Lesson Plan: Day 5 – Iran: Resistance & Revolution
Objective: By the end of the lesson, students will be able to
· Summarize the basic events of the Iranian Revolution of 1979
· Outline the major causes of the Revolution and link those causes to events depicted in the novel
· Evaluate the justifications for the Revolution and the consequences as experienced by Marji and her family.
NCSCOS Competency Goals: English I
· 1.03 – Demonstrate the ability to read, listen to, and view a variety of increasingly complex print and non-print expressive texts
o Demonstrating comprehension of main idea and supporting details
o Making inferences, predicting, and drawing conclusions
· 3.01 – Study argument
o Examine relevant evidence.
o Identifying and analyzing personal, social, historical, or cultural influences, contexts, or biases
· 5.01 – Read and analyze literary works
o Making thematic connections among literary texts and media and contemporary issues
o Understanding the importance of cultural and historical impact on literary texts
10 min / Bellwork / Journal prompt: “Does Marji always act like a child? Do you always act your age? Describe a situation in which you acted older than you are.”5 min / Announcements/Goals / Today’s Objective: “Today we are going to do some research on the pivotal event of the book – the Iranian Revolution. By the end of the lesson, you should have a ‘real-life’ understanding of what happened during that time period.”
50 min / Webquest / The Iranian Revolution of 1979 and the Creation of the IRGC
15 min / Discussion / Results from Webquest work, links to novel
10 min / Wrap up / Questions & final thoughts
Attachments:
1. Webquest handout
Names: ______Date: ______
Web Quest: the 1979 Iranian Revolution and the Creation of the IRGC
As you and your partner visit each Web site and read the information, please complete the worksheet together. One of you will be the researcher, and one of you will be the reporter. The researcher is responsible for navigating the Web sites and the Web Quest. The reporter is responsible for writing down the answers in the worksheet. Switch roles after each section of the quest. You are both responsible for keeping track of time on each task.
SECTION I: THE 1979 REVOLUTION
Researcher: ______Reporter: ______
1. Who was the leader of Iran at the time of the Revolution?
a. The Emperor
b. The President
c. The Shah
d. The General
2. Why were many working-class and rural communities of people unhappy with the way the government was changing?
a. The government was becoming too secular, forgetting the faith-based concept justice to which most Iranian Muslims subscribed.
b. The government ignored the poor, and favored land-owning rich families in the middle and wealthy classes.
c. The government was too reliant on foreign investment, and the money invested was not aiding the poor.
d. All of the above.
3. What are some of the ways the Shah tried to "westernize" Iran?
a. He tried to institute a secular judicial system, to replace the system of mullahs that normally administered local tribal justice.
b. He reformed marriage laws to allow women to divorce their husbands.
c. He increased the number of industrial plants in the country, including steel mills, oil refineries and automobile production plants.
d. All of the above
4. In 1978, demonstrators were massacred by the Shah’s military in what city while they protested the Shah's rule?
a. Qom
b. Tehran
c. Tabriz
d. Mashhad
5. Who was the leader of the revolutionary movement? (Fill in the blank).
Ayatollah ______
6. When was the Shah forced to leave Iran?
a. 1970
b. 1990
c. 1978
d. 2001
PART II: PANIC ON THE STREETS OF TEHRAN
Researcher: ______Reporter: ______
1. After the Shah left Iran, who was in charge?
______
2. What was the atmosphere on the streets after the Shah was exiled? Make a list of adjectives that describe the mood of the people and their reactions. How would you describe the crowds in the video?
______
______
______
3. There were many different factions in Iran that did not agree with each other and threatened to derail the process of creating an Islamic Republic. What did Khomeini create to protect the ideals of the revolution? (Fill in the blanks – two words).
The ______Guard Corps.
PART III: THE REVOLUTIONARY GUARD
Researcher: ______Reporter: ______
1. Why did Khomeini create the Revolutionary Guard?
2. How has the Guard changed since its creation?
a. The Guard now has investments in different Iranian companies.
b. The Guard has members in the Iranian parliament.
c. The Guard has split into the Revolutionary Guard and the Basij, a larger, more informal militia.
d. All of the above.
3. How much power does the Guard have in modern Iran? How does Mr. Sazegara describe their influence over the government and everyday life in Iran? You can write down the adjectives he uses or summarize his opinion.
______
4. What are conditions like in the prison run by the Guard and the Iranian intelligence agency? Summarize Mr. Sazegara’s description in a sentence or two.
______
5. How many members does the Revolutionary Guard have?
a. 125,000 soldiers
b. 200,000 soldiers
c. 2 million soldiers
d. 20,000 soldiers
6. Using the article at the next link, name three different ways the Revolutionary Guard and the government have created laws that govern how people can act in public or express themselves (fashion, make-up, hairstyles, music, or art).
- ______
- ______
- ______
GREAT JOB!