Fifth Grade
Worksheets
Genocide Commemoration Day in Rwanda
Genocide Commemoration Day in Rwanda
Reading Comprehension for April 6
On April 6, people all over the world remember a terrible time in the history of Rwanda. This time to remember happened not too long ago--in the early and mid-1990s. It cost the lives of more than a million Rwandans. This day is called the Rwanda Genocide Commemoration Day.
What is genocide? It's a word that speaks of the murders of large groups of people. Genocide is the murder of a large group of people who have something in common-- usually race, ethnicity, or religion. Unfortunately, genocide has happened many times in the history of the world. Most recently, the people of Rwanda have been victims of genocide.
Historically, there have been two tribes of people living in Rwanda. These tribes are the Hutu and the Watutsi, or just Tutsi for short. For much of Rwanda's history, the Hutu and Tutsi have been fighting. The fighting was at its worst in the 20th century.
