Medium Post #5 China Vows to Continue Crackdown Fueling Muslim Detention Camps
China is a huge country and has been all over the news recently. Some of its coverage has to do with its huge economy or the build up of military bases on man made islands. However, China is also in the news for Muslim detention camps that are in the region of Xinjiang. The article from Bloomberg news is important because many western and Muslim countries are calling these detention camps, concentration camps. The other reason is that it is mainly ethnic groups of Uighurs and Kazakhs that are being sent to these detention camps. China says these camps are necessary to maintain stability in the region. After reading the article students might ask questions such as; “This is in China, why does it matter to the US?”, “What is the difference between a detention camp and a concentration camp?”, “Are the Uighurs and Kazakhs being targeted because of their religion?”. This article presents a good opportunity to see this event as a possible repeat of the past. Using the instructional routine of think-alouds, then students create a project on other examples of detention/concentration/board schools in the US and world.
To start the activity have each student take a paper copy, or computer, or tablet with a utensil to write and make notes. Now began reading the article with the students following along. While reading take talk the students through the process of understanding the content. Encourage students to see connections between the content and their background knowledge. Once the article is read, move discussion toward examples of camps in history. After that have students decide to work individually or in pairs. Then have the students research other examples of detention/concentration camps and board schools in the US/world. Give the students two days to do research and create a presentation, diorama, two page paper, or a skit about what they found. Grade the presentations and papers with a rubric. After the all the presentations are done have a discussion about these camps and if the one in China is repeating history or not. The discussion can keep going with how do camps like the one in China affect people and should other countries try to step in and change it. Then go over previous research on how that looked when someone else stepped in or did not during a similar situation.
This activity would support the social studies content standards 1 and 6. Content standard 1, Students access, synthesize, and evaluate information to communicate and apply social studies knowledge to real world situations. Content standard 6, Students demonstrate an understanding of the impact of human interaction and cultural diversity on societies. The activity also answers the Grand Challenge of understanding the American experience, and valuing world cultures. Valuing world cultures by adding to knowledge of migrations, diasporas, and interactions of cultural groups. Use material culture and documentary collections to research and interpret, America’s politically and military struggles.
