Glencoe World History © 2008

Chapter 32: Changing Global Patterns

Web Activity Lesson Plans

The United Nations

Introduction

The United Nations has become an important player in international relations since World War II. In this activity students will read about the structure and history of the UN. They will also learn about the role of the UN in attempting to resolve international conflicts.

Lesson Description
Students will go to the United Nations Web site to read about the history of the UN and the role of the UN as an organization for international conflict resolution. After answering a series of questions, students will compile a database of UN facts.

Instructional Objectives
The learner will be able to describe the organization and tasks of the United Nations.
The learner will compile information about the various UN agencies into a database.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. The main bodies of the United Nations are the General Assembly, the Security Council, the Secretariat, the Economic and Social Council, the Trusteeship Council, and the International Court of Justice.



2. The United Nations Charter calls on the UN to help codify and develop international law. The resulting conventions, treaties, and standards have provided a framework for promoting international peace and security, and economic and social development. States that ratify these conventions are legally bound by them.



3. The United Nations helped resolve the Cuban missile crisis in 1962 and the Middle East crisis in 1973. In 1988, a UN-sponsored peace settlement ended the Iran-Iraq war. UN-sponsored negotiations led to the withdrawal of Soviet troops from Afghanistan in 1989. In the 1990s, the UN was instrumental in restoring sovereignty to Kuwait and played a major role in ending civil wars in Cambodia, El Salvador, Guatemala, and Mozambique and in restoring the democratically elected government in Haiti.



4. Impunity is the assumption that crimes will go unpunished. The UN has focused on ending impunity by creating an international mechanism of accountability for those charged with war crimes and human rights violations.



5. Students' databases will vary but should include at least five records with information about UN agencies.