I forced my 9th grade geography students to solve the Palestian crisis

[Bucky]

They were given some readings and divided in to teams of 3-4 negotiators for either the "Palestinian" or the "Israeli" side of the disagreement over the Dome of the Rock/Temple Mount controversy. We got some pretty cool, albeit unrealistic solutions to the conflict.

[Left_Winger]

1. I have tried the same thing

Albeit with 12th graders who are in fourth year German. The assignments were predominant articles on world affairs from the German media to provide them with another perspective. After reading the articles we discussed them and then addressed various aspects: Was the article biased in any way? How was it different from the American media? Overall, what can we learn by studying what other societies think?

Well... half of the class almost revolted. I was actually told that "the news is boring and this serves no useful purpose for learning German." I showed them the state standards for foreign language instruction where this very issue is addressed, combined with SACS directives which also support this. This still did not work.

I was stunned! Then I asked them whether or not they watch the news or read any news periodicals. They do not.

Keep in mind that most of my students come from republican families and I think they do not want to face up to the truth which is unfolding in front of their eyes. Another factor could be "senioritis" and their desire to skate until graduation.

I congratulate you and your success with your students. :yourock:


I do have more success with my younger students (10th and 11th grades) when discussing the issues from a German POV.

[CRK7376]

2. Way to go you two.

Great job teaching using math and language to get your students to look at current events. When I was a teacher, history I had trouble getting my kids to look at the news or a paper too. Some would but most would not. So frustrating.....I'll go back to teaching in a few years.

Now to get my 11th grader to buckle down in German. He's very frustrated and over the past few months really disgusted in his 1st year of German. His class is on their third German teacher since school started back in Aug. This recent guy is cracking down, not allowing any fun in the class making it boring etc...Trying to take control of a rowdy bunch of kids is always difficult, especially if you come into a classroom after the school year has already started...but this guy is ridiculous. Normally I would side with the teacher and expect more from my son and his mates...but this guy is just...a jerk. Pity too, learning a language is hard enough, this guy shouldn't make it any harder. We'll prevail and get #1 son through German, hopefully he will have a better teacher next year.

[proud2BlibKansan]

6. We did something similar in college with the conflict between

Britain and Northern Ireland (it was in the 70s). I still remember it well. We were forced to see both sides of that situation, while the media was heavily slanted in favor of the British. To this day, whenever I hear about that period, I think back on what I learned in that college class.

[LSdemocrat]

8. Du bist eine ausgezeichnete Deutsch Lehrer(in?)!

[mdmc]

3. kick for those children is learnin

from you terraist unionmembers...

[Rabrrrrrr]

9. That are "those children, WHOM is learnin'", dumbass.

What; Not know you, speakened English?

[mdmc]

a

gramatical :kick: for the a.m. crowd.

[mdmc]

10. a

gramatical :kick: for the a.m. crowd.

[Lisa]

25. it's nice to hear from people who speak English so good! (n/t)

[Laelth]

4. That's wonderful.

Your students are fortunate to have such a creative teacher. :toast:

I miss teaching ... :(

-Laelth

[Bucky]

13. Yep. I'm about to start missing it in a few months from now

I can't stay in this profession. High stress and crap pay is no compensation for summers off--especially now that they take about half of the summer with required courses, continuing ed, seminars, etc.

[Left_Winger]

16. I know how you feel

However, I'm too close to retirement to quit.

[proud2BlibKansan]

18. One more year for me

:woohoo:

[Left_Winger]

21. I have six

x(

But, twist my arm...

My last recertification class (ever) will be this summer... in Germany, and at the same university I attended when I was a graduate student.

[proud2BlibKansan]

22. Yeah I might stick around 9 more years

My monthly check will be lots better if I do that.

But can I stand it 9 more years???

[Left_Winger]

24. We have a similar program in SC

Teachers can retire and collect their pensions, but continue to teach for salary (TESLA).

Same dilemma: Can I take the extra years? My frustration is that I am a historian but the SC Dept. of Education wants me for my language skills.

I am giving the University of Phoenix a try to see how I like it; I begin my training in three weeks. Only five weeks per course and the salary is not that bad.

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Cool idea

What was the best solution?

[Bucky]

14. they all seemed too willing to give up the holy sites

More than a few kids thought it was a good idea to split the Dome of the Rock in half--and then rebuild the Temple of Solomon on the half where the Rock isn't.

One group just said, "Move the Rock! If Mohammed could leap off to heaven on it, they should put it in an open stadium."

[Lisa]

7. way to go! from a fellow geographer ...

I recently heard from a student I'd had almost 10 years ago. Amazingly, he still remembered a simulation game we did in my course (trying to negotiate pollution cutbacks for a hypothetical treaty on global warming ... this was prior to the Kyoto Protocol). He is now married to a college instructor, and apparently he pestered her so much about how much about how much he learned, while trying to represent the US side, that she decided to adopt a similar game for her course. Over the years, I've also heard that some former students have ended up working for various government and environmental agencies, dealing with the same topics we studied.

So who knows -- you might have started something! Maybe some of your students might decide to go into international diplomacy, as a result of this.

[slide to the left]

11. You are my fave

DUer of the day! That is an awesome assignment. I am going to do that with my World History students next year.

[Strong Atheist]

12. Any such scenario, to be realistic, must include the fact that

a significant fraction of vocal, energetic people on both sides hate each other and are working to sabotage any peace. So a few students on each side should be assigned to stir up trouble and stop the process...

If you assume everyone is reasonable and wants peace, then in the real world this would have been taken care of years ago. Just look at the flame wars in the Israel/Palestinian forum, for examples (and this is merely a message board) ....

[Bucky]

15. If it were really realistic, I'd have 'em suicide bomb each other!!

So a few students on each side should be assigned to stir up trouble and stop the process...

My students really don't need encouragement to stir up trouble, thanks.

[Strong Atheist]

17. I hear ya. neither do mine, unfortuenately ... nt.

[proud2BlibKansan]

20. Yeah I was going to say

They really don't need to be assigned to stir up trouble. LOL

[LynzM]

19. That's a cool assignment...

A neat way to make them examine a problem, for sure!

[noonwitch]

23. One of the government classes in high school had to do that when I was

there, like 23 years ago. They decided to make Jerusalem an open city to all, no dividers, and have the UN enforce the peace.

My class had to solve the school finance situation. We decided to raise the cigarette and liquor tax to fund the schools and lower property taxes. Now everyone is doing it!

[Benfea]

26. There are a couple of things I hope you took into account

It's not just the Palestinians currently living in the West Bank and Gaza. There are millions of Palestinians who have fled the area over the last decades of conflict and economic turmoil. Many have become refugees living in abject poverty in other nearby nations. Some have become immigrants in more distant and prosperous lands. If you're going to set aside land for the Palestinians, you need to set aside enough land not only for the Palestinians living there now, but all the Palestinians who want to come back (what Palestinians call the "right of return").

On the flip side, there are Jews all over the world who are still being oppressed for their faith, and they need someplace to escape to. Right now that place is Israel. It is not unreasonable to assume that there will be more instances of religious oppression in the future, so Israel doesn't just need enough land for the Jews living there now, it needs enough land for all the Jews that need to escape to or immigrate to there now and in the future.

I seriously doubt there is enough land to go around. :(