Power and Conflict

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HS/World GeographyUnit: 07

Social StudiesLesson: 04

Duration: 3 days

Power and Conflict

2009, TESCCC 10/25/09 page 1 of 8

Lesson Synopsis:Conflicts in Southwest Asia and North Africa are key issues in todays society. With the War on Terror, US troops inAfghanistan and Iraq, US relations with OPEC countries, US involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, fragile USrelations with Iran, Turkey, and Libya, it is more important than ever for American students to understand the geographyof Southwest Asia and North Africa. There are misconceptions about these conflicts, especially those of the Middle East,and students are surrounded by a variety of stereotypes regarding the groups involved. The goal of this lesson is toexpose students to social, political and economic factors that play a role in the development and resolution of theseconflicts. Students will read articles about one conflict, analyze and discuss the articles as a group, and individually writetheir summary and conflict resolution plan. As a class, the conflicts will be presented and discussed on the final day of thelesson.

TEKS:14 Government. The student understands the geographic processes that influence political divisions, relationships,

and polici es. The student is expected to:14A Analyze current events to infer the physical and human processes that lead to the formation of boundaries and

other political divisions.14C Explain the geographic factors that influence a nation's power to control territo ry and that shape the foreign

polici es and international po litical relations of selected nations such as Iraq, Israel, Japan, and the United

Kingdom.15 Citizenship. The student understands how different points of view influence the development of public poli cies

and decision-making processes on l ocal, state, national, and international levels. The student is expected to:15A Identify and give examples of different points of view that influence the development of public policies and

decision-making processes on local, state, national, and international levels.15B Explain how citizenship practices, publi c policies, and decision making may be influenced by cultural beliefs.15C Compare different points of view on geographic issues.

PROCESS TEKS:21 Social studies skills. The student applies critical-thinking skills to organize and use information acquired from a

variety of sources including electronic technology. The student is expected to:21A Use histori cal, geographic, and statistical information from a variety of sources such as databases, field

interviews, media services, and questionnaires to answer geographic questions and infer geographicrelationships.

22 Social studies skills. The student communicates in written, oral, and visual forms. The student is expected to:22B Apply appropriate vocabulary, geographic models, generalizations, theories, and skills to present geographic

information;

22C Use geographic terminology correctly.22D Use standard grammar, spelling , sentence structu re, and punctuation.

23 Social studies skills. The student uses problem-solvi ng and decision -making skill s, working independently andwith others, in a variety of settings . The student is expected to:

23A Plan, organize, and complete a group research project that invol ves asking geographic questions; acquiri ng,organizing, and analyzing geographic information; answering geographic questions; and communicating results.

23B Use case studies and geographic information systems to identify contemporary geographic problems and issuesand to apply geographic knowledge and skills to answer real-world questions.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION

Performance Indicator(s): Write an essay that summarizes the social, political, and economic factors that have given rise to one conflict

in Southwest Asia or North Africa and suggest ways to resolve the conflict in order to analyze the variousdimensions of conflict. (14A, 14C;15A, 15B, 15C)

1E; 5B

Key Understandings and Guiding Questions: Conflict arises when stability is threatened by changes in power and access to resources.

What social, political, and economic factors play a role in the development and resolutions of conflicts inSouthwest Asia and North Africa?

Vocabulary of Instruction: Palestinian-Israeli Conflict Sunni Muslim Shia Muslim

Gaza and West Bank Zionist Ayatollah

J ihad


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Materials: outline map of North Africa

and the Southwest Asia atlases chart paper

Resources: Handout: Power and Conflict (1 per student) Handout: Essay Rubric (1 per student) Pictures and maps of physical and cultural features of Southwest Asia and North Africa.

Articles on different conflicts in Southwest Asia and North Africa (Palestinian-Israeli conflict, Iraq Conflict,Kurdish Independence, Darfur in Sudan, Afghanistan/Taliban are just a few examples). Note: No specificarticles are specified for this lesson. As events change in Southwest Asia and North Africa, the articles in thenews will change. The teacher should try to find at least two articles for each conflict used for this lesson.News agency websites are resources for current articles.

Web Resources: Voice of America (http://www.voanews.com) provides good information regarding current conflicts. http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/arabis.html

Web resources with articles on current events in the Middle East: Yale: http://www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/mideast/mideast.htm United Nations: www.un.org/english(links to Situation in Middle East and Situation in Iraq) The Middle East Institute: http://www.themiddleeastinstitute.org/index.htm

Background reading for the teacher: Two Rand Corporation publications.

The Future Security Environment in the Middle East: Conflict, Stability, and Political Changehttp://www.rand.org/pubs/monograph_reports/2005/MR1640.pdf

The Middle East: The Changing Strategic Environmenthttp://www.rand.org/pubs/conf_proceedings/2006/RAND_CF223.pdf

Advance Preparation:1. Become familiar with the content and procedures for this lesson.2. Review web resources according to district policy.3. Select sections in the textbook and other classroom materials to support learning for the lesson.4. Investigate and collect news articles regarding power and conflicts in the Middle East and North Africa,

including current events and issues.5. Have printed articles for students to read over. If students are working in pairs, have at least 15 conflicts for a

class of 30 students. These conflicts can be current or historical (i.e. the current war in Iraq and Desert Stormin the 1990s, Sunnis and Shiites, and Israel and Palestine would be good topics).

6. Copy handouts as needed.7. Gather and provide visual resources, or develop a multimedia presentation (PowerPoint), including maps and

pictures, to illustrate the physical features and cultural icons that give rise to conflict, and in particularJ erusalem.

Background Information:Conflicts in Southwest Asia and North Africa are one of the top subjects in the media today. With the War on Terror, UStroops in Afghanistan and Iraq, US relations with OPEC countries, US involvement in the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict,fragile US relations with Iran, Turkey, and Libya, it is more important than ever for American students to understand thegeography of Southwest Asia and North Africa. There are misconceptions about the conflicts, especially those of theMiddle East, and students are surrounded by a variety of stereotypes regarding the groups involved. And, as is the case

with most students, these conflicts seem so far away and have little impact on the everyday lives of Americans.Although conflict has existed in this part of the world for thousands of years, the intent of this lesson is to focus on post-WWII events. One example to focus on is the Palestinian-Israeli Conflict. In the early 1900s, Great Britain and Franceassumed colonial control over most of the countries in this region. In 1947, after WWII and the Holocaust had torn Europeapart, the newly formed United Nations partitioned the British mandate of Palestine, creating a J ewish nation-state ofIsrael. The Palestinians, who are Arab Muslims, were given the West Bank (of the J ordan River), Golan Heights, and theGaza Strip. The Israelis, who are J ewish, were given the remaining territory. It is easy to see, by looking at a map of thisregion, the development of conflict that arose from the convoluted borders that were created during this partition. And, theargument for rightful control of the holy city of J erusalem only ignited more unrest. Constant fighting has continued to thisday in this region, and has affected surrounding Muslim countries as well. More than just religious differences, the conflictrevolves around cultural and historical significance of the region, access to lands and water sources (both aquifers and


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Unit: 07 Lesson: 04

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surface water), factors affecting standard of living (75% of Palestinians live in poverty compared to only 18% of Israelis),and balancing political freedom and autonomy for Palestinians while not imposing Islamic law on J ewish settlements.

The goal of this lesson is to expose students to social, political and economic factors that play a role in the developmentand resolution of conflicts. Working in groups will allow students to discuss a variety of opinions and thoughts on theconflict. It may be a good idea for several groups to work on the same conflict in order to illustrate the differing viewpointsamong classmates. The lesson will have students read articles on one conflict in Southwest Asia or North Africa analyzeand discuss the articles as a group, and individually write their summary and conflict resolution plan. As a class, the

conflicts will be presented and discussed on the final day.

GETTING READY FOR INSTRUCTION SUPPLEMENTAL PLANNING DOCUMENTInstructors are encouraged to supplement, and substitute resources, materials, and activities to differentiate instruction to address the needs of learners.

The Exemplar Lessons are one approach to teaching and reaching the Performance Indicators and Specificity in the Instructional Focus Document forthis unit. A Microsoft Word template for this planning document is located at www.cscope.us/sup_plan_temp.doc. If a supplement is createdelectronically, users are encouraged to upload the document to their Lesson Plans as a Lesson Plan Resource in your district Curriculum Developer sitefor future reference.

INSTRUCTIONAL PROCEDURES

Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher

ENGAGE

NOTE: 1 Day =50 minutes

Suggested time: Day Students speculate on the answers to questions such as the following,

using prior knowledge and, where possible, relating it to earlier learning. When you think of the Middle East, what do you think o f? Why is there fighting in the Middle East? What factors do you think may contribute to the fighting such as

the desire for power or resources? (also cultural differences asstudied in Lesson 3)

Why do many of these conflicts go unresolved? What is the role of the United Nations in these conflicts? These are all things that we will discuss during th is lesson.

In order to include North Africa, theteacher may want to ask students aboutthe conflict in Darfur (Sudan).

Post the questions on chart paper andrecord students responses. Keepquestions posted for reference duringthe lesson.

EXPLORE Suggested time: Day

Give each student a blank outline map of North Africa and SouthwestAsia.

On the board or overhead, list 15-20 conflicts that have occurred in theregion in the last 20 years. List the conflicts by name, location and date.

Examples include: Lebanese Civil War (1975-1990)-When the PLO moved to Lebanon,

it helped upset the balance between the Christian and Muslimcommunities in Lebanon. When civil war broke out, the PLO sidedwith the several Muslim militias, and Israel aided the Christians. Syriasent troops as part of an Arab League force to stop the fighting. Syrianforces finally withdrew from Lebanon in April of 2005.

Egyptian-Libyan Border War (June 21-24, 1977)-Border conflictbetween Egypt and Libya.

Iraqi Shia unrest in Karbala - (February, 1979)--Suppressed by theSaddam regime. Under Saddam Hussein, the Shiites (Shia) were apersecuted religious group, both despite the fact, and because of,their numerical majority in the country.

Yemeni War (1979)--A border war between Saudi-allied North Yemenand Soviet-allied South Yemen turned into a superpower confrontationas Saudi Arabia's ally, the United States, sought to end a war whichquickly favored the Marxist South Yemenis. Both sides agreed to acease-fire.

First Persian Gulf War (1980-1988)-Iran vs. Iraq-also involved U.S.and Kuwait.

MATERIALS: blank outline map of North Africa

and Southwest Asia atlases articles on conflicts in Southwest

Asia and North Africa

Web Resources: http://www.lib.umich.edu/govdocs/arabis

.html http://www.voanews.com

Note re: Articles for use in the Elaborate

Section: The articles can be given to students

at the end of class on Day One forthe students to read as homework.

No specific articles are specified forthis lesson. As events change inSouthwest Asia and North Africa,the articles in the news will change.

The teacher should try to find atleast two articles for each conflictused for this lesson. News agencywebsites are resources for currentarticles.


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Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacher Israeli-Lebanese Border War (1984-2000)-Also involved Syria, the

PLO and Lebanese militia's such as Hezbollah. The First Intifada (Dec. 1987-1993)-An uprising by the Palestinians

in the territories occupied by Israel in the 1967 War. This conflictconcluded with the Oslo Accords, which set up a timetable forPalestinian nationhood and called for the establishment of thePalestinian Authority, with PLO Chairman Yassir Arafat as President.

Second Persian Gulf War (1990-1991) Kuwait, United States, SaudiArabia, Syria, Egypt, Britain, France, Oman, Qatar, UAE vs. Iraq

Iraqi Kurdish Revolt(1991) Kurds rose up against the Iraqigovernment, but Saddam was able to stop the revolt, causinghundreds of thousands of Kurdish refugees to flee into neighboring

Turkey and Iran to escape. Yemeni Civil War (1994) Saudi-Yemen Border Confl ict (1998) bin Laden's War (1998-Present) -Terrorist conflict led by Osama bin

Laden. The violence has also involved Kenya, Tanzania, Sudan,Yemen and Afghanistan.

The Second Intifada (Sept. 2000-Present)-An urbanguerrilla/terrorist conflict between the Palestinians and Israel. Markedby suicide bombings, recurring Israeli invasions of Palestinian citiesand Palestinian guerrilla attacks on Israeli settlements.

Current War in Iraq (2003-Present)-The second major war betweenthe United States-led coalition and the Middle Eastern nation of Iraq.Military members of the initial invasion coalition also include theUnited Kingdom, Poland, and Australia.

Israeli Invasion of Lebanon (2006) Darfur(1980s- present) (Add others, especially current events)

Using the atlases, students locate and label each conflict on the outlinemap. (The map should take less than 30 minutes to complete.)

Articles for the Elaborate section could be distributed at this point to allowstudents time to read them as homework.

EXPLAIN Suggested time: Day

Day 2

Place students in pairs or small groups.

To review earlier learning and begin to connect to learning for this lesson,ask questions such as: Referring back to the map that was created in lesson 3, what role

has religion played in these conflicts? (Student pairs compare theirmaps and prepare to answer the question, then answer as part of the

class response.) What role has physical geography played in these conflicts?

(Student pairs discuss and prepare to answer the question, thenanswer as part of the class response..)

What role has the availability of resources played in theseconflicts? (Water, oil, etc.) (Student pairs discuss and prepare toanswer the question, then answer as part of the class response..)

Remind students about the importance of resources, access to water, andphysical or geographic factors that affect settlement. Also, discuss withstudents the different cultures and historical significance of the region.

Use maps and pictures to illustrate the physical features and cultural iconsthat give rise to conflict, and in particular J erusalem. This can be done

MATERIALS:

maps created in lesson 3 wouldmake a fine resource during thediscussion.

Gather visual resources or develop amultimedia presentation (PowerPoint) to


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Instructional Procedures Notes for Teacherusing PowerPoint, transparencies or photos. Pictures might include: Domeof the Rock, Western Wall, Tigris & Euphrates River, J ordan River, Oilproduction, and poverty. As the teacher shows the pictures, students applywhat they have learned to answers to questions such as: How might this feature give rise to conflic t? Do you think that other nations of the world should have a role in

these conflicts? Why?

support the topic.

ELABORATE Suggested time: 1 Day

Assign each student pair a conflict. Provide several articles concerning theconflict for students to read and discuss.

Working in pairs, the students should fill in the Handout: Power andConflict, relating the big ideas and concepts to specific incidents.

One person from each pair will present their answers to the class,including background information, groups involved, attempts at resolution,and any other important information. (Depending on the number ofstudents, these presentations may last 3-5 minutes each.)

The rest of the class asks questions or adds to the discussion, highlightingpatterns and relationship to concepts.

MATERIALS:

Handout: Power and Conflict Articles on conflicts in Southwest

Asia and North Africa

The articles can be given to students atthe end of class on Day One for thestudents to read as homework.

For larger classes, the teacher may wanto put students into groups of three anduse the same conflict for several groups.

This limits the number of conflicts to becovered in class and allows for multipleviews of each conflict.

EVALUATE Suggested time: Homework

Write an essay that summarizes the social, political, and economicfactors that have given rise to one conflict in Southwest Asia orNorth Africa and suggest ways to resolve the conflic t in order toanalyze the various dimensions of conflict.

Closing:

The teacher should review with the students the complexities of conflict,and in particular, access to power and resources. (Note: Not all conflicts inSouthwest Asia and North Africa are centered around religion, and this isa key point for students to understand.)

MATERIALS:

Handout: Essay Rubric

After Day Three students write the finaldraft to their essay for homework,.

These essays do not need to be longno more than two handwritten pages orone single-spaced typed page.

EXTEND

Have the students watch the news or videos on conflicts in SouthwestAsia or North Africa. While watching, the students should take notes andanalyze the perspective presented in the news. The student can ask:

Is this an accurate representation of the conflict? Are there any gaps or important information left out?

What cultural factors would cause the report to be misleading?


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Power and Conflict (p. 1 of 2)

Name: ______________________ Class: _____________________

Instructions: As you read the articles on your conflict, make notes about what you learn on this

handout.

1. Conflict: ___________________________________

2. Who is involved?

3. Where is this conflict taking place?

4. When did this conflict begin?

5. Using this timeline, fill in important dates and events associated with your conflict.

6. What physical features are important to this conflict?


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Power and Conflict (p. 2 of 2)

7. What cultural icons are important to this conflict?

8. What political factors are important to this conflict?

9. What economic factors are important to this conflict?

10. What social factors are important to this conflict?

11. Have there been attempts at resolution?

12. What are your suggestions for resolution of this conflict?


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Essay Rubric

CATEGORY 4 3 2 1

Focus on Topic There is one clear, well-focused topic. Main ideastands out and is

supported by detailedinformation.

Main idea is clear but thesupporting information isgeneral.

Main idea is somewhatclear but there is a needfor more supporting

information.

The main idea is notclear. There is aseemingly random

collection of information.

Support for Topic Relevant, telling, qualitydetails give the readerimportant information thatgoes beyond the obviousor predictable.

Supporting details andinformation are relevant,but one key issue orportion of the storyline isunsupported.

Supporting details andinformation are relevant,but several key issues orportions of the storylineare unsupported.

Supporting details andinformation are typicallyunclear or not related tothe topic.

Accuracy of Facts All supportive facts arereported accurately.

Almost all supportive factsare reported accurately.

Most supportive factsare reported accurately.

NO facts are reportedOR most areinaccurately reported.

Mechanics Writer makes no errorsin capitalization,punctuation, grammaror spelling. The paperis exceptionally easy toread.

Writer makes few errorsin capitalization,punctuation, grammar orspelling that do notdistract the reader. Thepaper is still easy toread.

Writer makes someerrors incapitalization,punctuation, grammaror spelling thatdistract the reader,though the meaningstill comes through.

Writer makes errors incapitalization,punctuation, grammaror spelling that makethe essay hard tofollow. Meaning doesnot come through.

Commitment The writer successfullyuses severalreasons/appeals to try toshow why the readershould care or want toknow more about thetopic.

The writer successfullyuses one or tworeasons/appeals to try toshow why the readershould care or want toknow more about the topic.

The writer attempts tomake the reader careabout the topic, but isnot really successful.

The writer made noattempt to make thereader care about thetopic.

Power and Conflict

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Transcript of Power and Conflict