Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

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Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia

Extraordinary chambers in the Courts of Cambodia - Initial hearing case 002

Authors: Sandra Kipfstuhl and Matt O’Donnell
Grades: 10-11

Suggested Amount of Time: 60 minutes
Area of Study: Genocide in Cambodia

Compelling Question

  • What were the conditions, development, and lasting effects of the genocide in Cambodia?

Lesson Question

  • What are the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) and why was it established?

Lesson Objective

Through learning about attempts at bringing justice to those responsible for the Cambodian Genocide, students will learn about judicial systems and their ability to help prevent further crimes against humanity and hold people accountable for committing crimes against humanity.  Students will determine the effectiveness of the ECCC in bringing about justice.

Lesson Background

Durning the tumultuous 1975 –1979 years known as the Cambodian Genocide, atrocities were committed during the Khmer Rouge reign. The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) was created to prosecute leaders of the Khmer Rouge responsible for these horrific crimes against its own people.

This lesson contains content that may be sensitive for some students. Teachers should exercise discretion in evaluating whether the resources are suitable for their class and provide a content warning to their students at the beginning of the lesson.

Image Citation: File:Extraordinary chambers in the Courts of Cambodia - Initial hearing case 002.jpg - Wikimedia Commons. (2011, June 27). https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Extraordinary_Chambers_in_the_Courts_of_Cambodia_-_Initial_Hearing_Case_002.jpg

Historical Thinking Skill

This lesson will facilitate student proficiency in the ethical dimension, one of Seixas’ historical thinking skills (Seixas & Morton, 2013). To consolidate thinking about how we should remember and respond to the past. To recognize the ethical stance in a museum exhibit.

A fair assessment of the ethical implications of history can inform us of our responsibilities to remember and respond to contributions, sacrifices, and injustices of the past. Students consider how the ECCC uses history to respond to injustices of the Cambodian Genocide.

Readings
  • ECCC At a Glance  
  • ECCC Booklet 7th Edition 
  • Crimes Against Humanity 
  • Can the ECCC Achieve True Justice for the Victims?

  1. Warm up

  • Have students think about the following prompt: What does justice mean to you? What specific examples can you think of in which justice was, or was not served? 
  • Have students pair-share with a peer. Then, solicit student responses to the whole class.
  • The teacher will review the lesson objectives and background. 

 

  1. Vocabulary Building

  • The following terms should be made available to students via a handout, digital document, or on the board: crimes against humanity, Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia, justice, and injustices. 
  • Have students complete a digital or vocabulary matrix for each key term. The vocabulary matrix should include the following:
    • Term in the middle
    • One box for definition
    • One box for a synonym of the term
    • One box for the historical context of the term as it applies to the Cambodian Genocide.
  • Review terms and formal definitions with students to check for understanding
  • The following website can be used to support in the definition and context:

 

  1. Interaction with source: An Introduction to The Khmer Rouge Trials

  • The class will be divided into four groups to gain an understanding of the structure of the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC).
  • Each group will work together to answer the following questions using ECCC Booklet 7: https://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/publication/eccc-booklet-7th-edition
  • First Read: Have student groups preview the pdf by looking at images. After some time perusing through the pictures, have them share within their groups the following:
    • What image(s) stood out to you most, and why?
    • What inferences can you draw about the role of ECCC by looking at the images?
  • Second Read: Have students read purposefully by looking at the questions below, then going back to the text to find the answers. The following questions can be answered on a shared digital document so that all group members can co-construct answers to the questions. 
    • What is the ECCC?
      • Suggested answer: The Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC) is a special tribunal established to prosecute individuals responsible for crimes committed during the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia from 1975 to 1979
    • Why was it created?
      • Suggested answer: It was created to address the atrocities and bring justice to the victims of mass killings, forced labor, and other human rights violations that occurred during that period.
    • How does it function?
      • Suggested answer: The ECCC works like a special court made up of judges from Cambodia and other countries. It has two parts: one for trials and one for appeals. It looks into cases related to the atrocities that happened during the Khmer Rouge time. They gather proof, hold trials, and make sure those responsible are held accountable. The court also tries to help the victims and bring about understanding and healing.
  • Third read: Groups will discuss this prompt: Does your group believe the court is the appropriate way to bring about justice for Cambodian Genocide victims? Why or why not?
    • Students must discuss within their group and justify their response with evidence from the source.  Groups can also look at  Can the ECCC Achieve True Justice for the Victims? https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/cambodia/eccc 
    • Potential answer: The court did have some success in prosecuting high level members of the Khmer Rouge. It also brought about awareness to the Cambodian Genocide and documented the atrocities that were committed. It did have some limitations including extended delays, the old age of some of the perpetrators, cultural differences between UN members and Cambodians, only prosecuting a small number of people, and accusations of political interference.
  • Quickfire Share Out: The teacher will call on different groups to check for understanding about the logistics of the ECCC. The teacher should clarify any misunderstanding, avoiding opinions, as necessary. Once complete, each student will be given two minutes to share their opinion on the ECCC and justice for victims in their groups. 

 

  1. Assessment and Reflection

  • Students will write or record a reflective response to the question, “Was justice served for the victims and survivors of crimes against humanity in Cambodia?”
  • Alternatively, this can be held as a bigger class discussion utilizing a philosophical chairs activity, socratic seminar, or four corners activity. 

 

Students will write or record a reflective response to the question, “Was justice served for the victims and survivors of crimes against humanity in Cambodia?” Alternatively, this can be held as a bigger class discussion utilizing a philosophical chairs activity, socratic seminar, or four corners activity.

Engagement: Consider the following method to support with lesson engagement:

  • Differentiate the degree of difficulty or complexity within which core activities can be completed 
  • Display the goal in multiple ways 

 

Representation: Consider the following method to support with multiple means of representation:

  • Provide feedback that is frequent, timely, and specific
  • Incorporate explicit opportunities for review and practice
  • Provide templates, graphic organizers, concept maps to support note-taking

 

Action and Expression: Consider the following method to support in presenting their learning in multiple ways:

  • Embed prompts to “show and explain your work” (e.g., portfolio review, art critiques)
  •  

For additional ideas to support your students, check out the UDL Guidelines at CAST (2018) http://udlguidelines.cast.org.

Emerging: Consider the following method to support with emerging students:

  • Writing: Require vocabulary notebooks with non-linguistic representations or L1 translations 
    • During integrated ELD, teachers may sometimes offer strategic primary language support for EL students who are newcomers or at the earliest level of Emerging proficiency.

 

Expanding: Consider the following method to support with expanding students:

  • Writing: Require learning logs for summaries of learning
    • In a shared or interactive writing format, chart out characters, setting, problem, and events (including orientation, complication, and resolution). Add theme, as appropriate.

 

Bridging: Consider the following method to support with bridging students:

  • Writing: Require academic writing and the use of target academic vocabulary 
    • Apply domain­-specific vocabulary and general academic vocabulary in open sentence frames to perform functions, like describing or explaining, that target specific grammatical structures.

 

For additional guidance around scaffolding for multilingual learners, please consult the following resources:

  1. Students could interview Cambodian Genocide survivors to get their opionions on the ECCC. 
  2. Students could also compare and contrast the ECCC with the Nuremberg Trials after World War II.

Britt, K. 2020c, May 11. English learner toolkit of strategies. California County Superintendents. https://cacountysupts.org/english-learner-toolkit-of-strategies/

California Department of Education & English Learner Support Division. 2012. California English Language Development standards (Electronic Edition) kindergarten through grade 12 (F. Ong & J. McLean, Eds.). California Department of Education. https://www.cde.ca.gov/sp/el/er/documents/eldstndspublication14.pdf

California Educators Together. (n.d.). ELA / ELD framework. https://www.caeducatorstogether.org/resources/6537/ela-eld-framework

CAST. 2018 The UDL guidelines. http://udlguidelines.cast.org 

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). 2019. ECCC At a Glance  | Drupal. ECCC. https://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/publication/eccc-glance  

Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia (ECCC). 2017. ECCC Booklet 7th Edition | Drupal. ECCC. https://www.eccc.gov.kh/en/publication/eccc-booklet-7th-edition  

San Diego County Office of Education. (n.d.). Providing appropriate scaffolding. https://www.sdcoe.net/educators/multilingual-education-and-global-achievement/oracy-toolkit/providing-appropriate-scaffolding#scaffolding

Sexias, P. & Morton, T. 2013. The big six: Historical thinking concepts. Nelson Education.

Tulare County Office of Education. (n.d.). Strategies for ELD. https://commoncore.tcoe.org/Content/Public/doc/Alpha-CollectionofELDStrategies.pdf 

United Nations Office on Genocide Prevention and the Responsibility to Protect. (n.d.). Crimes Against Humanity. United Nations.   https://www.un.org/en/genocideprevention/crimes-against-humanity.shtml  

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum. (n.d.). Can the ECCC Achieve True Justice for the Victims? https://www.ushmm.org/genocide-prevention/countries/cambodia/eccc

Model Curriculum

Cambodian American Studies

Standard(s)

W.9-10.8 RI.9-10.4 HSS 10.9.8

Grade(s)

Grade 10 Grade 11