Lesson 3, War: still a struggle

Good morning

Welcome to the third, and last, lesson in our journey through the Vietnam war.

Let's talk about war

*War is not something of the past, it is a constantly reoccurring thing.

*War isn't easy, not black and white, there are many different narratives, and many ways to look at it.

Can you name a well-known war? Besides the Vietnam war.

Can you name a more recent war?

What is the plan?

*Assignment 1: The war in Ukraine

*Assignment 2: Moral dilemmas

*Assignment 3: Moral dilemma game

What are our goals?

*Students can filter necessary information from an informative video.

*Students can make difficult choices in moral dilemmas

Assignment 1: The war in Ukraine

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*We are going to watch a video, about the ongoing war in Ukraine.

*While watching the video, you will have to answer some questions, the answers to these questions can be found in the video, so listen carefully.

Assignment 1: The war in Ukraine

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*Look at the worksheet you just received, and take some time to read the questions.

*All questions are in order.

*Answer in English and try to use your own words.

War sometimes never ends

*Through this video it might have become clear that the war between Ukraine and Russia is the result of a different battle.

*Peace is a fragile thing, which could be ruined within seconds by anybody or anything.

Assignment 2: Moral dilemmas

*The next assignment revolves around difficult decisions, something everybody will come across at least once in their life.

*Please pair up and sit with the person you want to work with.

*Once all of you are paired up, I will hand out the assignment

Assignment 2: Moral dilemmas

*This assignment is kind of a warm-up for our last assignment.

*Look at the sheet that I just handed to you and read what is on there.

*This assignment is about introducing you to some moral dilemmas

Assignment 2: Moral dilemmas

*Your job is to discuss these dilemmas with your partner.

*Remember: it is ok to have different opinions on certain subjects, every person is different and is entitled to their opinion. Please be respectful towards each other.

*You don't need to discuss each dilemma if you don't have time

 

Assignment 3: Dilemma game

*Now that you've all been introduced to Moral dilemmas and have talked about some with a partner, it is time to take it a step further.

*Please move all of the tables and chairs to the walls of the classroom, so that we have a big open space in the middle.

Assignment 3: Dilemma game

*There will be some moral dilemmas, relating to the war in Ukraine, on the next few slides.

*There will be 2 possible choices for each dilemma

*You all have to decide for yourself which side you are on, and what choice would you make.

Assignment 3: Dilemma game

*Once everyone has picked a side, I will ask some of you to explain your choice to the best of your ability.

*It is important to remember, once again, that everyone is entitled to their own opinion. This game can only work if we are respectful toward each other.

Dilemma 1: The price of gas

Most of our gas comes from Russia, but the government wants a different source, because of the war. The Netherlands has some gas sources, which can be found in Groningen. Taking this gas could cause severe earthquakes in the province, damaging people's homes. But, it would lower gas prices around the country and make living a little more affordable than it is now.
What would you do?

In this situation, it is crucial to think about the greater good, rather than the people in Groningen. We could help the whole country by sourcing some gas from Groningen. The people of Groningen will have to be funded for their troubles.

It is not fair to the people of Groningen that will be affected by this decision. They should not be the only ones who suffer the consequences of this war. We should get our gas elsewhere, even if it is more expensive.

Dilemma 2: Housing refugees

The Netherlands is in a housing crisis. There aren't enough rentable houses and buying one is almost impossible because of high prices. Young people are often unable to move out of their parents' house because of this. But: refugees arrive every day, looking for safety. These people have to be housed as well. But there isn't enough room for everyone.

Dutch young adults should be housed sooner. It is important to take care of your people before taking care of anybody else. Young adults should not be forced to stay with their parents.

Refugees should be housed sooner. Not only did they escape the horror, but most of them have nothing to return to in their own country. Young adults in our country might not want to live with their parents, but at least they have a roof over their heads.

Dilemma 3: Taking in a refugee

Life is expensive nowadays. Your family had to change a few of their spending habits, just to get by. Now, the government is asking people to, temporarily, take in refugees. Your family is considering doing this.

I would tell my parents not to do it. We already had to make changes to be able to afford our way of living, and adding someone to this household would mean that we had to change even more. Life would only get more difficult for us.

I would tell my parents to do it. Yes, it would mean that we would have to change even more things in our life, but we would also help someone in need. Someone who would have nothing without our help.

Did we reach our goals?

*Students can filter necessary information from an informative video.

*Students can make difficult choices in moral dilemmas

This is the end of our journey.

This was the last lesson of our journey through the Vietnam War. I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I did.