Discusses different forms of tyranny in the twentieth century, featuring the stories of people who have escaped Cuba, East Germany, and the Holocaust, examining conditions in Uzbekistan where the government's cotton farming program has left citizens with dwindling water supplies, and looking at caste divisions in India, as well as Pakistan's school system.

Originally produced as an episode of the television program Assignment Discovery in 2004. Includes curriculum unit segments and correlations to national standards. Teacher's guide contains program overview, video index, discussion questions, curriculum units overview, lesson plan, and vocabulary.

Escape stories --Sea disappears -- Outcasts no more -- Improving education.