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  • A Picture is Worth How Many (unfiltered) Words?
  • Student Worksheet: "Searching the Internet for the Truth: June 4, 1989"
  • Student Worksheet: "Censor It"
• Additional Lesson Ideas
  • How is Media "Free" or "Not Free"?
  • Two Portraits in Front of Tiananmen Square
  • Literature as a Window into Culture
• Additional Resources
• Printable .pdf of entire guide
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Additional Resources

A Note about Internet Resources
Students need to be aware that Web sites sometimes present only one view of an issue. Encourage them to think about Web sites even as they are reading. Guiding questions as they review Web sites are: What to did you learn from this site? What didn't you learn from this site? Who sponsors this site? What bias might the sponsor have? How current is the site?

Web Sites

"The Tank Man"
www.pbs.org/frontline/tankman
The companion Web site to the FRONTLINE documentary offers dramatic first-hand accounts and photos of what it was like to be in Tiananmen Square on June 3-4, 1989; the sharply contrasting Chinese and Western press accounts of the event; further analysis on why Tiananmen '89 was a momentous turning point for China; and extended interviews with those featured in the report.

"The Gate of Heavenly Peace"
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/gate/
This companion Web site to the FRONTLINE documentary offers an interactive tour of Tiananmen Square, a chronology of Chinese 20th century history, readings, and an extensive bibliography related to the 1989 democracy protests.

"China in the Red"
www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/red/view/
Follow the lives of ten Chinese people as they tell the story of China's development from their own perspectives. This companion Web site to the FRONTLINE documentary offers a timeline detailing China's economic transformation, interviews, relevant links and readings and additional lesson plans.

Tiananmen Square 1989 — The Declassified History
A National Security Archive Electronic Briefing Book
www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB16/documents/index.html
This George Washington University page offers previously classified U.S. government documents. Students can read the official reactions from the United States to the unfolding 1989 democracy movement and the Chinese government crackdown. These documents have been scanned and would make excellent handouts to trigger class discussion.

Human Rights Watch 15 Years On, Where are Some of the "Most Wanted" Participants Today?
www.hrw.org/campaigns/china/scholars/t15/
Students can find out what happened to the leaders of the 1989 democracy movement in China since they were placed on China's "most wanted" rolls.

Internet Filtering in China in 2004-2005: A Country Study
www.opennetinitiative.net/studies/china/
A collaborative effort between the University of Toronto, Harvard University and Cambridge University, the Open Net Initiative monitored Internet access in Tunisia, Bahrain, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Burma, Yemen, Iran and China. The China Country Study studies access to political sites, news organizations and controversial topics such as the Falun Gong, Taiwan and Tibet.

Articles

"Google in China"
Official Google Blog
January 27, 2006
http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2006/01/google-in-china.html
Teachers and students can go to this site to understand Google's perspective in creating a modified search engine in China. Google's blog offers an adequate amount of background to understanding the development of this search engine.

"Google to Censor Itself in China"
www.cnn.com/2006/BUSINESS/01/25/google.china/
Students can access background information, participate in CNN's poll on this issue, and view its results.

"China Cracks Down on Internet Free Speech"
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/features/july-dec05/china_10-19.html
This comprehensive article from "The News Hour" chronicles how the Chinese constitution protects speech unless it conflicts with state interests. The article also provides a link to discussion questions.

"Exporting Censorship"
By Xeni Jardom
New York Times, Section A, p. 23, March 9, 2006
This editorial details factual information about the Congressional hearings on China's search engines that are sold and managed by American Internet companies. It offers a strong criticism of this practice.

"Politics and Economics: Chinese Government Defends Its Restrictions on Internet Use"
By Jason Dean
Wall Street Journal, February 15, 2006
This article reports on China's restricted Internet use. China claims they are preventing the spread of "harmful" information and their practices are consistent with the international community.

"Sellout.com"
By Andy Kessler
Wall Street Journal, January 31, 2006
In this strongly worded editorial, Google is described as "[caving] to the Communists."