Few American middle school students are familiar with the genocide currently raging in the African country of Sudan. Listed below are a series of links designed to provide information about the crisis and help you synthesize what you've learned into your presentation to the other students here at Belzer.
Human Rights Watch
http://hrw.org/doc?t=africa&c=darfur
Navigate through this website to receive up-to-the-minute information about the crisis.
Map
http://www.hrw.org/campaigns/darfur/map.htm
Also from the Human Rights Watch website, this map provides a perspective on the region of Darfur as it relates to the rest of Sudan.
Time Magazine map
http://www.time.com/time/covers/1101041004/photoessay/map.html
This site also provides a map with symbols representing damaged villages, destroyed villages, and refugee camps.
C.A.N.D.L.E.S Holocaust Museum
http://www.candlesholocaustmuseum.org/
Eva Kor, a survivor of Auschwitz, founded this museum in Terre Haute, IN. Her focus now, though, is to bring the world's attention to the crisis in Darfur, and she is beginning with you! Your voice through your words will make a difference!
Indianapolis-Marion County Public Library
http://www.ilibrary.org/cgi-bin/ilib_authorize.pl
Use your IMCPL library card to access some of the best databases! Not only will you benefit from using these databases for this particular project, you will learn how to navigate through the library's resources for use in future research projects. These sites contained in the databases have already been filtered for student use. No more "googling" or "yahooing" your way through research.
The Business Letter Format
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/653/02/
Check out this resource from Purdue University. It contains a sample business letter. You are to pattern your letter to the Chinese Embassy from this sample letter. The address of the Chinese Embassy in Washington, D.C. is:
Chinese Embassy
Address: 2201 Wisconsin Avenue, N.W.,
Washington D.C. 20007
Here is Belzer's address so that you do not have to use your home address:
Belzer Middle School
7555 East 56th St.
Indianapolis, IN 46226
Now that you have a place to start, don't hesitate to do more research. Your powerpoint presentations to each BMS team are but one source of information for these students. They are going to have many questions and concerns, and it is up to your group to be prepared to answer them fully. Here is a basic outline of what your lesson should contain:
1. An introduction of the letter-writing project
a. Who, what, when, where, why, and how
b. Timeline
2. Powerpoint presentation
3. Letter-writing introduction
a. Why write letters
b. To whom will the letters be addressed
4. Review of the letter-writing format
5. Questions and answers