October 3, 2001

AFGHAN I STAND
Learning and Teaching about the Culture and History of Afghanistan

Grades:  6-8,9-12

Subjects:  Current Events, Global History

Related New York Times Article
"12-Year-Olds Take Up Arms Against Taliban, By DAVID ROHDE", October 3, 2001

Overview of Lesson Plan:: In this lesson, students explore the history of ethnic groups, leadership, internal and external conflicts, social and economic conditions, and geographical boundaries of Afghanistan to present to fellow classmates at a teach-in.

SUGGESTED TIME ALLOWANCE:
1 hour

OBJECTIVES:
Students will:

  1. Consider their knowledge of basic facts on Afghanistan.
  2. Reflect on and analyze the implications of using child soldiers in warfare by reading and discussing "12-Year-Olds Take Up Arms Against Taliban."
  3. Investigate the history of ethnic groups, leadership, internal and external conflicts, social and economic conditions, and geographical boundaries of Afghanistan.
  4. Present research to other classes in the form of a teach-in.

RESOURCES / MATERIALS:

ACTIVITIES / PROCEDURES:

  1. WARM-UP/DO NOW: Students respond "true" or "false" to the following questions, written on the board prior to class, by a show of hands:
    • Afghanistan is a country with many different ethnic groups.
    • Children in Afghanistan are required to attend school.
    • The Taliban regime controls all territory in Afghanistan.
    • The United States supports the Afghan forces of the Northern Alliance.
    • Northern Alliance soldiers must be 18 years of age to fight.
    Record the number of "true" and "false" responses next to each statement on the board, and allow students to briefly share their understanding of the current conditions in Afghanistan.
  2. As a class, read and discuss the article "12-Year-Olds Take Up Arms Against Taliban," focusing on the following questions:
    1. Who is Lalsaid, and why was he interviewed for this article?
    2. What is the name of the anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan?
    3. Who supports these forces?
    4. In addition to these forces, who else opposes the Taliban?
    5. Whom are the Taliban governors sheltering, according to the article?
    6. What happened in Afghanistan in 1989?
    7. According to officials, how old must one be to fight with the Northern Alliance?
    8. According to the article, what interest does the Taliban have in refugee boys?
    9. Who is Abdul and what does he plan to pursue after the fighting stops?
    10. What is meant by the term "civil wars" in regard to Afghanistan?
    11. What are Afghanistan's general economic and social conditions like, according to the article?
    12. Who are most of the leaders in the northern regions of Afghanistan, and how did they acquire power?
    13. Who are the Pashtuns and the Tajiks?
    14. If the Taliban regime falls, who might serve as an interim leader, according to the article?
    15. How are ethnic divisions among Afghans complicating the current situation in Afghanistan?
    16. Who are the Uzbeks and the Hazaras?
    17. Who is Muhammad Hassan, and what is his perspective on ethnic divisions among Afghans?
    18. What is commander Azimi's opinion on young boy soldiers, according to the article?
  3. Refer back to WARM-UP statements on the board. By reading and discussing the article, students should now be able to provide the correct responses to the statements. After reviewing the correct responses, announce to students that they will be investigating facts on Afghanistan to present to another class (or other classes) in the form of a "teach-in." The purpose of a teach-in is to create awareness and understanding of topics that have not been widely taught. Explain that, although the country of Afghanistan has received tremendous media coverage recently, very few people know about the history and culture behind the territory and its current regime.
    Divide students into groups. Assign each group one of the following category titles:
    1. Ethnic and Tribal Groups (Hazara, Pashtun, Uzbek, and Tajik, among others)
    2. Leadership in the Past Century
    3. Conflicts: Internal and External
    4. Social and Economic Conditions
    5. Geography and Resources
    Using all available classroom resources, each group researches its category. Students may wish to subdivide their category by group member. For example, one student from group "E" may choose to focus on political borders of Afghanistan, while another investigates natural resources. Students should also look for photographs and maps to illustrate their written research on poster board.
  4. WRAP-UP/HOMEWORK: Once groups complete research, each compiles the information on index cards in outline or bullet-point format. Photos and maps may be mounted on poster board as visual aids. In a future class, invite another class (or other classes) to attend a teach-in, in which each group presents its research and visual aids. This exercise may also be extended into a semester-long or yearlong project in which several classes alternate presentations on various teach-in topics, or focus specifically on different regions of conflict.

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:

EVALUATION / ASSESSMENT:
Students will be evaluated on participation in WARM-UP exercise, group research, written and visual contributions, and presentations at the Afghanistan teach-in.

VOCABULARY:
faze, deposed, octogenarian, exile, warlords, militant, militia, ethnic, opportunism, toppling, ensnared, enlisted, conscripting, alliance, elite, impoverished, illiterate, fiefs, dominates, interim, illustrate, undertones, allegiance, crushingly, howitzer, lamented

EXTENSION ACTIVITIES:

  1. Afghanistan is not the only country with child soldiers. Research the use of children in warfare around the world and write a "Human Rights Watch" report analyzing the effects of war on the children who fight.
  2. Compare Afghanistan to other countries and regions with deep ethnic divisions. Create a glossary of current ethnic conflicts, using the region or country as heading and each ethnic group within as subheadings. Make sure to include a brief history and overview of each ethnic group.
  3. On October 1, 2001, the mayor of New York City, Rudolf Giuliani, addressed the United Nations in response to the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Read excerpts of this speech and write a personal reaction. In particular, what do you feel about the mayor's statement: "Let those who say that we must understand the reasons for terrorism come with me to the thousands of funerals we're having in New York City... "? Do you think this is an important time to understand why the acts were committed? Full Text: Giuliani Addresses United Nations (October 1, 2001)

INTERDISCIPLINARY CONNECTIONS:
Economics- Create a map of territories with oil resources, from the Gulf States in the Middle East to the northern oil fields of Central Asia. What percentage of the GNP of each territory comes from oil?
Health- "Post-traumatic stress disorder" (PTSD) is a term used to describe the after-effects of psychologically traumatic experiences, such as war, on people who have experienced them. Research this condition, and write an informative report. You may wish to focus on the ways in which children, in particular, are affected by trauma.
Language Arts- Write a short fictional piece from the perspective of an 11-year-old soldier. How do you think a child armed for battle might perceive his or her environment and circumstances?
Media Studies- Research and write the script of a documentary on the deposed king of Afghanistan, Muhammad Zahir Shah.
Technology- Using graphic design software, create a program that shows border changes over the last century on maps of Central Asia.

Copyright 2001
The New York Times Company

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