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  • General

    Israel-Palestine Flag

    • Course Overview Page
    • Download a copy of this course. File 366KB Moodle backup

  • Topic 1

    Introductions
    Using the forum below, please introduce yourself to the rest of the class and to me. Debate will play a key role in this online experience for you, so it's important we feel comfortable enough with each other to engage in honest, yet respectful debate with each other.
    • Assignment #1 - "Student Introductions" Forum
    • Assignment #2 - "Initial Question" Assignment (2.2)

  • Topic 2

    Mapping the Middle East

    The Middle East dominates our news, but keeping track of all the countries can be difficult. This activity will give you a basic working knowledge and visual for where all of these countries are located. Please keep your answers to this assignment nearby as you go through the assigned tasks.
    • Assignment #3 - "Mapping the Middle East" Activity Assignment (2.2)

  • Topic 3

    Religion and the Middle East
    Religion plays an active role in the lives of many people living in the Middle East today. During this unit, though, it is very important to understand that religion is not always the source of problems in these regions; at other times, though, it does play an integral part in understanding the conflict. Knowing when the conflict is mainly political, economic, or religious goes a long way in understanding the complex dynamics of this region.

     Therefore, it is important to have basic knowledge and understanding of Islam and Judaism, the two most notable faiths in the region. By understanding the basics of these two faiths, it will be easier to analyze the current conflict in the Holy Land, and it will make it easier to compare and contrast the beliefs that the overwhelming majority of Muslims have to the beliefs that extremists (like Osama bin Laden) have. These extremists oftentimes distort the true meaning of their faith and cause outsiders to form inaccurate and negative stereotypes about members of the real faith.
    Star and Crescentstarofdavid
    • Assignment #4 - "Guide to Islam and Judaism" Project Assignment (2.2)
    • "Guide to Islam and Judaism" Project Directions File
    • "280Slides" Tutorial Video Page

  • Topic 4

    Afghanistan

    For nearly nine years the United States has had a military presence in Afghanistan.  Before learning about the history of this country and its current issues, please answer the following poll questions at PollEverywhere.  We will revisit these poll questions at the end of this unit.  


    • Assignment # 5 - Poll Question - "Why did the U.S. invade Afghanistan?" URL
    • Assignment # 6 - Poll Question - "Was it wise to invade Afghanistan?" URL
    • Assignment #7 - Poll Question - "Should the U.S. still be in Afghanistan?" URL

  • Topic 5

    Afghanistan: 1979 to 2001

    As most everyone knows, on September 11, 2001, al Qaeda trained terrorists hijacked four airplanes and crashed them into the World Trade Center, Pentagon, and an open field in Pennsylvania.  Within a month, United States military forces invaded Afghanistan to destroy the al Qaeda network after the Taliban refused to hand over key members of the al Qaeda network to U.S. authorities.  United States military involvement is now stretching into its ninth year.

    What fewer people know, though, is how the Soviet Union's failed invasion during the 1980's led to the rise of the Taliban, how al Qaeda grew into a worldwide terrorist organization, and how these similar, yet different, organizations formed a friendship that led to the horrific events of 9-11.

    Using the following videos and readings, please complete the assignments labeled below to understand and analyze the the story of Afghanistan from the Soviet invasion in 1979 to September 11th, 2001.

                    

    • Assignment #8 - "Soviet Afghan War" Questions Assignment (2.2)
    • "Soviet Afghan War" Video - Part 1 Page
    • "Soviet Afghan War" Video - Part 2 Page
    • "Soviet Afghan War" Video - Part 3 Page
    • "Soviet Afghan War" Video - Part 4 Page
    • "Soviet Afghan War" Video - Part 5 Page
    • "Soviet Afghanistan War" Reading URL
    • Assignment #9 - "Life under the Taliban" Project Assignment (2.2)
    • "Animoto" Video Tutorial Page
    • "Who are the Taliban?" Video Page
    • "Who are the Taliban?" Reading URL
    • Assignment #10 - "Should the U.S. government have helped the mujahideen in the 1980's?" Forum
    • Assignment #11 - "Rise of al Qaeda" Questions Assignment (2.2)
    • "Al Qaeda: Biography" Video Page
    • "The Rise of al Qaeda" Reading URL

  • Topic 6

    The War Against al Qaeda and the Taliban (2001-Present)

    The nine year war against al Qaeda and the Taliban has been marked by many successes and failures.  Attached below is a chronology of key events dating back to October 7, 2001, the day U.S. and British forces began their invasion of Afghanistan.

    • Assignment #12 - "Success and Failure in Afghanistan" Project Assignment (2.2)
    • "Chronology of the Afghanistan War: 2001-Present" Website and Videos URL

  • Topic 7

    Rebuilding Afghanistan

    Along with trying to eliminate al Qaeda and the Taliban, the United States government has worked diligently over the past nine years to try to rebuild Afghanistan into a stable, democratically run country.  The rebuilding has proven difficult due to the vast poverty of the country, a resurgent Taliban in recent years, increased opium production, and corruption within the new government.  The following activities will take a critical look at the rebuilding effort including an analytical look into whether or not the United States military should remain in Afghanistan for the foreseeable future.

    • Assignment #13 - "3rd World Farmer" Game Assignment (2.2)
    • Assignment #14 - "The Problem with Opium" Reading and Questions Assignment (2.2)
    • Assignment #15 - "Should the U.S. send more troops to Afghanistan?" Forum
    • "Is Sending More Troops to Afghanistan the Answer?" Reading URL
    • "War in Afghanistan" Statistics URL

  • Topic 8

    Final Wrap Up - Afghanistan

    After furthering your understanding of Afghanistan's history and current issues in rebuilding, has your opinion changed since the beginning of the unit?

    • Assignment # 16 - Poll Question - "Was it wise to invade Afghanistan?" URL
    • Assignment #17 - Poll Question - "Should the United States still be in Afghanistan today?" URL
    • Assignment #18 - "Changed Opinions?" Forum

  • Topic 9

    Saddam Hussein - The Butcher of Baghdad

    As Afghanistan was being invaded by the Soviet Union in 1979, Iraq, too, was experiencing a transformation that would soon tear it apart.  Saddam Hussein took control of Iraq in 1979 and over the next 24 years terrorized anybody who dared speak out against him.  The following video and biography will give you a chance to see, hear, and read more about what life was like for the Iraqis unlucky enough to live under his rule.

    • Assignment #19 - "Life Under Saddam Hussein" Questions Assignment (2.2)
    • "Saddam Hussein" Video and Biography URL
    • Assignment #20 - "The United States' Reaction to Saddam Hussein" Forum

  • Topic 10

    The Second Iraq War (2003-Present)

    The United States' first war against Iraq in 1991 lasted a very short period of time.  In just one month, the United States achieved its sole objective of removing Saddam Hussein's armies from Kuwait.  After the First Iraq War, though, a strategic decision was made to allow Saddam Hussein to remain in power.  There would be no invasion of Iraq at that time. 

    As Saddam continued to defy the world community at the United Nations, however, pressure mounted to wage a Second Iraq War.  This Second Iraq War, started March 19, 2003, had very different objectives than the first one.  First and foremost, Saddam Hussein and his Ba'ath Party government would not be allowed to remain in power.  Secondly, Saddam's alleged weapons of mass destruction (WMD) would be destroyed, and finally, a total rebuilding of the country's political and economic structure would have to take place after Saddam's removal.  While the first task proved relatively simple, the rebuilding efforts have been slow and difficult due to an increase in ethnic tensions between rival factions of Sunni and Shi'ite Muslims in the country.  Seven years after the invasion and Americans, still to this day, debate the overall success and necessity of this war.

    • Assignment #21 - "Second Iraq War" Timeline Project Assignment (2.2)
    • "Seven Years in Iraq: An Iraq War Timeline" Website URL
    • "Timeglider" Video Tutorial Page
    • Assignment #22 - "Was the Second Iraq War worth it?" Forum
    • Assignment #23 - "What is the most 'responsible' way to leave Iraq?" Forum
    • "Bringing the Iraq War to a 'Responsible End'" Reading URL
    • ***UPDATE*** August 2010 - U.S. Combat Troops Leave Iraq Page

  • Topic 11

    Conflict in the Holy Land

    Of all the conflicts in the Middle East, perhaps the most complicated of all is the conflict in the "Holy Land", where the land of Palestine and holy city of Jerusalem resides.  Jerusalem is a holy city for three major world religions and the controversy over who should control it has lasted not only for decades, but centuries.  In modern history, Israeli Jews and Palestinian Muslims have squabbled over control of Palestine and the capital city of Jerusalem.  Unfortunately, bloodshed has been a constant in the area since Israel's creation as a country after World War II. 

    Historically, the United States has given more support to the Israelis than the Palestinians.  This has enraged terrorist organizations like al Qaeda, and they continue to point to this issue when attempting to recruit new members in the Middle East.  Quite frankly, pointing out U.S. support of Israel has and always will be al Qaeda's best recruiting tool in the region, since many Arabs feel as though they're land was stolen by the Israelis. 

    A long lasting and well respected peace deal in the Holy Land would go a long ways in eliminating bloodshed in the region as well as improving the United States' image in the Middle East.  After learning about the history of the conflict and the varying perspectives that Israelis and Palestinians have on the issue, will you be able to create a plan that works?

    • Assignment #24 - "Israeli-Palestinian Mock Conversation" Activity Assignment (2.2)
    • "History of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict" Power Point File
    • "Holy Land" Maps (1920-Present) URL
    • "Promises" Video Documentary Page
    • "Using Google Docs" Video Tutorial Page
    • Assignment #25 - "Mideast Peace Plan" Project Assignment (2.2)
    • "Prezi" Video Tutorial Page

  • Topic 12

    Standards Alignment

    • "Standards Alignment for ARRA Grant" File

  • Topic 13

    Creative Commons Attribution


    Creative Commons License
    The Middle East in Conflict: Afghanistan, Iraq, and the Holy Land by Rob Kieffer is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.
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