United Nations - Introduction

The United Nations was established on October 24, 1945. The United Nations was the second multipurpose international organization established in the 20th century that was worldwide in scope and membership. Its predecessor, the League of Nations, was created by the Treaty of Versailles in 1919 and disbanded in 1946. Headquartered in New York City, the UN also has offices in Geneva, Vienna, and other cities. Its official languages are Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish (Encyclopaedia Britannica).
The United Nations has developed a site specifically for students. Don't be fooled by the title (it is not as grade 3 as it sounds): UN CYBERSCHOOLBUS has a good overview of the United Nations and its functions here
Below are some introductory videos that help to give an overview of the united nations. After watching them respond to the questions at the bottom of this post.

The Founding of the United Nations
A slide show on the Basic Facts of the United Nations

What were the motivations and events that helped to found the United Nations?
To what extent does the United Nations provide equality for all member nations?
What potential good could the United Nations accomplish in the world? Has it been able to meet that potential?
What potential problems might arise because of the establishment of the United Nations? In what ways have these problems been realized?