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WORLD STUDIES

UNIT 4: IMPERIALISM - AFRICA

Extending from the previous unit, the students will explore how industrialized nations embarked on a competitive race for global resources and markets. This resulted in the establishment of political, cultural, and economic control over large regions of the world that had a lasting impact.  In this Second Age of Imperialism, the students will examine case studies of South Africa, Rwanda, and Sudan. With each case study, students will see how imperialism shaped the political, economic and social development of the country/region. 

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

  • Who owns history?

  • Why would one culture feel superior to another?

  • Are politics and economics stronger than morals?

  • How might globalization be a euphemism for imperialism?

  • How has imperialism affected international relations and the political, social, and economic development of Africa?

  • Does the world care about Africa?

Essential Questions

VIDEOS

Videos
Crash Course: Imperialism

  • What drove the Second Age of Imperialism?

  • What role did technology play in Europe's dominance over Africa?

The White Man's Burden

  • What is the white man's burden? 

  • How are non-western people described by Rudyard Kipling?

  • How does Kipling justify imperialism?

Imperialism's Impact on Africa

  • What was the impact of imperialism on Africa?

Apartheid Explained

  • What was apartheid?

  • What were the origins of apartheid?

  • How were black South Africans limited during apartheid?

Trevor Noah on Apartheid
*DISCLAIMER: There are a few uses of expletives during the podcast.  However, his experiences are extremely enlightening and allows one to personalize apartheid

  • Why does Trevor Noah say that he was "born a crime"?

  • What was Trevor Noah's experience growing up in a mixed race home during apartheid?

Hotel Rwanda - Hutus vs. Tutsis

  • How was imperialism a long-term cause of the Rwandan genocide?

How did the international community fail Rwanda?
*DISCLAIMER: There are some graphic images included in this video as it recaps the genocide
China in Africa (starts at 14:22 mark)

  • Is China's relationship with Africa a win-win or win-lose?

  • Are China's actions in Africa similar to that of European imperialists?

UNIT SOURCES

Sources

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