Teaching the Human Story of the 1994 Genocide Against the Tutsi (1 Unit, 11 Lessons)

Organization: Twige Project: Teaching about the Genocides in Rwanda and Guatemala
Common Core Domain: Arts - Media Arts, History and Social Studies, History-Social Science: Principles of American Democracy
Grade Level: Grades 9-12
Duration: 180-240 Minutes
(Each lesson is 60 minutes)

This is a twelve-lesson unit that starts with a pre-lesson Primer which defines and deepens the reader’s understanding of genocide, providing a basis for the subsequent lessons. Using testimonies and other primary sources from Rwanda, students address core questions about genocide, such as: What are the causes of genocide? Why do civilians perpetrate genocide? Why do some people rescue instead? How does a country recover after genocide?