Creating Infographics

As part of our Human Rights Awareness challenge, students are getting their Geography content with Coach West so they can be better informed about the part of the world their group is (eventually) researching. Students were given their map of Central America yesterday, and will have a map quiz on Friday on the countries and capitals. We wanted a way for them to get more information about each country but also display it in a creative way that could be incorporated into their final presentation.

Each group was given/chose a country to research. Group assignments are as follows:

Honduras- Religion
Cuba- Information
Costa Rica- Children
Haiti- Health
Puerto Rico- Justice
Guatemala- LGBT
Dominican Republic- Protest
Jamaica/Bahamas-Environment
Mexico- Speech
Panama- Food/Water
El Salvador- Women
Belize- Education
Nicaragua- Disabled

Each group is responsible for researching and presenting the following information about their country:
Capital
Government Type
Population
Official Language
Historical Fact
Imports/Exports
Economy
Major Religions

As a class we looked at Piktochart, Infogr.am, Easel.ly- all of these are resources students can use to create their infographic. They are responsible for researching information about their country, keeping track of their sources on a shared Google Doc, and completing ONE infographic for the entire group by Friday. We will use these as a study guide for their quiz on Central America.

11.4.13 The Devil Came on Horseback

Today students got the chance to view a film as part of the background on their upcoming Humanities challenge. Mrs. Auspelmyer introduced the film, with the help of Coach West, and gave some background about where the country of Sudan and the region of Darfur are.

Students were introduced to the documentary The Devil Came on Horseback which chronicles the story of Marine Capt. Brian Steidle who originally traveled to the Sudan as a military observer to monitor a ceasefire and ended up documenting the genocide in the Darfur region of Sudan. 

Students were enlightened about the genocide in Darfur, many of them for the first time, and answered some recall questions with Mrs. A. This documentary helps to lay the groundwork, along with the discussions on human rights from last week, to help students build their background knowledge for their upcoming project in English and Social Studies.

Recall from “The Devil Came on Horseback”

1. What country is Darfur in?

2. What are the rebels fighting for?

3. Who supports the janjaweed?

4. What payment do the janjaweed receive?

5. What is a genocide?

6. Why were people reluctant to call this “crisis” a genocide?

7. What does IDP stand for? (i.e., an “IDP camp”)

8. Given his mission, why would it be important for the narrator to remain “impartial?”

9. At one point the narrator says someone took his camera. Why would a camera be considered dangerous equipment in this situation?

10. Why does the narrator hesitate to share his photos once he is back in the U.S.?

What challenges and frustrations did the narrator experience when he spoke out (back in the U.S.)?

11. What country did many of the refugees from Sudan flee to?

12. What did the U.S. government say needed to happen before action could be taken in Darfur?

13. Why does the narrator visit Rwanda?

14. After this visit, the narrator expresses mixed emotions about his role in Sudan. Why? What are the pros and cons he considers?

15. What is the ICC?

16. As of the publication of this film, approximately how many people have died and how many have been displaced?

What questions are you left with?

http://www.savedarfur.org/