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Assyrian Genocide Course

Course info...

Introduction to the Course

Welcome to the course!

In this introductory lesson...

Lesson: Introduction to the Assyrian Genocide

Grade-level: High School

Subject: World History

 

Length: This is designed as a 1-day introduction to the Assyrian genocide, with two suggested lesson plans that could also be combined into two days of instruction. The material can be taught as a stand-alone case study of the Assyrian genocide or taught adjacent to a lesson on the concurrent Armenian genocide to provide a full picture of the scope of Ottoman-led violence.
 

Rationale: Students will understand key events surrounding the Assyrian genocide, including how the Ottoman Empire carried out a policy of genocide against Assyrians living within the Ottoman Empire and Persia during the First World War and the continued impact of these atrocities on the Assyrian population today. The Assyrian genocide is lesser known than the concurrent Armenian genocide, and understanding the experiences of both Armenians and Assyrians provides a fuller understanding of this period.
 

Learning Objectives:

  • HS.H1.6: Analyze the relationship among different regional, social, ethnic, and racial groups and explain how these groups’ experiences have related to national identities.

  • HS.H2.3: Evaluate the short- and long-term impacts of conflicts and their resolutions.

  •  HS.H4.4: Examine how a diverse society can be a force for unity and/or disunity.

 

Essential Questions:

  • What was the Assyrian genocide?

  • How and why did the Assyrian genocide happen?

  • What happened to Assyrians after the genocide?
     

Learning Outcomes:

At the end of this lesson, students will understand:

  • What genocide is and when it became international law.

  • How the Ottoman Empire carried out a genocide against Assyrians in both the Ottoman Empire and Persia.

  • The immediate and long-term impact of the genocide on Assyrians.

  • Why these atrocities are understood to be genocide, even though the word did not yet exist when they took place
     

Students will also gain experience conducting analysis of oral histories and/or archival documents.

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