Teacher's Guide for FACES ® AfghanistanMarch 2006
Teacher Guide prepared by: Lisa Greenberg |
Getting ready: This topical issue will be enriched with up-to-date information from newspapers/magazines. You may wish to set up an outside reading corner/shelf on Afghanistan and encourage a current events board with large map of Afghanistan and clippings or summaries of magazine/newspaper articles children find on this country. Alternatively, you may ask students to keep a folder/binder section for current Afghanistan information to share with the class.
Hold up cover of magazine and ask students what they notice about the child and the landscape. How does she seem the same or different from them? Introduce the idea of using a map to organize information and distribute blank outline maps of Afghanistan to students. Explain that as the class works with the magazine, they will add text, illustrations, and locations to their maps.
"High Five and At a Glance", pp. 2 to 5
Have students read the articles and list five new facts they learned about Afghanistan. Share with whole class, asking students not to repeat facts already listed. Encourage students to think about personal research projects, topics they would like to explore. If you wish to have students write a research paper or present a research project on Afghanistan, some possible topics are listed at the end. Have students draw, label, and shade topographical features, the capital city, and border states on their personal map.
"The Hindu Kush", pp. 6-7
MAPS: After reading the article, ask students to select an area of interest, such as the Hindu Kush range topography, its vegetation or animal species population, river sources and flow, Silk Road path and/or trading items, mountain passes, etc. and note that information by text or illustration on their personal map. Invite students to share their revised map and the information that it displays with the class or small cooperative groups.
CURRENT EVENTS: Encourage students to bring in and share current news articles on situations in the Hindu Kush area of Afghanistan, for example, news of Al Qaeda, Osama Bin Laden, natural disasters, trade.
"A Home for Many", pp. 8-10
MAPS: Have students label the population areas of the major ethnic groups of Afghanistan. They can do this by color-coding with key, illustration of ethnic types with key, or any way they devise. These maps are for them to practice classifying information.
DISCUSSION: Discuss the issues related to codes of honor, e.g. the Pashtun honor code for revenge, and religious differences, e.g. Sunni and Shia sects, and high proportion of children in a democratic republic.
CURRENT EVENTS: Have students look for news articles on Afghanistan's elections, government, leaders, and population issues and post them on the bulletin board if used or keep them with their maps.
"Aghanistan and the United States", pp. 12-13
MAP: Have students identify and label locations in which the recent history of the United States and Afghanistan have intersected.
DISCUSSION: How has the United States responded to historical events in Afghanistan? What is the United States' responsibility to Afghanistan? What do students think are the possibilities in the future for a shared relationship between Afghanistan and the United States?
CURRENT EVENTS: Have students look for and share news articles about US-Afghanistan political and military interaction.
"Town Mouse and Country Mouse", pp. 14-17
Divide the students into four groups and assign each group one of the children: Nazrullah, Ehsanullah, Gullafruz, Qazibim. Have each group prepare a skit, interview, or mural that will show that child's daily life and then present to the class.
DISCUSSION: What did you learn from working on your own group's presentation? What did you learn from other groups' presentations? Move the discussion beyond the factual into the cross-cultural dimension.
MAPS: Students may wish to locate these Afghan children's homes on their maps.
CURRENT EVENTS: Have students look for articles on children's issues in Afghanistan - education, health, housing, refugee status, etc.
"The Lost Treasures of Afghanistan, The Colossal Buddha Statues of Bamiyan", pp. 18-21 Read the articles as a class or individually.
MAP: indicate the location of the Bamiyan Buddhas on the maps.
READ FOR FACTS:
- What civilizations came together in Afghanistan? (Chiinese, Indian, European)
- What is the name of the museum in Kabul? (National Gallery of Kabul)
- When was it looted and why? (1992, when the Soviets pulled out of Afghanistan; for two reasons - sales to the black market in art and because the ruling Taliban were against the depiction of living things)
- What are the oldest items missing? (ivory, gold coins from Greece, dating back as 2500 BC)
- Who may have brought the missing ancient Greek coins to Afghanistan according to current knowledge? (Alexander the Great and his soldiers)
- What percentage of the National Gallery's collection has been destroyed or looted? (92%)
- Who is Mohammad Yousof Asefi? (an Afghan doctor and artist)
- Why is he famous in the art world? (He preserved some Afghan art works for posterity by using watercolor to paint out living beings so that the Taliban would not destroy the paintings; he is now restoring the paintings that he changed.)
- Why did the Taliban destroy the Buddhas of Bamiyan? (They believe that their religion forbids the depiction of human beings; they thought the Buddhist images insulted Islam.)
- Who protested the destruction of the Bamiyan Buddhas? (Buddhist communities, UNESCO, foreign government leaders, art historians, Muslims outside Afghanistan)
"Journey with an Afghan School", pp. 22-25
MAP: Identify and label Mazar-e Sharif on your map
COMPUTER SKILLS: Have students find the website www.mrds.org and look under PROJECTS to discover the information on Journey with an Afghan School. Have them follow page links to find photos and further current info about the programs in Afghanistan. Discuss their findings. How has the Afghan School Project changed over time? What do they notice about the pictures on the website and the pictures in the article?
DISCUSSION: Do students think the Coe elementary students made a difference? What have they done in their lives that made a difference to strangers? Why are Afghan children eager to go to school? Why is education important to children? To a nation?
CURRENT EVENTS: Ask students to look for newspaper/magazine information of Afghan education and education in the Islamic world in general.
PROJECT: Explore with class how they could contribute to the Journey with an Afghan School project.
"Taste of Afghanistan", pp. 26-27
The best way to enjoy food is to taste it! If you have an active parent volunteer group, ask if anyone would organize an Afghan food tasting. Shish kebab and pilau recipes are available in cookbooks and over the Internet; these foods are familiar enough that students will probably eat them in a slightly different form. If space and opportunity are available, students might enjoy a cooking experience. Otherwise, simply read and enjoy the vicarious experience. If anyone has eaten Afghan food, they might enjoy telling others about it.
"Afghan Music!" Pp. 30-32.
DISCUSSION: What instruments are the musicians playing in each picture? What is the Afghani name for it? What happened to Afghan music in 1970? (government censorship, male professional musicians only licensed) under Taliban rule? (banned, instruments destroyed) What is happening to Afghan music now? (It is incorporating many European and North American techniques and instruments.) If you can get some Afghan music off the Internet or through library sources, try dancing the attan with your class.
"Nowruz: Afghans Celebrate Renewal", pp. 34-37, and "Goat Grabbing and Kite Flight", pp. 40-41
CREATIVE WRITING: Have students read the articles and incorporate some aspects of the information into a short story, diary entry, letter to a friend, etc. as if they were an Afghan child. Encourage illustration and peer editing. Collect final copies for a class book.
"Tales of the Mullah", pp. 42-5 Read this delightful story aloud or assign parts to students to read as a dramatic piece.
WRAP-UP You may wish to have an Afghan party, with girls in scarves and boys in homemade turbans, and food and entertainment from the last four articles. OR have children share their best work on Afghanistan or have an open discussion of their continued questions about Afghanistan.
POSSIBLE RESEARCH TOPICS for this issue: Explorers/climbers in the Hindu Kush Silk Road Alexander the Great and Afghanistan US-Afghanistan political relationship Plants and Animals of Afghanistan Art Treasures of Afghanistan The work of Mohammad Yousof Asefi, Cover-up Artist Local Crafts How Charity/non-profit Organizations are Helping Afghanistan Now
|
Home
Back
Print