10th grade What the UN, NATO, the EU and the WTO do worksheet

What the UN, NATO, the EU and the WTO do

Grade 10 Social Studies Worksheet - Challenge Me

Circle the best answer.

1. Read this first

   Use this

   Cards A to E. Card A, a chain in our words, written today: League of Nations (1920, a forum for disputes in Geneva; the United States never joined) then United Nations (50 countries signed the Charter in 1945; the United States a founding member). GATT (signed October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members) then World Trade Organization (began January 1, 1995; 166 members). European Coal and Steel Community (treaty signed April 18, 1951 by six countries) then European Union (Maastricht Treaty in force November 1, 1993; 27 countries). Card B, Reading X (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when the strongest members accept their rules, so the rules must protect those members' interests, for example with a vote that can block decisions. Card C, Reading Y (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when they give states a place to meet, talk and trade even when they cannot force any decision. Card D, Reading Z (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when they start with a narrow, practical job such as coal and steel or trade rules, and widen from there. Card E, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations; the Security Council voting rule is from Article 27 of the UN Charter): The General Assembly has all 193 Member States, each with one vote, and important questions need a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. The Security Council has 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent, and can impose sanctions. A Council decision on a matter of substance needs nine yes votes, and a no vote from any one of the five permanent members blocks it.

2. 1.

   Card E gives each state one vote in the Assembly and a block for five members in the Council. How do these fit one organization, Ari asks?

   • The UN mixes equal votes in the Assembly with a block for five members in the Council
   • The Council's block is the real UN, and the Assembly's votes are just for show and change nothing in practice
   • They contradict, since equal votes and a block cannot belong to one organization at the same time
   • The Assembly can overturn a Council block, since it has more members and each has a vote
3. 2.

   Card A says the United States never joined the League but was a founding member of the UN. Which reading does that fit, and how well, Bo asks?

   • It fits Reading Y, since the United States wanted a place to talk with other countries
   • It fits Reading Z, since the UN began with a narrow job and then widened over time
   • It fits Reading X, but does not test it, since much else changed between 1920 and 1945
   • It confirms Reading X, since the strongest member joined the UN and the UN has lasted for decades
4. 3.

   Reading Z says organizations last by starting narrow and widening. Card A shows GATT becoming the WTO and the coal and steel community becoming the EU. Does that show Z, Esme asks?

   • It fits Z in two cases, but two cases do not make a pattern
   • It refutes Z, since the UN began broad and Z says organizations start narrow, so one case ends the idea
   • It cannot be compared, since growth in size is not the same thing as starting with a job
   • It confirms Z for each organization, since both bodies grew from a small start to a large one
5. 4.

   Which fact on Card E fits Reading X, that strong members must accept the rules, better than Reading Y, Jun asks?

   • A Council decision needs nine yes votes, and a no from any one permanent member blocks it
   • Important questions need a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting in the Assembly
   • The General Assembly has 193 Member States, each with one vote on important questions
   • The Security Council can impose sanctions, which fits both readings equally well
6. 5.

   Which fact on Card A fits Reading Z, narrow start and then growth, better than X or Y, Kira asks?

   • The United States was a founding member of the UN, with 50 countries signing its Charter
   • The UN had 50 signers of its Charter in San Francisco in 1945, and began on October 24
   • Six countries signed a coal and steel treaty in 1951; the community became the EU of 27
   • The League of Nations was a forum for disputes, based in Geneva, which the United States did not join
7. 6.

   What evidence would best test Reading X, that strong members must accept the rules, Luz asks?

   • Another summary that agrees with X, since agreement among summaries shows it is true
   • Cases where a permanent member's interests clashed with a proposal, and what the Council did
   • The date each organization began, since older bodies have stronger members
   • A count of member states in each organization, since larger groups need stronger rules to hold together

8. Use this

   Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from NATO): The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1949 by 12 founding members. Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty, in Article 5: an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The treaty is based on Article 51 of the UN Charter. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the European Union): On May 9, 1950 the Schuman plan was announced. On April 18, 1951 six countries, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, signed the coal and steel treaty. The Treaties of Rome were signed on March 25, 1957, and the bodies were in place on January 1, 1958. The single market, with free movement of people, goods, services and money, was launched on January 1, 1993. The Maastricht Treaty, signed on February 7, 1992, officially created the European Union when it came into force on November 1, 1993. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. The euro was introduced on January 1, 1999 in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions. Today the EU has 27 member countries, with years of entry running from 1958 to 2013. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the World Trade Organization): The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed on October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members. The WTO, established on January 1, 1995 after the Uruguay Round of talks (1986 to 1994), is the only international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It has 166 members, which together make up 98 percent of world trade. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): In 1945 some 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. About 80 former colonies have become independent since the UN was created. The General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris on December 10, 1948, as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and nations. The UN began in 1945, when nations were in ruins as World War II was about to end, and its founders hoped to prevent another world war.

9. 7.

   A student claims: "All 80 colonies became independent after the 1960 Declaration." What does Card D allow, Milo asks?

   • The claim cannot be tested, since 750 million is a larger number than 80
   • Not shown: the card says about 80 became independent since the UN began in 1945
   • The claim is wrong, since no colony was independent before 1960 and the UN had not acted
   • The claim is right, since the UN called for the end of colonialism in 1960 and many colonies followed

10. Use this

    Cards A to E. Card A, a chain in our words, written today: League of Nations (1920, a forum for disputes in Geneva; the United States never joined) then United Nations (50 countries signed the Charter in 1945; the United States a founding member). GATT (signed October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members) then World Trade Organization (began January 1, 1995; 166 members). European Coal and Steel Community (treaty signed April 18, 1951 by six countries) then European Union (Maastricht Treaty in force November 1, 1993; 27 countries). Card B, Reading X (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when the strongest members accept their rules, so the rules must protect those members' interests, for example with a vote that can block decisions. Card C, Reading Y (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when they give states a place to meet, talk and trade even when they cannot force any decision. Card D, Reading Z (invented for this sheet, not a historian's words): International organizations last when they start with a narrow, practical job such as coal and steel or trade rules, and widen from there. Card E, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations; the Security Council voting rule is from Article 27 of the UN Charter): The General Assembly has all 193 Member States, each with one vote, and important questions need a two-thirds majority of the members present and voting. The Security Council has 15 members, 5 permanent and 10 non-permanent, and can impose sanctions. A Council decision on a matter of substance needs nine yes votes, and a no vote from any one of the five permanent members blocks it.

11. 8.

    Card A pairs League with UN, GATT with WTO and the coal and steel community with the EU. What is a fair statement about change, Ren asks?

    • Each later body replaced the earlier one, so each earlier body must have failed
    • In each pair a later body followed an earlier one; the card does not show the earlier caused it
    • Each pair shows the same cause, the end of a war, since the three pairs began after wars
    • The later bodies are smaller, since they came later and new bodies start small

12. Use this

    Cards A to D. Card A, a summary in our words, written today (from NATO): The North Atlantic Treaty was signed in Washington, D.C. on April 4, 1949 by 12 founding members. Collective defence is at the heart of the treaty, in Article 5: an attack on one member is treated as an attack on all. The treaty is based on Article 51 of the UN Charter. Card B, a summary in our words, written today (from the European Union): On May 9, 1950 the Schuman plan was announced. On April 18, 1951 six countries, Germany, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, signed the coal and steel treaty. The Treaties of Rome were signed on March 25, 1957, and the bodies were in place on January 1, 1958. The single market, with free movement of people, goods, services and money, was launched on January 1, 1993. The Maastricht Treaty, signed on February 7, 1992, officially created the European Union when it came into force on November 1, 1993. Austria, Finland and Sweden joined in 1995. The euro was introduced on January 1, 1999 in 11 countries for commercial and financial transactions. Today the EU has 27 member countries, with years of entry running from 1958 to 2013. Card C, a summary in our words, written today (from the World Trade Organization): The General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) was signed on October 30, 1947 by 23 founding members. The WTO, established on January 1, 1995 after the Uruguay Round of talks (1986 to 1994), is the only international organization dealing with the rules of trade between nations. It has 166 members, which together make up 98 percent of world trade. Card D, a summary in our words, written today (from the United Nations): In 1945 some 750 million people, nearly a third of the world, lived in dependent territories. About 80 former colonies have become independent since the UN was created. The General Assembly proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in Paris on December 10, 1948, as a common standard of achievements for all peoples and nations. The UN began in 1945, when nations were in ruins as World War II was about to end, and its founders hoped to prevent another world war.

13. 9.

    Most facts on Cards A to D come from each organization's own pages. What is the strongest limit on using them, Tala asks?

    • They show how each body describes itself, not how others judge its results
    • The cards cover too few years to say anything about change over time in the world
    • The organizations cannot be trusted on their own founding dates or membership counts
    • The readings are invented, so no fact on the cards is usable, even facts from the organizations
14. 10.

    A student claims: "The UN prevented a third world war." What does Card D allow, Zee asks?

    • The claim is right, since 80 colonies became independent without a world war
    • The claim is right, since there has been no world war since 1945 and the UN was active throughout
    • The claim is wrong, since the UN had no power to act on threats to peace, and the Council just talks
    • Founders hoped to prevent another war; a hope is not a result