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October 30, 2006
Tuesday, October 31st: A Cursory Examination of Africa
Examining Africa Using Numbers
Using a couple of sets of data that I will hand out in class, we will compare and contrast African countries and we will determine if we can draw any generalizations about the continent of Africa. We will also begin to draw conclusions about the future of different African countries and about the future of the continent as a whole.
Introductions and Course Syllabus
I will tell you a little about myself and about the course policies. Download the syllabus so that you can read about these policies as well.
Map Assignment
This is your first assignment for the quarter. You can download the directions for the assignment and I will hand you a map to use for the assignment. Your first quiz on the political geography of Africa will be on Tuesday, November 7th. The second quiz on the physical geography of Africa will be on Thursday, November 9th. The practice map is due on Thursday, November 2nd.
Homework for Tonight
1. Work on your practice map. It is due on Thursday.
2. Read over the syllabus if you didn’t get a chance to do so during class.
3. Finish making educated guesses about what each column of data about Africa represents. We will complete our discussion of these statistics tomorrow in class. Don't spend more than ten to fifteen minutes on this part of your homework.
Posted by kmurr at 2:11 PM | Comments (0)
October 18, 2006
Middle East Peace Conference Update - Wednesday, October 18th
Over the long weekend you should be working on two things. First, you should have a pretty strong draft of your Middle East Position Paper completed by Monday. This will allow you to ask questions of me and of your peers before you have to turn in the assignment. That means over the weekend you need to complete any research about your character and complete your answers to the position paper questions. Remember, that you need to write a paragraph (at least four sentences) response for each of the last six questions. You need to make sure that you justify all of your answers and that you use specific examples when possible.
Second, you should be working on your final essay for Regional Studies. It is due one week from Friday. You will write this essay outside of class. I would be happy to make comments on drafts or outlines.
Posted by kmurr at 9:38 AM | Comments (0)
October 17, 2006
Final Essay for Regional Studies
You will need to write an essay outside of class for your final essay. The essay must be typed, using the Times New Roman font, 12-point. The essay must be double-spaced and can only be three pages. Margins must be 1 inch by 1 inch.
You must answer the following question:
Explain your personal position on each of the following three issues:
a. The establishment of an independent Palestinian state
b. The future of the old city of Jerusalem
c. The construction of a security barrier around the West Bank
One year from now, will the Middle East be a more or less peaceful region than it is today? Explain your answer.
I will be happy to look over drafts and to discuss your ideas with you. The essay must be written outside of class. In other words, you will not write this essay in class. The essay is due October 27th at 3:30 PM.
Posted by kmurr at 12:05 PM | Comments (0)
October 11, 2006
Middle East Peace Conference
Introduction to the Middle East Peace Conference
You will receive a copy of the directions for this assignment in class. You should read through this assignment sheet very carefully. It tells you exactly what you will be doing over the course of the next couple of weeks. After you have read it, we will talk about it as a class.
Bidding for Assignments
What follows is a list of roles for the Middle East Peace Conference. I will give a brief description of each part in class. Then I will hand out roles and there will be a short “trading period” during which you can trade with another student for a different part.
U.S. President George Bush: Jason S.
U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice (Block Two Only): Erin P.
United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan: Alex S.
United Nations Assistant (Block Two Only): Andrea H.
British Prime Minister Tony Blair: Jennifer H.
Russian President Vladimir Putin: Aisha G.
Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak: Taylor W.
Iraqi Prime Minister Jawad al-Maliki: Kelsey R.
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad: Abby G.
Syrian President Bashar Assad: Sasha P.
Lebanese President Emile Lahoud: Eric L.
Hamas Prime Minister Ismail Haniya: Christina T.
Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas: Julian M.
Palestinian Refugee (Block Two Only): Sami K.
Hezbollah Leader Sheikh Hassan Nasrallah: Bree P.
Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert: Holly B.
Assistant to Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert (Block Two Only): Jasmine A.
Israeli Settler from the West Bank (Block Two Only): Justin F.
Jordanian King Abdullah II: Nathan T.
Saudi Arabian King Abdullah: Marty M.
Template for the Position Paper
The Position Paper is the written part of the Middle East Peace Conference assignment. It is not an essay, but it is six paragraph answers to six questions. The questions and directions for this assignment are linked here.
Resources for the Middle East Peace Conference
What follows is a list of resources that you can use to complete your research for this assignment. I would look at all of these resources before the end of the quarter. Some will be more or less helpful depending on your assigned part.
This is an excellent source of information. It has country descriptions, leader descriptions, articles, maps and timelines that EVERY conference participant would find helpful. You might even want to start your research here.
The Online NewsHour Coverage of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
This site has descriptions of past attempts to make peace in the Middle East and descriptions of the key players in the conflict. It doesn’t have as much information as the BBC website, but I think everyone could find this site helpful.
The Online NewsHour Coverage of the Israeli-Hezbollah Clash
This site provides a lot of information about the latest conflict between Israel and Hezbollah. The archives section of this site might help each of you determine your character’s position on the latest round of fighting.
The Online NewsHour Coverage of Iran
This site focuses on the current state of Iran. This will, of course, help the Ahmadinejad character in both classes, but it might help other characters determine how to deal with Iran.
The Online NewsHour Coverage of Iraq
This site focuses on the current state of Iraq. This will help the Maliki character, but it might help other characters determine how to deal with Iraq.
The United States State Department Page on the Middle East Peace Process
This site will help the characters from the United States, Russia, Britain and the United Nations (The Quartet), but all characters should look at it. This describes the Quartet’s response to the crisis in the Middle East.
The Guardian’s Special Report Site on the Conflict in the Middle East
This site contains numerous newspaper articles about the latest issues in the Middle East. Look here for very up-to-date information. The Hamas, Hezbollah, Lebanese and Israeli characters may find this site especially helpful.
DON'T FORGET TO USE LEXIS-NEXIS. This is easily the best database available to you when working to find information about your people. You should search in the "news" section when doing your research.
Homework
Your essay revision is due tomorrow. Don't forget about it!!
Posted by kmurr at 9:40 AM | Comments (0)
October 10, 2006
Tuesday, October 10th: Confronting Terrorism
Middle East Cities Geography Quiz: Good Luck!!
What is terrorism? A Continuation From Yesterday
Read about the following events and determine if each of these events represents an act of terrorism. Be sure that you can justify your decision.
1. Revolutionary War - Revolutionaries in the 13 colonies that became the United States used "guerilla" warfare in order to beat the British army. These tactics involved surprise attacks, such as revolutionaries ambushing British soldiers moving from place to place.
2. Attack on My Lai - This event took place in 1968 during the Vietnam War. U.S. soldiers were told that enemy soldiers were being harbored in the village of My Lai. U.S. Soldiers attacked the village in response. Many individuals, including women and children, who were not involved directly with the war were killed. More than 350 Vietnamese were killed in a single day. Some were shot as they tried to escape the homes that the American soldiers had set on fire. One American soldier said that he and his fellow soldiers were "going in there to give them a fight for what they had done to [his] buddies."
3. Algerian Independence Movement - The National Liberation Front used guerrilla warfare directed at French civilians living in Algeria in order to convince the French to give Algeria its independence.
4. Hamas Suicide Bombings - Hamas has organized suicide bombings against Israel. Hamas's goal is to replace Israel with a Palestinian state. Hamas uses suicide bombings directed at civilians and military targets to attempt to reach this goal.
5. Saddam Hussein's Methods of Rule - Saddam Hussein used horrifying tactics, including murder and torture, in order to control the people of Iraq.
6. Shock and Awe Campaign - At the beginning of the most recent war in Iraq, the United States staged a massive air raid on Baghdad in order to make the military and political officials in Baghdad fear the U.S. military.
History of Terrorism and Motivations Behind Terrorism
I will use a few PowerPoint slides to introduce you to a couple of different definitions of terrorism and also to introduce you to a very basic history of terrorism.
What can be done to deal with terrorism?
Let's think about what we have discussed today and about our own recent experiences with terrorism in order to develop a list of ways that we could deal with terrorism. I encourage you to think outside the box during this discussion. In other words, let's move beyond simply targeting Osama bin Laden and think of a variety of ways to deal with terrorism.
Homework
Your Middle East physical geography quiz is tomorrow. Don’t forget to study for it. Your essay revision assignment is due on Thursday. For this assignment, you need to revise the green highlighted paragraph in your last Africa essay (you should have received this via email over the weekend). The directions for this assignment are linked here.
Posted by kmurr at 9:32 AM | Comments (0)
October 9, 2006
Monday, October 9th: Terrorism in the Eye of the Beholder
Quiz
We will begin with the quiz on Iraq and Iran. You will have about 20 minutes to complete this quiz.
Exam and Essay Review
I will talk a little bit about the last multiple-choice test and about the last set of essays. Feel free to ask any relevant questions that come to mind.
What is terrorism?
Read about the following events and determine if each of these events represents an act of terrorism. Be sure that you can justify your decision.
1. Revolutionary War - Revolutionaries in the 13 colonies that became the United States used "guerilla" warfare in order to beat the British army. These tactics involved surprise attacks, such as revolutionaries ambushing British soldiers moving from place to place.
2. Attack on My Lai - This event took place in 1968 during the Vietnam War. U.S. soldiers were told that enemy soldiers were being harbored in the village of My Lai. U.S. Soldiers attacked the village in response. Many individuals, including women and children, who were not involved directly with the war were killed. More than 350 Vietnamese were killed in a single day. Some were shot as they tried to escape the homes that the American soldiers had set on fire. One American soldier said that he and his fellow soldiers were "going in there to give them a fight for what they had done to [his] buddies."
3. Algerian Independence Movement - The National Liberation Front used guerrilla warfare directed at French civilians living in Algeria in order to convince the French to give Algeria its independence.
4. Hamas Suicide Bombings - Hamas has organized suicide bombings against Israel. Hamas's goal is to replace Israel with a Palestinian state. Hamas uses suicide bombings directed at civilians and military targets to attempt to reach this goal.
5. Saddam Hussein's Methods of Rule - Saddam Hussein used horrifying tactics, including murder and torture, in order to control the people of Iraq.
6. Shock and Awe Campaign - At the beginning of the most recent war in Iraq, the United States staged a massive air raid on Baghdad in order to make the military and political officials in Baghdad fear the U.S. military.
Homework
Your Middle East cities quiz is tomorrow. Don’t forget to study for it. Your essay revision assignment is due on Thursday. For this assignment, you need to revise the green highlighted paragraph in your last Africa essay (you should have received this via email over the weekend). The directions for this assignment are linked here.
Posted by kmurr at 9:59 AM | Comments (0)
October 6, 2006
Friday, October 6th: Nuclear Proliferation Conference
Nuclear Proliferation and Iran
You will attend the Nuclear Proliferation Conference today. Be prepared to negotiate on behalf of your country. We will complete some pre-negotiations meetings and then two rounds of negotiations. Good luck.
Homework
On Monday, you will have a quiz on Iran and Iraq. The quiz will be worth about 15 points and is not intended to be extremely difficult. We are quizzing you to make sure that you understand the basics about both countries. There will be a few fill-in-the-blank questions and a short-answer question. Review the material from Iran and Iraq and you will be fine.
Your cities geography quiz is on Tuesday.
Your physical geography quiz is on Wednesday.
Posted by kmurr at 10:15 AM | Comments (0)
October 5, 2006
Thursday, October 5th: Iran and the Axis of Evil
Today is your first geography quiz.
We are going to talk a little bit about Iran today. Here is the lecture guide. We will then discuss what we read about Iran.
Homework
Tomorrow we are going to have, what we are calling, an Iranian Nuclear Proliferation Conference. This conference will be good practice for the Middle East Peace Conference you will have at the end of the unit. You have been assigned to a country. Tonight, you will need to do the reading associated with the country. While you are doing the reading, you will want to fill out the reading guide. The completed reading guide will help you tomorrow as you negotiate during the conference.
Everyone should read the following article. Make sure that you read this article first.
Q&A: Iran Nuclear Standoff
Article for the United States:
The Likely U.S. Course on Iran: Go Slow
Article for Iran:
Iran Vows Won't Cede 'An Inch' in Face of Intimidation
Article for Israel:
Israel Raises Profile in Iran Fray
Article for European Union:
Key Powers to Seek Iran Sanctions
Upcoming Quizzes
We will move the geography quizzes back by a day. The cities quiz will be on Tuesday and the physical features quiz will be on Wednesday. We will have a short quiz on Iran and Iraq on Monday. This isn't going to be a full blown test. It is just to make sure that you have been paying attention during these two lessons.
Group Assignments for Block Two
Israel: Marty, Sami, Christina, Alex, Erin
U.S.: Sasha, Aisha, Jasmine, Eric, Andrea
Iran: Nathan, Kelsey, Holly, Jason, Bree
EU: Justin, Jennifer, Abby, Julian, Taylor
Group Assignments for Block Four
Israel: Eric, Jack, Alex, Steph
U.S.: Emily B., Hannah, Kristy
Iran: Emily C., Brenna, Peter
EU: Pete S., Andy, Kay, Sarah, Ben
Posted by kmurr at 8:53 AM | Comments (0)
October 4, 2006
Wednesday, October 4th: Poetry and Iraq
We will start out today by taking a closer look at the National Intelligence Estimate of 2006.
After that, we will look at the following chart about the insurgency in Iraq. Please download the document; it will be a handy reference for today and many other parts of our Middle East Unit. You can find the chart here.
Finally, in your groups from yesterday (Insurgents, Iraqi Government, US Soldiers, Iraqi Citizens) you will write a dialog poem. A dialog poem looks like this:
US: We liberated your country.
Iraq: You invaded our country.
One “side” of the poem will be from your assigned group’s perspective and the other “side” of the poem will be from the U.S. government’s perspective. This poem will help you to understand how your group feels about the U.S. presence in Iraq. Your group will need 10 stanzas (20 total lines). You will then need to present your poem to the class.
Homework
Read the timeline about Iran that is linked here. Please bring one question about the timeline to ask the class. In addition, bring notes on the article highlighting what you think are the most important events in the timeline and why (have at least 3). The notes do not need to be in complete sentences. Be prepared to discuss the article. Spend between 25 and 35 minutes on this assignment. Don’t forget that your Middle East countries quiz is tomorrow.
Posted by kmurr at 9:07 AM | Comments (0)
October 3, 2006
Tuesday, October 3rd: Iraq Before the Invasions
Today we will look at Iraq. You will need to download, open and fill out the lecture guide through out the day today.
We will cover information about Iraq from just after World War 1 until the present.
Tomorrow we will look more at the insurgency in Iraq.
Homework
You will need to read the articles for your assigned group and take notes on the articles. As you are reading your articles, think about the following questions:
Who is a part of my assigned group?
How does my group feel about the war in Iraq?
What role does my group play in the war in Iraq?
How has my group been impacted by the war in Iraq?
Does my group want the war in Iraq to continue?
Did my group support the U.S. invasion of Iraq?
Insurgents:
-Insurgents Now Outnumber Coalition Forces
-Guide: Armed Groups in Iraq
Iraqi Government:
-2006 Ambassador Speeches
-Iraqi Politician Complains of US Raid
U.S. Soldiers:
-U.S. Troops in Iraq: 72% Say End War in 2006
-Abizaid: Insurgency Still Strong
Iraqi Citizens:
This group only has one article because their article is longer
-New WPO Poll: Iraqi Public Wants Timetable for US Withdrawal, But Thinks US Plans Permanent Bases in Iraq
Your notes don't have to be in complete sentences. You should spend a minimum of 25 minutes on this assignment, but no more than 45 minutes on this assignment.
Posted by kmurr at 9:33 AM | Comments (0)
October 2, 2006
Monday, October 2nd: Stereotypes and the Middle East
Today we will talk about Middle East stereotypes. We will look at questions like, where do our stereotypes come from and what effects do these stereotypes have? To do this we will brainstorm about the stereotypes that exist about the Middle East.
Once we have a list of stereotypes, we will work to find some information that counters these stereotypes. The following two websites might help you as you attempt to do this. You may also want to use Google, but be very careful about the sources of information that you choose to use. A site is credible because it is dated, cites sources, does not hide its authors and gives contact information about who created the site.
http://www.adc.org/index.php?id=283
Homework
You don't have any homework that is due tomorrow. You should start studying for your geography quizzes. There will be three quizzes and the quizzes will begin on Thursday.
October 5th: Countries Quiz
October 6th: Cities Quiz
October 9th: Physical Geography Quiz
Posted by kmurr at 9:52 AM | Comments (1)