We have seen so many pictures and stories on TV and in the newspaper about the war in Iraq, that is hard for adults to make sense of it, let alone a 5th grader. Why is the U.S. Army in Iraq, and why do so many people think we should leave? What is it like to be a child in Iraq, and what do the children of Iraq think about us, and their future? What would you think if you were a child in Iraq? What is your position on America's role in Iraq? What are some of the things people can do to make Iraq, and the world a safer place? These are some of the questions you will answer as you put yourself in the shoes of the children of Iraq.

    Students will use scaffolding tools, acquire background knowledge, read, compare and contrast comments from Iraqi children, write a reflection, and  take a position on America's role in Iraq.

I. Student Scaffolding Tools
    A. Word Bank - Create a TABLE in Microsoft Word for new words and definitions. Include the phonetic pronunciation of words that are hard to pronounce.
    Use http://www.thefreedictionary.com/ for definitions. Your word bank should look like this:

    Students will be required to e-mail their word banks to me, from which we will construct a class word bank to be posted online. Words will be selected from the class word bank as part of a test at the end of this unit. SAVE your word bank as: "Iraq Word Bank".

    B. Fact Bank - Create a TABLE in Microsoft Word for new facts that you find.
    Write a sentence or two about whether the fact is similar or different to your life, and how so.
    Your fact bank should look like this:

    Students will use their fact banks to help them write a reflection near the end of the unit. Students will also be required to e-mail their fact banks to me. A class fact bank will be posted online, from which some questions will appear on a test.

    A. Students will use a timeline hand-out (pdf) from Scholastic Network called "Issue: REBUILDING IRAQ - Roots of Conflict" to find the answers to six questions, and to add to their fact banks. The handout (pdf) can be found online at: http://www.scholastic.com/news. Students will take less than one period to complete the handout and turn it in for credit.

    A. 1. Review the TIMELINE CONTINUED for additional information: Roots of Conflict TIMELINE CONTINUED.

    B. Students will use Inspiration to create their own timeline of  important events in their lives. The student timeline will be used to note similarities and differences to facts added the fact bank. Students may also include any memories they may have related to the war in Iraq. Students will be required to e-mail me their student timelines for credit.

Social Studies Interactives - Rebuilding Iraq (July 2005).
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/social/iraq_interactives.htmScholastic Network (2005).

    A. Write a one page essay in Microsoft Word about the situation in Iraq. Be sure to add facts and words from your own Fact & Word Banks.

Some questions you may try to answer in your essay may be:
 

    B. E-mail your essay to me.
jbrown@haverford.org

    Each task in the process counts a lot toward your grade for this unit. When you e-mail me your completed task, I will reply to your e-mail with a grade for your task. Since this is a new assignment, I will set minimum requirements for each task as this unit unfolds. If the task is incomplete, I will reply to your e-mail with suggestions for completion of the task.
jbrown@haverford.org

Scope

    Students are expected to accomplish each task in this project within the scope in the table below. It is expected that this unit will take approximately three weeks (3 periods per week) to complete.

    After having completed the unit about Iraq, it is expected that students who earn a passing grade will have acquired enough background knowledge to take an informed position on what America's role in Iraq should be. A wrap-up activity will allow students with similar positions based on their one-page essay, to work together in small groups to present their positions on the situation in Iraq. Students may use posters or PowerPoint as part of their presentation. The teacher and the class will work together to create a scoring rubric for the position presentations. A new Web Page, linked to this page, and the class Word & Fact Bank page, will include digital photos, and summaries of group positions.

BBC News (2004). Crisis in the Gulf - Interactive Map (June 2004).
URL: http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/static/crisis_map/default.htm

Save the Children (2006) Save the Children: Crisis in Iraq (March 2006).
URL: http://www.savethechildren.org/countries/middle-east-eurasia/iraq.html

Scholastic Network (2004). In-Depth: Rebuilding Iraq (June 2004).
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/war-iraq/history/index.asp?article=timeline

Scholastic Network (2004). Issue: Rebuilding Iraq - Roots of the Conflict (May 2004).
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/iraq/lesson_helper/pdfs/conflictroots.pdf

Scholastic Network (2004). Scholastic Network Special Report: Iraq: The Road to Democracy (May 2004).
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/scholasticnews/indepth/iraq/index.asp

Social Studies Interactives - Rebuilding Iraq (July 2005).
URL: http://teacher.scholastic.com/activities/social/iraq_interactives.htmScholastic Network (2005).

CNN.com - Official: U.S. calls off search for WMDs.(October 2005).
URL: http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/01/12/wmd.search/CNN(2005).