action from being taken that their country opposed
  LECTURE	The General Assembly is the main body of the U.N., although it has little power. Every member nation (there are over 160) has a seat in the general assembly, and one vote. No nation has a veto authority in the General Assembly. The General Assembly meets annually and for special sessions on request of the Secretariat or Security Council. It debates many world issues each year, and it passes many resolutions too. The General Assembly has no enforcement authority though, and member nations are not bound to abide by General Assembly resolutions. The resolutions carry only the weight of morality and a common consensus.
  QUESTION	If the General Assembly passed a resolution stating that state executions were illegal, would the U.S. have to abide by the resolution and no longer execute any prisoners? Explain. (Evaluate) (a) No. The U.S. could voluntarily agree to abide by the resolution, but the U.S. would not have to go along with the resolution.
  LECTURE	The Economic and Social Council coordinates the social and economic functions of the U.N. The council has 54 members, 18 of which are elected every year by the General Assembly for three year terms. The ESC oversees the activities of several agencies including the World Health Organization and others.
  QUESTION	Tell me in your own words what the ESC is for. (Translation) (a) coordinates social and economic functions of the U.N.
  LECTURE	The Trusteeship Council was created after WWII, and its job was to administer the 11 territories placed under international trust after the end of the war. This council was monitored by the Security Council. As of 1991, all of the territories had either achieved independence or had become part of a larger nation state. Consequently, the Trusteeship Council no longer meets or functions.
  LECTURE	The International Court of Justice is often the forgotten hand of the U.N. It is located in The Hague in the Netherlands. As the name indicates, it is the judicial branch of the U.N., not unlike our Supreme Court. The court has not enforcement powers though, so a member nation is not bound to abide by the court’s ruling. The court is often asked to provide advisory rulings to U.N. agencies. Fifteen judges sit on the court for nine year terms. The judges are elected by the General Assembly and the Security Council.
  QUESTION	What kind of cases do you think International Court of Justice would handle? (Synthesis) (a) disputes between other countries and organizations
  LECTURE	As said before, the purpose of the United Nations is to provide for global peace and security. The U.N. provides a forum for nations to resolve their disputes in a peaceful manner. When a nation refuses to solve its problems peacefully, and the Security Council determines the situation is a threat to world peace, the SC may intervene. This intervention may take two forms: military or non-military. Non-military means includes the use of embargoes and economic sanctions, while military options resort to peace-making and joint ventures with world armed forces.
  LECTURE	U.N. Peacekeepers are predominantly, but not necessarily, soldiers from member nation armed forces that are placed under U.N. command for a period of time. There is one U.N. Peacekeeping training school that actively recruits non-service member persons, and it is located in Canada. Peacekeepers are often called Blue Helmets because of their distinctive blue helmets (the U.N. color). In most cases, U.N. peacekeepers are not allowed to actively pursure a conflict and may only fire their weapons unless fired upon first. U.N. Peacekeepers are charged with two main duties most of the time: to separate warring factions to allow time for negotiations and settlements and to prevent local conflicts from spreading over into other regions. Most of the time there are three criteria for U.N. troops to be deployed: a cease fire must be in effect, negotiations on a resolution to hostilities must be underway and the Peacekeepers must be invited by all sides involved in the conflict.
  HANDOUT	U.N. Crossword Puzzle on the Components of the United Nations to be completed and turned in on the day of the unit test.

  
  
• MATERIALS:
  

  Transparencies:	U.N. quote of the day Objectives U.N. structure
  Poster:	U.N. Poster with 3 Main Branches
  Handout:	U.N. Crossword Puzzle on U.N. Components

  
  
• EVALUATION:
  
  Name
  
  
  1. What are two conditions that (normally) must be met for U.N. peacekeepers to be placed into a situation somewhere in the word?
     (a)
     (b)
     
  2. The United Nations has six major components as provided for by the U.N. charter. List all six (6) of them.
     (a)
     (b)
     (c)
     
  3. Write a short paragraph over three of the major components of the United Nations. Each component must be in a separate paragraph. Each paragraph should be between four (4) and ten (10) sentences long. Use a sheet of notebook paper to write on.
     
  4. We hear a lot about U.N. peacekeepers, but what do they do? Write a short paragraph explaining the general mission of U.N. peacekeepers. The paragraph should be between four (4) and ten (10) sentences.

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Pedagogy: Content Specific