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Technology Infused Lesson

Title: Middle East Newscast

Subjects: Geography

Learning Level: Seventh grade

Abstract:

Many of my seventh grade students are unfamiliar with the cultural aspects of the Middle East and have formed their opinions about this region from the nightly news. The images on the news that my students have been confronted with for the past year often depicts Arabs as terrorists and dictators. I wanted to dispel this stereotype, but also utilize a medium of information that the students are familiar with.

In the seventh grade geography class, we discuss many world issues. Often the news covers issues, and this was a pivotal point I decided to use. The goal was to provide time for students to access the Internet and find an issue within a Middle East country of their choice. The word "issue" was purposely left vague. I explained that an issue does not always mean something negative. Issues could be historic, current event, geography, etc. I wanted the students to sift through vast amounts of information on the Internet and find one topic to focus on. This alone was challenging for many of the groups.

Objectives/Outcomes:

Overall goal: for students to develop an in-depth understand of a geographical issue from one country in the Middle East (something not taught in class).

Objectives: Students will be able to:

1. Deliver a speech through a newscast explaining their issue.
2. Write a two-page research paper about a country in the Middle East.
3. Use technology appropriately as a tool to enhance audience understanding of the issue. (Technology that they will have available will be PowerPoint and a digital camera).
4. Work effectively as a member of a team to research and present their issue to the class.
5. Develop a sense of accomplishment by completing all of the required tasks and fulfilling the requirements of the Minnesota Graduation Standards.

Invitation:

Have you ever thought about becoming a reporter for a national television network? Just imagine all the foreign places you would visit to report on the world news. There are so many things happening in our world. The Middle East has been a focal point of many these happenings.

Peter Jennings, an ABC news reporter, has traveled to the Middle East over twenty times during his career. He made the statement after September 11, 2001 that his fear would have been greater but he knew that many people in the Middle East and around the world would support the United States in our time of need.

Now it is your chance to become a news reporter. Reporting the news is a difficult thing because you don't want to report biased information or facts that are incorrect. It will be your job to pick an issue in the Middle East, research the topic, and report your finding in a paper and newscast.

Tasks:

1. Select a major issue that involves the Middle East for your News Cast. Examples: going to war with Iraq, fighting with Israel, water shortages, oil, environmental issues. Using the geography and culture web, develop an overview that includes the following:

• Your connection/interest in the region.
• The issue or conflict that your news cast will address.
• Physical characteristics.
• Cultural characteristics.
• Economic resources.
• Culture's effect on the issue or conflict.
• Location and physical geography effects on issue or conflict.

2. Develop an outline for your newscast. You should address the following:

• Describe the issue/conflict that you will be reporting and why it is important for others to know about it.
• Describe the weather in the region for the date on which the newscast takes place.
• Describe where the issue/conflict takes places and any important features about the characteristics of the region, culture and economy that affect the issue.
• Describe at least two different opinions about your news story.

3. Develop a PowerPoint presentation to use in presenting your newscast to the class. These slides should serve as a visual tool to help the class understand your news report.

• Prepare a storyboard describing what we be on each slide. (Use worksheet for this).
• Include five slides, the first of which should be the name of your newscast and group members' names.
• Include three pictures, one of which must be a map showing physical and political features.
• Three of the slides should have text of the main points that you will use in the newscast.

4. Assign roles for group members: you need two reporters - a weather reporter and a cultural interest story reporter. Reporters will give your newscast to the class, using the PowerPoint slides.

5. Write a two-page paper about the news issues:

• Describe the issue/conflict that you will be reporting and why it is important for others to know about it.
• Identify specific events or situations that impact this issue.
• Describe briefly the physical geography (landscape and climate), culture and economy of the country, especially noting those how these may influence the issue/conflict.
• Explain and defend your opinion on the issue.
• Include at least three sources (no more than two may be from the Internet).
• Cite your sources (MLA format).

6. At the end of the unit, complete a mental map and culture diagram. Color in the Middle East region, label four countries, two cities, and two waterways all from memory. Next, fill out a cultural diagram of their country from memory.

Situations:

The students should have access to a media center with computers with PowerPoint. The unit takes approximately five to eight days with 50 minute classroom hours. Prior to starting this unit, the students studied the Middle East region, so they had background knowledge to pull from. Students should have access to a printer, digital camera for pictures (if available), PowerPoint, Word and Internet access.

Interactions:

• Teacher introduces the unit to the students and overviews expectations.
• Teacher provides basic demonstration of PowerPoint template and initial instruction in use of PowerPoint.
• Working on own and in teams, students complete research and group development of presentation.
• Students should have the guidelines in hand prior to entering the media center. It is quite helpful to have students complete a rough draft for their paper and creating a storyboard before they start working on their PowerPoint presentations. The storyboard reinforces the project criteria and emphasizes the content of the project versus learning all the "bells and whistles" PowerPoint can offer. Once the students draft what they would like to include in their PowerPoint for the newscast, the teacher must sign off on the storyboard. This ensures that the students have a focus before they open the PowerPoint program.

Tools:

• Computers with access to the Internet (for Web research) and with PowerPoint software.

URLs:

Issues in the Middle East:

• http://mondediplo.com/1998/03/06iraqgen
• http://www.csmonitor.com/world/middleEast.html

News Stories about the Middle East:

• http://news.yahoo.com/fc?tmpl=fc&cid=34&in=world&cat=mideast_conflict
• http://www.worldnews.com/
• http://www.totalnews.com/

Other:

• Pictures of Israel:
  http://www.photostogo.com/store/search.asp?SearchStr=Israel
• The World Fact Book:
  http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/ (Hint this Web site can be used for any country if you just select the country you want where it says select a country)
• Pictures of People and Places in the Middle East: http://search.news.yahoo.com/search/news?c=news_photos&p=middle+east
• Research about the Middle East:
  http://www.merip.org (Again, type in the country you are studying where it says Search MERIP)
• Weather in the Middle East:
  http://weather.yahoo.com/regional/MIDDLEE.html
• Maps of the Middle East:
  http://www.mideastweb.org/maps.htm

Assessment:

Use the newscast checklist:

Student Self-assessment:

Reflect on your work for the project and evaluate your work. Answer each question honestly and circle the number you feel reflects your performance (1 is lowest, 4 is highest). Circle the best answer or fill in the blank.

Standards: (Minnesota Graduation Standards and ISTE)

Minnesota Grad Standards:

Geography and Culture:

A student shall demonstrate understanding of how regions of the world are defined in terms of location, resources, people, and culture, and physical features; and how global systems are interconnected by:

1. Identifying current or historical issues or conflicts that involve a particular region
2. Using mental maps to show location or region
3. Describing the physical and cultural characteristics
4. Describing the economic development, and
5. Describing how the issue or conflicts is influenced by location an physical an cultural geography.

Current Issue Analysis:

A student shall defend a position concerning a current event or issue by demonstrating understanding of the history, facts, controversy, values, beliefs, and emotions surrounding the issue by:

1. Identifying specific events or situations illustrating the impact of the issue
2. Describing a range of opinions or positions on the issue
3. Selecting and defending a position based on information
4. Describing the responsibilities of citizens involved with the issues, and
5. Summarizing the findings in a written, oral, or role-play presentation.

Author(s): Catherine Nachbar and the Babygeeks Collaboratory.

Submitted by: Catherine Nachbar and the Babygeeks Collaboratory, Arrowhead "Preparing Tomorrow's Teachers to Use Technology" Project, Dept. of Education, University of Minnesota Duluth.

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