Community Read Day 2013

1. The aim of the MRHS Community Read Program is to create a community of discussion around a single idea or topic as students are educated as members of a global community and work to gain their, "Passport to the World." According to Article 26 of the UN's Human Rights Declaration, "Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace." September 27th Community Read Day 2013

2. Introduction Our Perceptions 19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shahib Nye Geography 1st period Overview

3. Welcome to Community Read Day 2013! 30+ minutes of each period today will be devoted to discussing the topics of our community read titles. Find a sheet of notebook paper to use for personal reflection. Put your name on this paper. Make sure to keep up with this paper because you will need it during each class. You will submit it to your fourth period teacher. Journals

4. Introduction • If you’ve seen or heard the headlines of any news station recently, you’ve probably noticed that people are always talking about conflicts in the Middle East. It is hard to join those conversations, especially if you know very little about the region’s history, geography, and culture. • Journal 1 Before we get started, answer one or more of the following questions: (You have 5 minutes) • Do you follow the news? If so, how and why? If not, why not? • Do you think it is important to know what is happening in other parts of the world? Why or why not? • How does what happens in the rest of the world impact us?

5. Perceptions Continued Click on this link to briefly scan the current headlines in the NY Times that deal with the Middle East. • Discuss the following: • Does reading news articles about the Middle East, or any other area of the world, give you a complete or fair representation of the people who live there? • Can our perceptions of a place be distorted by what we see and hear in the news? • What misconceptions do you think the world might have about us based on the news and other media?

6. Perceptions Take a look at the map below to start to understand why the Middle East is always in the news. It indicates the major conflicts of the last few years.

7. Click on the cover of book to watch a brief interview with the author, an Arab- American who wrote this collection of poems in response to people’s perceptions of her family’s culture. (2:28) Afterwards, read the excerpts from her poems on the following slides and answer the discussion questions. Text 1: 19 Varieties of Gazelle

8. Perceptions Continued Read this brief excerpt from a poem in the collection. What do you think Nye is trying to say about people’s misconceptions? Do you agree?

9. The Palestinians Have Given Up Parties …Sometimes you didn’t even know. You ate all that food without knowing. Kissed both cheeks of anybody who passed, slapping the drum, reddening your palm. Later you were full, rich, with a party in your skin. Where does fighting come into this story? Fighting got lost from somewhere else. It is not what we like: to eat, to drink, to fight. Now when students gather quietly inside their own classroom to celebrate the last day of school, the door to the building gets blasted off. Empty chairs where laughter used to sit. Laughter lived here jingling its pocket of thing coins and now it is hiding…. They have told us we are not here when we were always here. Their eraser does not work. See the hand-tinted photos of young men: too perfect, too still. The bombs break everyone’s sentences in half. Who made them? Do you know anyone who makes them? The ancient taxi driver shakes his head back and forth from Jerusalem to Jericho. They will not see, he says slowly, the story behind the story, they are always looking for the story after the story which means they will never understand the story. Which means it will go on and on. 1) Was there always conflict in Palestine? 2) According to the poem, why does violence persist? 3) Do you think this is true of all violence ?

10. To have a better understanding of the region, let’s start with the map. Geography

11. Can you correctly identify any of the countries in the Middle East?

12. Answer key

13. 2nd PeriodOverview Three of the texts on the list this year deal specifically with Palestine and Israel. During this period, we are going to briefly discuss the history of the conflict that exists between these two countries.

14. What, if anything, do you know about the conflict between Palestine and Israel? How do you think the people who live in occupied countries feel towards the governments that occupy them? How does occupation make life difficult for the people who live in both countries? How do you think your life would be different if you lived in an occupied country? Do you think you take your freedom for granted? Add a response to one or more of the questions below to your journal sheet. (You have 5 minutes.) Journal 2: This cross between the Palestinian flag (left) and Israeli flag (right) is used by organizations that promote peace in the region.

15. Israel Why are people all over the world so invested in Israel? “Israel's best known landmarks reflect the region's lengthy human history and its prominence in all three monotheistic faiths: Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Largely concentrated in Jerusalem, the country's largest city, many of Israel's most famous sites and monuments have sparked struggles among the various religious groups that lay claim to them.” from USA Today From the introduction of 19 Varieties of Gazelle by Naomi Shihab Nye Based on the above excerpt from USA Today, why does the fate of Israel impact so many people?

16. History As you know from world history, civilization began in the Mesopotamian River Valley, which is located in the region now known as the Middle East. As a result, it’s the oldest part of the world and has the most history. Click on the mapto see a video clip that illustrates how the region has been impacted by many different cultures from 3000 BC to 2006. As you watch, be sure to note the last empire and the dates at which the countries began to declare their independence from foreign rule. (2:44)

17. History Continued • Based on the clip, answer the following questions: • What sort of lasting impact do you think these various empires might have left on the region? • According to the film, what region last colonized the Middle East? When did the various countries start to become independent? • Do you think this extensive cultural history creates conflict for the people who live in the region today? Why?

18. Click on the map to watch a video that summarizes a timeline of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. (12:13) Afterwards, look over this map and think about what it would be like to live on either side.

19. Click on the image to watch the trailer for the film based on the book from our list. (2:11) What stood out to you from the clip? Do you think the premise of this story is plausible? Like “Romeo and Juliet” many love stories take place amidst conflict. Why might a writer choose these particular social conditions for a story?

20. A Thousand Splendid Suns Afghanistan Women’s rights 3rd PeriodOverview

21. Have you read “The Kite Runner” or “A Thousand Splendid Suns”? If so, did you enjoy the books? Why do you think these particular books have become so popular in America and the rest of the world? What comes to mind when you think about the women of the Middle East? What are your perceptions of them and how they are treated? Do you think women are oppressed in other parts of the world as well? If so, why? Does this include America? Add a response to one or more of the questions below to your journal sheet. (You have 5 minutes.) Journal 3:

22. Click on this picture of the famous author of The Kite Runner, A Thousand Splendid Suns, and, his most recent book, And the Mountains Echoed (far right) to watch an interview with him in which he explains his inspiration. (6:08) KhaledHosseini

23. In the novel, Mariam at first finds it hard to wear a burqa but then finds it “comforting” (73). At one point, she is told, “…I am your husband now, and it falls on me to guard not only your honor but ours …. That is the husband’s burden.” Burqa Burqas are the traditional covering worn by some Islamic women. Not all Muslims follow this tradition. In some places wearing the veil is optional, but in other places it is required or even prohibited by law. This has caused a lot of controversy. Why might some women prefer the burqa? Why might some women find it oppressive? Is it fair for countries, like France, to make burqas illegal?

24. Think about this quote from the novel: “God made us differently, you women and us men. Our brains are different. You are not able to think like we can.” from A Thousand Splendid Suns (365) Some people have praised this fictional novel for shedding light on the problems women face in Afghanistan; other people criticize the book for creating the perception that all women are oppressed and all men are oppressors. Do you think all men in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries feel like the speaker in the quote above? Do you think all women in Afghanistan and other Middle Eastern countries have the same experience as the woman above? What problem do writers and journalists who want to shed light on global issues face when it comes to culture? Is it problematic to have a single story, or perception of a person or group of people? What other groups of people do we define by a single story? The Problem

25. Advertisements often rely on stereotypes. Examine this advertisement from an American magazine. Why might some people find this advertisement offensive? What stereotypes of Muslim women does the ad suggest? What stereotypes of American women does the ad suggest? Why might some people view American women as oppressed? Advertisements

26. The United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights states the following: Article 26 1. Everyone has the right to education. Education shall be free, at least in the elementary and fundamental stages. Elementary education shall be compulsory. Technical and professional education shall be made generally available and higher education shall be equally accessible to all on the basis of merit. 2. Education shall be directed to the full development of the human personality and to the strengthening of respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms. It shall promote understanding, tolerance and friendship among all nations, racial or religious groups, and shall further the activities of the United Nations for the maintenance of peace. 3. Parents have a prior right to choose the kind of education that shall be given to their children. Do you think these rights are afforded to all people in the world including the Middle East and America? Where and how are these rights violated? Is there a way to enforce the UN’s Declaration? Explain. Education

27. Malala Although many countries are working to provide education to all students, some fundamentalist groups are also working to try to stop people from being educated, especially women. Click on the magazine cover to hear the story of Malala, a Pakistani girl who shot by a member of the Taliban for trying to go to school. (2:45) In her speech to the UN, Malala proudly shared that she was wearing the scarf of Benazir Bhutto, a woman who served two terms as the prime minister of Pakistan. Why is education so central to the human rights of an individual and nation?

28. Current Events: During this final period, we’ll discuss the most pressing conflict in the Middle East and debate whether or not other countries should get involved in the conflict. 4th Period overview

29. What, if anything, do you know about Syria? Do you think that we as a nation are obligated to help people of other nations achieve freedom and democracy? Explain. At what point should America and other nations get involved in the civil wars of other countries? Explain. Add a response to one or more of the questions below to your journal sheet. (You have 5 minutes.) Journal 4:

30. Take a look at this map that shows where Syrian refugees are relocating. Then click on the map to watch a Prezi that gives a brief background of the conflict that is causing people to flee Syria. Syria

31. Syrian Refugees • Click on this image of a Syrian refugee camp to explore a website about the camp. • To the right of the interactive map, (labed “About”) you can navigate through brief background stories of 5 refugees living in the camp. • Notice the aerial images that show the camp’s growth over time. • Check out the info graphics throughout the page that provide key statistics. The UNHCR recently stated, "Syria is hemorrhaging women, children and men who cross borders often with little more than the clothes on their backs."

32. Syrian Refugees Continued Much like the characters of A Little Piece of Ground, soccer is an important part of life for many Syrian refugees. Click on the cover of this book to watch a clip narrated by a soccer coach in the refugee camp. (2:59) “All that stuff, he thought, that I used to dream about—saving Palestine, being a soccer star, creating computer games, inventing things—what a load of nonsense.[…] Just to be ordinary, he murmured. To live an ordinary life in an ordinary country.” from A Little Piece of Ground

33. Chemical Warfare In the last month, many American officials, including the president, have suggested that America would begin intervening in Syria which would mean the beginning of a new international war. What happened to cause this reaction? On August 21st, over 1000 Syrians were killed and many more were injured due to an attack that involved a chemical weapon called sarin. The leader of Syria denies using the chemical weapons against his own people and claims the attacks were by his opposition. The US claims to evidence that proves the Syrian government is responsible. Based on this map, why would most people conclude that the Syrian government, not the opposition, were responsible for the attacks?

34. Discussion • Should the US government get involved in Syria? If so, to what extent? • At what point should the US intervene in crisis situations around the world? • Is the use of chemical weapons different from other war crimes? If so, how? • On September 12th, with encouragement from Russia, Assad signed an agreement to begin dismantling his chemical weapons program and turn over the weapons to the United Nations. • Despite this positive step in the Syrian conflict, why will Syria continue to be at conflict and create conflict for the rest of the world?

35. Journal 5: • As a final reflection, add a last journal entry that addresses the following: • What did you learn today from the community read lessons? • What stood out to you the most? • What further questions do you have about the Middle East? • Don’t forget to submit your journals to your 4th period teacher.

36. Extension Activities • Want to learn more? Here are some ideas: • Check out one or more of the Community Read titles from the library. • Watch the DVD of Bottle in the Gaza Sea which is available in our media center. • Participate in panel discussions that will be held later in the school year. • Use your Chromebooks to follow up with some of the great resources cited in these lessons.

37. Additional LINKS • MRHS Community Read Homepage • Teach the Middle East • Middle East Center • Middle Eastern Headlines • PBS Global Connections • PBS News Hour • Teaching Global Education • Outreach World