Unit 6: Modern World History
Lesson B: 20th Century Global Politics - Decolonization
Activity 8: Jigsaw Case Studies
Classroom Activity - Successes and Failures of Decolonization
Jigsaw
Directions: In this activity, you will complete a jigsaw activity activity in which you will examine primary source documents and conduct research to learn about decolonization in one other country. When you are done, you will share what you have learned with classmates and draw conclusions about the successes and challenges of decolonization. The questions that you will answer at the conclusion of this activity are:
What were the successes and failures of decolonization?
- What conclusions can you draw about the role of the local political movements?
- What conclusions can you draw about the development of the economic systems?
- What conclusions can you draw about the effectiveness of governmental policies regarding freedoms?
- What conclusions can you draw about which countries were more successful than others and why that was?
- What conclusions can you draw about the impact of colonization and decolonization?
Your teacher will assign you one country: Ghana, India, Egypt, or Israel and a resource for that country that includes background information, directions for additional research using secondary sources, and a set of primary sources to be used in your analysis of that country. Use the Decolonization Case Study Graphic Organizer to record important information.
Like the Vietnam case study, you will look at three time periods to draw conclusions about your assigned country.
After you are done researching, analyzing sources, and drawing conclusions, your teacher will provide instructions on how to work in groups to share what you have learned. As a group, you will share information and identify patterns that apply across all four countries in terms of how independence was achieved, the type and success of economic systems, and the extent of civil rights provided to the people. Record information and start to draw conclusions about all of the decolonization case studies using the Success and Failure of Decolonization Graphic Organizer.
Your teacher may assign additional research about these countries.
Follow your teacher's directions to complete the jigsaw activity. After completing the assignment, prepare for discussion.
Download the Student Resource: Decolonization Case Study Graphic Organizer (doc).
Select the jigsaw that your teacher has assigned and download that document.
Classroom Activity - Successes and Failures of Decolonization
Discussion
Directions: Prepare a response to the discussion question below. Follow your teacher's directions to participate in your class discussion.
- What were the successes and failures of decolonization?
Select the link to review the Discussion Scoring Tool (pdf).
