Recitation assignment -- Week of September 16.
Please print out this entire document and bring it to class along with your notes and list of websites!
This week, we're going to be watching a very powerful video called "Promises," in which Israeli and Palestinian children discuss how the Intifada, or the conflict between Israelis and Palestinians, shapes their lives.
For this week's recitation assignment, you will be playing the adults in these kids' lives. Depending on your last name, you'll take on one of the following roles:
If your last name starts with: You'll play the role of:
A-F An Israeli living in West Jerusalem
G-M A Palestinian living in East Jerusalem
N-R A Palestinian living in a refugee camp
S-Z An Israeli living in a settlement in the Territories.
At issue are the fundamental questions of the Israeli/Palestinian debate: Both Jews and Arabs claim the land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean sea as their ancestral homeland. Do the Palestinians have a right to the land they call home? Do the Jews have a historical claim on the land? In discussing this, you will need to discuss the geography and history of Jerusalem, historical and religious claims to the land, economic and social injustices, and possible solutions to the problem.
To prepare for this debate, you will need to do some research BEFORE coming to class. Here are some websites to get you started. Please note that these present different PERSPECTIVES on the crisis. I'm not presenting these to you as the objective truth!
http://www.geocities.com/jim_lancaster.geo/archaeology.html (be sure and find out what religious sites are on Temple Mount!)
http://www.al-bushra.org/jerus/hst-pal.htm
http://www.palestinehistory.com/history.htm
http://i-cias.com/e.o/israel_5.htm
Your job is to read these sites and take some notes that might help you (in the role of your character) define your claim to the land. You should also look at at least four more sites while doing your research. In class, you will hand in your notes and your list of websites as evidence of your preparation and participation.
IN-CLASS ASSIGNMENT
1) You all should have read the websites I suggested, and found four more of your own. When you get to class, you'll break up into four groups and share what you found with the others who are also playing your character.
2) Share information for 15 minutes. Using bullet points, try to come up with a coherent argument for why you are entitled to the land. You'll want to think about the arguments that OTHER groups may come up with, and think about how to refute them.
3) Panel discussion: for 30 minutes, you will play your character and make your argument for the land. While others are speaking, you will be evaluating their group with the attached rubric.
4) Wrap up: in large group, you will talk about the various arguments. Do you see fundamental areas where Israelis and Palestinians disagree? How might these disagreements be resolved?
Evaluator's name________________________________________________________
Group evaluator participated in____________________________________________
Please evaluate on a 1-10 scale. 1 is worst, 10 is best.
|
Group Criterion |
Israeli/Jerusalem | Palestinian/Jerusalem | Israeli/Settlements | Palestinian/Camp |
| Knowledge | ||||
| Understanding | ||||
| Participation | ||||
| Communication |
Criteria 1: Knowledge. Did the group use research to advance arguments and defend positions? To what extent? How effectively was research applied to argument?
Criteria 2: Understanding. To what extent did the group demonstrate understanding of the issue? Did they present any key points? Did they present original ideas? Did they use examples or analogies to defend an argument? To what extent did group members display empathy for the people they represented?
Criteria 3: Participation. Did every member of the group participate? How often did each member contribute? Did anyone dominate the conversation and keep others from participating?
Criteria 4: Communication. How logical was the group in presenting an argument? Was the group able to communicate effectively and clearly? Did the group incorporate key events and terms?