After reading and discussing two New York Times articles about the events, one from 1989 and one from 1999, students will research the perspective of either a student protester or government official and write a research-based diary entry relaying this person s point of view. Review the Academic Content Standards related to this lesson. Summarize the reasons for the protests at Tiananmen Square in 1989, the different sides involved in the conflict, and the results. Develop a research-based diary entry from the point of view of either a protester or government official discussing this person s views of the massacre at Tiananmen Square.
Students then share their answers.
Students may choose to focus on the perspective of a specific person mentioned in one of the articles read in class. Students should base most of their writing on information gained through their research. In a future class, students should present their reaction pieces in a round-table discussion in which they take the perspective of protesters and the Chinese government during and after the Tiananmen Square massacre. Students will be evaluated based on written journal response, participation in class discussions, and research-based perspective writing from the point of view of either a Tiananmen Square protester or a government official. Read and discuss other articles about the 1989 uprising and violence at Tiananmen Square.