Wednesday, February 3, 2010

Mumbai

Students:

Your assignment is to watch at least one of the videos below and write a thoughtful, detailed response. Underneath each video are questions and links to start any further research. The questions are there to give you some direction and food for thought. Your essay comment should not simply be short answers to the questions I posted. Your response should be at least 200 words.

Points will be given for the following:
1. Essay is the required length.
2. Essay demonstrates research on the topic.
3. Essay contributes original thought and reflection to the discussion.

**Bonus points will be given to any students who also reply to another student's comment. Replies must be thought provoking or conversation starting. Simply writing, "Good work" will not count.**

Video #1: India in the Past
Partition


Source: Partition Emory University
Source: Partition Wikipedia Entry

What does "partition" mean?
Who ruled India before 1947?
What 3 countries eventually emerged after 1947?
How many wars did India and Pakistan fight after partition?
Do either of these countries have nuclear weapons?

Video #2: India in the Present
Mumbai Attacks



How did the gunmen arrive?
Analyze the terrorists' targets: what did the people who were targeted have in common?
What message were the terrorists trying to express?
Approximately how many people died in the attacks?
What is the historical cause of the problems between Pakistan and India?

Source: BBC Story
Source: Wikipedia-Mumbai Attacks



Video #3: India in the Future
Vision of India 2020


How many people live in India?
How does their economy rank in the world?
How many engineers and scientists does India have?
How does India compare to America?
Do you think India will surpass America as the world's superpower?
Source: Time of India Vision 2020
Source: Khaleej Times: India, China and Next Superpower