dbriggsafghanistan

What is life like for a teen in Afghanistan today?

This lesson will introduce you to life in Afghanistan today. First you will explore the physical geography of the country. Next you will examine the economic and political structure of Afghanistan. What similarities exist when you compare the Constitution of Afghanistan to the Constitution of the United States? Last of all you will examine the human geography of Afghanistan through newspapers, museums and popular culture. What is it like to be a teenager in Afghanistan today? What makes this country unique and gives it its sense of "place." Enjoy yourself as you journey through this beautiful land. Remember people all over the globe share many connections.

On this shrunken globe, men as no longer live as strangers.
Adlai E. Stevenson

Tasks: Students will complete a portfolio of information about the geography of Afghanistan. Students produce a map showing cities, rivers, mountains and political boundaries. Students will next gather political and economic information about Afghanistan through the use of charts and country fact files. Students next explore the culture of Afghanistan by accessing museums, music, and young Afghan teen websites. Students will compare and contrast their lives with the lives of the teenagers of Afghanistan by creating a "travel diary." Student assessment will be based on the rubric at the end of this lesson

Learning Advice: Read each question completely to make sure you understand exactly what the question is asking. Use complete sentences and begin your answer by restating the question followed by your answer. For example, if the question asks about the rights of women in Afghanistan start your question like this -Women in Afghanistan today enjoy more freedom today than under Taliban rule because - then complete the sentence with the reasons you believe this to be so. Add two or three more sentences with information supporting this opinion and then end with a sentence that restates your conclusion. Make sure you edit your work for spelling errors.

Always record the source of your information and the date you accessed the information. Also record how old the information is, most websites will say material updated on ____ and then give a date. Keep your notes in a spiral notebook so they will not be misplaced.

Most importantly, have fun. Look for the similarities between the country of Afghanistan and your life in the United States. People the world over are much more alike than different. We all share dreams and hopes for a better world.

Hint: To find information needed to answer the questions, think about what kind of source would have the information you need. Maps help to answer "where" questions; charts and fact sheets contain information concerning "how much"; and newspaper articles and websites will contain information on "who" and "when" and "why."

Process:

1. Choose another student to be your "travel partner" on your journey through Afghanistan.

2. You will each need to record the answers you uncover on your search in your travel diary. This diary will include your personal reflection on the information you discover. Remember that no two people see events in exactly the same way. How does this information make you feel? What questions do you want to ask?

3. You each will produce 2 maps of the physical and political elements of Afghanistan's region.

I. MAPPING EXERCISE

Explore the unique region of Afghanistan by creating your own maps. Print a blank map and use information from the Internet to locate and identify the following:

a. On an outline map of Afghanistan, locate the capital city and 5 additional cities. Identify the nations that share a border with Afghanistan.

b. On an outline map of Afghanistan, locate 2 major mountain ranges, 2 water bodies,

and 2 additional features of your choice.

Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your travel diary.

a. What climate do you think prevails in Afghanistan? Why do you think this?

b. What does it mean when a nation is landlocked? What difficulties does this present in transportation of goods to market?

c. Using the articles in the front section of today's newspaper, map areas of Afghanistan reported in the news.

d. What energy resources are available within the borders of Afghanistan? Does this nation import or export oil?

Extra credit: What are pegmatites? What are they used for?

II. ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL GEOGRAPHY

Investigate the economic and political structure through the use of data charts and country fact files. Examine the legal rights of women and girls in Afghanistan.

Answer the following questions in complete sentences in your travel diary:

1. Who is the President of Afghanistan? When was he elected to office?

2. What type of government exists in Afghanistan?

3. What is the GDP per capita? Is this number higher or lower than the United States?

4. What is the life expectancy of a woman in Afghanistan? Is it longer or shorter than the life of a man? Why do you think this difference exists. Is the life expectancy longer or shorter in the United States? What reasons could account for the differences? How current is the information you found?

5. Compare the Preamble of the Constitution of Afghanistan to the Preamble of the Constitution of the United States? Are there any differences? If there are differences, why do you think they exist?

6. Do women really have equal rights in Afghanistan today? Are conditions better in 2005 than they were under the rule of the Taliban?

Extra Credit Reflection: How would your life change if your family had to live on the annual income of a family in Afghanistan? Remember that most women do not have wage earning jobs, there will be only one income in your family.

II. Human Geography
Chose 5 activities from the following list to discover what it is like to live in Afghanistan today. Write one paragraph on each question or complete the described activity. Have fun exploring Afghanistan today by visiting a museum, watching a short film clip or experimenting with numbers in Dari.

1. What freedoms do girls have today that they did not have under the rule of the Taliban? What percentage of women can read and write? How would your life be more difficult if you could not read?

2. What kind of music do teenagers in Afghanistan listen to today? Name 2 currently popular artists and listen to one of their songs. Do you think you and your friends would listen to this music, why or why not?

3. Write the Dari numbers from 1-10. What is your birthday? What does the number of this classroom look like written in Dari? Use the Dari number system to work the first problem in today's math assignment.

4. What year is it according to the Islamic calendar? What is Ramadan and why is it so important to the people of Afghanistan? When will Ramadan be celebrated this year? Send an e-mail Ramadan card to your teacher.

5. Visit the Kabul museum and watch the video about the destruction of the giant Bhudda's. Why did the Taliban destroy these ancient statues? What do you think is the most interesting object in the museum?

6. Sketch the flag of Afghanistan. What colors have been used for most of the national flags? What do these colors represent? Create a time line including the following information: Soviet occupation, American intervention, Presidential Election of Karsi, Acceptance of the Constitution.

7. When do the people of Afghanistan celebrate their independence? What kind of activities to people participate in on this day? How does this differ from how your family celebrates July 4th?

8. Read the lead story from Sabawoon. What is the top news story about?

Conclusions: Students in the United States have many of the same challenges faced today by teenagers in Afghanistan. Students worry about school, difficulties with parents and popularity with peers. Your travel diary through the course of this lesson has provided you an opportunity to reflect on the similarities and differences between your own culture and the culture of the teens of Afghanistan. You have uncovered differences that set Afghanistan apart from the rest of the world, a history and a people that create the place we call Afghanistan.

Resources: The following resources are provided as a starting point. Other Internet resources can be used with the following caution.

Ask yourself the following questions when evaluating information from websites:

1. Who is providing this information?

2. Does the information tell all sides of an issue, or is it biased to one side of an

argument?

3. How current is this information?

Maps:

http://geography.about.com/library/blank/blxafghanistan.htm

http://www.theodora.com/maps/afghanistan_map.html

http://www.afghan-web.com/geography/hydrocarbons.html

http://www.pegmatology.com/basic_info.htm#what

http://www.lonelyplanet.com/mapshells/middle_east/afghanistan/afghanistan.htm

Economic and Political Information:

http://www.rawa.org/s.html#w

http://www.rawa.org/tvban.htm

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/af.html

http://afghangovernment.com/2004constitution.htm

http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html#Preamble

Human Geography:

http://afghanhits.com/

http://learn.afghanteens.net/dari/

http://www.123greetings.com/events/wishes

http://www.afghan-web.com/kabul-museum/

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/af.html

Photo Credits:

Mosque, Afghan girl, Afghan boys - Briggs, D. 2002 used with permission

Royal Observatory England - Briggs, D.L. 1994

Grading Rubric

Overall Appearance 10 pts

Near, no spelling errors, material organized in logical order. Submitted for grading on time.

Submitted on time, few spelling or grammar errors. Near, some confusion in organization

Submitted late, obvious erasures, cross outs, material lacks organization

Physical Geography

25 points

Maps contain capital and 5 cities, 2 mountain ranges, 2 water bodies, 2 additional land forms and all neighboring countries. All questions answered in travel diary in complete sentences.

Maps are missing some information. Questions in travel diary not completely answered or contain errors in information or spelling

Maps are missing multiple pieces of information. Sloppy or inaccurate information. Questions missing from travel diary or contain serious errors in information

Economic and Political Geography

20 points

Questions answered accurately in complete sentences. Sources for information noted. Thoughtful reflective answers.

Answers lack complete or inaccurate information. Sources not listed for all answers

Multiple errors, sources missing, incomplete answers.

Human Geography

35 points

5 activities completed with materials included in travel diary. Complete sentences with proper grammar used in all responses.

Less than 5 activities completed. Errors in information or sentence structure. Sources not listed in travel notes.

Multiple errors in information or grammar. Sources missing, information incomplete.

Creativity and Initiative

10 points

Additional resources other than ones listed. Artistic or original presentation of materials. Wise use of class preparation time

At least one additional source. On task in classroom prep time majority of class period.

No student additions. Inefficient use of class time.

Overall Appearance 10 pts	Near, no spelling errors, material organized in logical order. Submitted for grading on time.	Submitted on time, few spelling or grammar errors. Near, some confusion in organization	Submitted late, obvious erasures, cross outs, material lacks organization
Physical Geography 25 points	Maps contain capital and 5 cities, 2 mountain ranges, 2 water bodies, 2 additional land forms and all neighboring countries. All questions answered in travel diary in complete sentences.	Maps are missing some information. Questions in travel diary not completely answered or contain errors in information or spelling	Maps are missing multiple pieces of information. Sloppy or inaccurate information. Questions missing from travel diary or contain serious errors in information
Economic and Political Geography 20 points	Questions answered accurately in complete sentences. Sources for information noted. Thoughtful reflective answers.	Answers lack complete or inaccurate information. Sources not listed for all answers	Multiple errors, sources missing, incomplete answers.
Human Geography 35 points	5 activities completed with materials included in travel diary. Complete sentences with proper grammar used in all responses.	Less than 5 activities completed. Errors in information or sentence structure. Sources not listed in travel notes.	Multiple errors in information or grammar. Sources missing, information incomplete.
Creativity and Initiative 10 points	Additional resources other than ones listed. Artistic or original presentation of materials. Wise use of class preparation time	At least one additional source. On task in classroom prep time majority of class period.	No student additions. Inefficient use of class time.