This project is intended to stimulate students to examine and consider the role of the United Nations as an agent of peace and security. Students will become acquainted with the United Nations (UN) via the Internet. Through the examination of the United Nations’ web site, students will collect, disseminate and present information regarding the origins of the UN, its’ purpose and governing principles, and the structure of the UN organization. Students will appraise and comment on the options the UN utilizes to maintain peace and security. Using hyper-links, students will also identify two international incidents and evaluate the effectiveness of the UN as an agent of peace and security. Through the on-line access of UN documents students will be able to read, assess and report on the role of the UN as both a peace-keeper and a peace-maker. From these on-line locations students will compile information applicable to their individual searches (dependant upon the international incidents chosen) and compare the data provided by various documents including Press reports. Students will be expected to also distinguish between the various web sites they visit and provide evaluations for a least 4 sites with regards to the effectiveness of the site and the quality of information. Students will also explore how communication technology such as the Internet affects the global political community.

  Curriculum Connections

Social Studies:

Global Issues 3205

This project fits into the overall curricular plans of the school as it incorporates the use of Internet technology which has been identified as another learning/teaching resource which can be actively used by both student and teachers.

Curricular Learning Outcomes

The Global Issues curriculum guide states that the specific curricular outcomes for section 2.8:

Students will:

• 2.8.1 describe the origins of the UN
• 2.8.2 describe the purposes and principles of the UN
• 2.8.3 use a diagram to illustrate the structure of the UN
• 2.8.4 identify the main purposes of each of the principal organs of the UN
• 2.8.5 list the options the United Nations may use to maintain peace and security
• 2.8.6 refer to specific incidents to examine the effectiveness of any two of the options listed in 2.8.5
• 2.8.7 refer to any two international situations to assess the effectiveness of the UN as an agent for peace and security
• 2.8.8 evaluate the statement "The UN as an agent of peace and security has been ineffective".
• 2.8.9 assess the potential role of the UN as a peace-keeper and a peace-maker.

The intended learning outcomes of this project support the aforementioned as students are provided with learning opportunities to increase their knowledge of the United Nations by exploring the UN "virtually" and using the hypermedia links to gather the most current resources available. In addition students will explain how communication technology can affect the global political community. Students will also be assisted to develop skills which can be applied to any Internet search and will be expected to assess the quality of both, sites visited and information obtained.

Learning Outcomes for Technology Education Addressed by this Project

Students will in whole or part:

• understand the nature and characteristics of electronic and non-electronic media
• explore network communication systems
• identify and clearly state, needs, problem situations and opportunities related to human-human, human-machine, and machine-machine communications
• demonstrate an understanding of technological convergence in information and communications, on the interrelationships among individuals, communities, and global societies, and on the nature of work and the workplace
• develop skills to manage and accommodate technological change
• develop and adopt strategies to employ communications technologies in building new knowledge from existing information
• develop proficiency with a variety of communications technologies and tools
• demonstrate understanding of how information and communication tools are used to access information, to evaluate and select information appropriate to need, and to create, modify and disseminate information

  Resource Connections

The STELLAR Schools Internet connection will enhance this project by giving students access to the United Nations, its’ organizations, its’ documents and its’ people. The WWW connection provides exposure and exploration to locations otherwise inaccessible by our students.

Other Resources being utilized:

• Course and Learning Resource Teachers
• On-site print materials
• Selected Authorized Resources as stated in the curriculum guide

  Evaluation

Learning Outcomes Checklist

Students will through both guided and self-directed work:

• describe the origins of the UN
• describe the purposes and principles of the UN
• use a diagram to illustrate the structure of the UN
• identify the main purposes of each of the principal organs of the UN
• list the options the United Nations may use to maintain peace and security
• refer to specific incidents to explain the effectiveness of any two methods the UN uses to maintain peace and security
• refer to any two international situations to assess the effectiveness of the UN as an agent for peace and security
• evaluate the statement "The UN as an agent of peace and security has been ineffective".
• assess the potential role of the UN as a peace-keeper and a peace-maker

The impact on both school and curriculum can be qualitatively measured through the increase in number of students who request to use the Internet as a research tool for their various curricular needs and by the number of teachers who begin to infuse technology (including the Internet) into their curricular activities.