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BEFORE YOU WATCH: Nonviolence and Peace Movements

Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: preview and skimming for gist

Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.

Second read: key ideas and understanding content

Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. What were some of the influences that shaped Gandhi’s non-violent approach to ending British imperialism in India? Please include one foreign and one local influence in your response.
  2. How did Gandhi use non-violent ideas like Ahimsa and Satyagraha as tools to challenge European colonialism?
  3. According to the video, Gandhi’s use of non-violence was not unique. What is another example of non-violence discussed in this video?
  4. What were the main characteristics of the Rosenstrasse protest of 1943, and what made it unique?
  5. How did Bayard Rustin and Martin Luther King Jr. connect the success of the nonviolent independence movement in India to the Civil Rights Movement in the United States?
  6. How did the Prague Spring movement begin and end?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. Nonviolent movements developed in conversation with each other, influencing and inspiring each other around the world. How do you think the ability to communicate and share ideas across borders changed the identities and strategies of protestors? Were nonviolence movements in the twentieth century different from similar protests in the long nineteenth century? How?
  2. Using the production and distribution frame, explain why Gandhi’s strategy was so effective. How would your answer be different if you used the communities or networks frames?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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