Students enrolled in Global Affairs courses at Benton Community High School have been learning about the Middle East and the United States involvement in that region. Over the past two weeks, there has been a focus on learning about the major religions, cultures, and history of the Middle East. The final assessment for students over this unit will have them applying the knowledge they have acquired to solve current conflicts happening within that region.
One of the best questions that a historian will try to answer is “Why?” Students will use this same question to think critically when framing and articulating their United States public policy for the Middle East.
What role should the United States play in the Middle East? How can relationships between countries in the region be strengthened? Should the United States intervene to prevent Iran from developing nuclear weapons? What is your plan to bring about peace between Israel and neighboring countries, including the Palestinians? These are a few questions that students will formulate plans and policies for and formally present to the class. After presenting, students will be asked questions by their classmates pertaining to their plans and policies, which they will be asked to defend. Upon completion of this project, students will definitely have a much greater appreciation for how difficult and how many variables there are when leaders try to establish peace between nations and across regions.