Unit 1: Pakistan

By Jamie Fletcher, Kamiakin Junior High

Kirkland, WA

Unit Level: Middle School

Introduction:

In the wake of the attacks on September 11^th and the subsequent War on Terror, U.S. and Pakistan relations have improved dramatically and reached new heights of bilateral cooperation. Given the strategic position of Pakistan in South Asia, with neighbors like Afghanistan and Iran, it has emerged as a critical player on the world stage. This means that educators who address South Asia can no longer look at Pakistan as a mere side note to India, or as simply a window into Islamic culture. Pakistan’s role in global politics now goes “beyond Islam” and takes on a new level of importance. This curriculum will allow students to explore diverse facets of Pakistan’s geography, history, and complexity to enable students to think more deeply about the important role that Pakistan plays in our modern world.

"I hereby designate the Islamic Republic of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally of the United States…" President G.W. Bush, 6/17/04.

“Pakistan now finds itself in the same exclusive club as such close American friends as Israel and South Korea.” Source: “Bush names Pakistan 'major ally'” BBC News 2005/08/03.

Unit Overview:

Time Allotment

· Full unit: eighteen class periods, not including the optional extension projects

· Various activities may be used separately to fit easily into any syllabus or schedule

Resources

· Photocopy and transparency materials

· Internet and on-line materials

· Pakistan Resources, which includes links to maps on the Internet

· Pakistan Slide Show, PowerPoint™ presentation about northern Pakistan, a good way to give a quick, visual introduction to the country

Unit Objectives:

Upon completing this unit, students will know:

· the rich history of Pakistan

· the vast geographic and ethnic diversity of Pakistan

· contemporary Pakistani perspectives and attitudes

Upon completing this unit, students will be able to:

· examine and understand the challenges and issues facing Pakistan today

· research personal interest topics that will foster individualized learning

Essential Questions:

· Why should U.S. students study Pakistan? Why is it important?

· What is the historical significance of Pakistan?

· How did Pakistan become the nation it is today?

· What are current challenges and complexities facing Pakistan?

Lessons in this Unit:

· Lesson 1: Student Graffiti Brainstorm Carousel & Personal Quest Activity

· Lesson 2: The Impact of Geography: Interpreting Pakistan Maps

· Lesson 3: Indus Valley Civilization Slide Show Web Tour

· Lesson 4: Founding of Pakistan Summit Meeting

· Lesson 5: Contemporary Pakistani Voices Jigsaw

· Lesson 6: Pakistan Contemporary Issues/Media Watch PowerPoint™ Project

· Lesson 7: Individual Exploration Assignment Options

· Lesson 8: Student Journal Responses to Pakistan Unit

· Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRS)

Lesson 1: Student Graffiti Brainstorm Carousel & Personal Quest Activity

Objectives:

Upon completing this lesson, students will be able to:

· Document their current knowledge about Pakistan to show what they know, what they have heard, and what they want to find out about Pakistan at the beginning of the unit.

Materials:

Included:

· Handout A: Activity Sheet

Not Included:

· 5 posters titled: Geography, History, Cultural Traditions, Key Leaders, and Current Issues/Problems

· Black ink pens for students

· Buzzer or timer

Time Allotment: One class period

Procedure:

1. Explain to students that they will be documenting their current knowledge about Pakistan.

2. Divide the class into five groups and assign each group a poster to start at for the carousel activity.

3. Use the Pakistan Graffiti Brainstorm Carousel Activity Sheet to guide the class (Handout A: Activity Sheet).

Assessment:

This is an active way to use the KWL concept and the posters serve as a great knowledge check at the end of the unit, so be sure to label them by class period and save them if you want to revisit them.

Lesson 2: The Impact of Geography: Interpreting Pakistan Maps

Objectives:

Upon completing this lesson, students will be able to:

· Examine and interpret multiple maps of Pakistan (political, physical, historical, etc.) to explore the diverse ways that geography impacts the nation and its people.

Materials:

Included:

· Handout B: Student Questionnaire: The Impact of Geography

Not Included:

· Copies of various Pakistan maps: political, physical, population, historical, etc.

· 6 blank overheads and overhead pens

· Overhead projector

Time Allotment: One class period

Procedure:

1. Explain to students that they will be examining a variety of Pakistan maps to determine the impacts of geography.

2. Ask students what maps are used for and what kinds of information observers can gather from different kinds of maps.

3. Review the five themes of geography at the start of this activity to provide students with a springboard: location, place, human/environment interaction, movement, and regions.

4. Hand out the Student Questionnaire sheets and preview them with the class. (Handout B: Student Questionnaire: The Impact of Geography)

5. Assign students to map stations that you have set up around the classroom. Consider having six map stations. (Links to maps on the web are located in the Pakistan Resources. You can download and print them for the stations.)

6. Monitor the progress of students working on their questionnaires.

7. Have the groups share their ideas after they’ve completed their questionnaires.

8. Distribute blank overheads and pens to the map groups and have them document their findings.

9. Have the map groups present their findings to the whole class.

Optional Creative Concept Map Extension Project:

Students may create their own interpretive concept maps of Pakistan using a variety of mediums and techniques. Then students must complete a brief written description of the map explaining the concept of the piece and its key features. Students must include physical components of Pakistan and explain the importance of these items in their description.

Example Project: Painting a chair as a symbol of Pakistan, including the Arabian Sea, Indus River, the Karakoram Range, and the Cholistan Desert.

Example Student Project Description: I chose to paint a chair to represent Pakistan because a chair has four legs as its base. The four physical features I included on my chair serve as the base for all of Pakistan. The Indus River provided the seat of civilization and runs almost the full length of the chair. The Arabian Sea was the seat of trade and is painted on the legs of the chair since it marks the Southern border. The Cholistan Desert was the seat for nomadic camel herders and is painted on the South-Eastern portion of the chair. The Karakoram Range in the North is the highest point in Pakistan, so these mountains are shown on the high chair back.

Lesson 3: Indus Valley Civilization Slide Show Web Tour

Objectives:

Upon completing this lesson, students will be able to:

· Observe and interpret the archaeological dig site artifacts recovered from the ancient cities of Harappa and Mohenjo Daro of the Indus Valley Civilization.

Materials:

Included:

· Handout C: Web Tour Student Question Sheet

Not Included:

· Student computers

*If student computers are not available, this can be shown to the whole class by using an LCD projector attached to a computer in the classroom.

Time Allotment: One class period

Procedure:

1. Begin today’s activity by asking students what traits define a civilization.

2. Then, discuss the significance of ancient civilizations in human history. Pakistan’s Indus Valley Civilization rivaled Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt. The Indus Valley Civilization had advanced cities, like Harappa and Mohenjo Daro. It had great artisans and a formalized system of government, and it had the hallmark of civilization, a system of writing. However, unlike Egyptian hieroglyphs, the Indus Valley Civilization script remains a mystery.

3. Visit the archaeological dig sites and see the artifacts that have been unearthed.

4. Distribute the Indus Valley Civilization Slide Show Web Tour Student Question Sheet to the class to preview the guiding questions. (Handout C: Web Tour Student Question Sheet)

5. Explore the slide show and Harappa website to learn about the Indus Valley Civilization. http://www.harappa.com/har/har1.html.

Lesson 4: Founding of Pakistan Summit Meeting

Objectives:

· Students will research and represent historical figures and influential organizations who contributed to the founding of Pakistan on August 14, 1947.

Materials:

Included:

· Handout D: Research Sheet

· Handout E: Presentation Plan Sheet

Not Included:

· Student access to computers

Time Allotment: Two class periods

Procedure:

1. Introduce the activity by showing students a map of British-ruled India before 1947 and then contrast it with a map of South Asia showing Pakistan.
(See: “Map of India pre-1947.” http://www.mapsofindia.com/maps/india/prepartitionmap.htm.)

2. Have students explain the differences and give their ideas about why the border changes occurred.

3. Tell students that today they will conduct research on five historical leaders and influential organizations that contributed to the partition of India and the founding of Pakistan in 1947, and then they will role-play those leaders and organizations in a summit meeting tomorrow.

On Day Two

4. Give students some time as a team to put together ideas on the Handout E: Presentation Plan Sheet. They will need to refer to their research sheets for this. (Handout D: Research Sheet)

5. Then arrange the classroom so all desks form a circular pattern.

6. Have paper placards made to indicate the leaders and organizations represented and place the paper placards in designated seating areas.

7. Begin the summit presentation with each group sharing ideas and then discussing the pros and cons of each position. (Handout E: Presentation Plan Sheet)

8. Continue monitoring the meeting and consider putting forward a motion/vote for Pakistan’s independence to conclude the summit.

Groups:

Six groups of students covering these leaders or organizations:

· Quaid-e-Azam (Great Leader), Muhammad Ali Jinnah and the Muslim League

· Muffakir-e-Pakistan (Thinker of Pakistan), Dr. Allama Mohammed Iqbal

· Chaudhri Rahmat Ali and the Pakistan National Movement

· Jawaharlal Nehru and the Indian National Congress

· Mohandas K. Gandhi

· Viceroy Lord Louis Mountbatten and British Prime Minister Attlee

Lesson 5: Contemporary Pakistani Voices Jigsaw

Objectives:

· Students will be introduced to cultural traditions and personal perspectives of Pakistanis to increase their understanding of life in Pakistan.

Materials:

Included:

· Handout F: Reading and Discussion Guide

· Handout G: Interviewee Sultana Ahmed

· Handout H: Interviewee Fatima Khan

· Handout I: Interviewee Khalil Rana

· Handout J: Interviewee Syed Masood

· Handout K: Interviewee Hasan Hafeez

Time Allotment: One to two class periods

Procedure:

1. Tell the students that they will read interviews given by five Pakistanis. The Pakistanis range in age from eighteen to sixty-two years old.

2. Ask students why first hand accounts and interviews are important. The interviews allow students to gain an understanding of the diverse opinions, viewpoints, attitudes, and perspectives of individual Pakistanis today. Emphasize that these are the viewpoints offered by the individuals interviewed only, and they may say things that not all Pakistanis agree with or support.

3. Put students into teams of five. Each team member will read a different interview, take notes on ideas, and share those ideas with the whole group. The readings vary in ability level, so assign readings accordingly. (Handout F: Reading and Discussion Guide)

Lesson 6: Pakistan Contemporary Issues/Media Watch PowerPoint™ Project

Objectives:

· Students will study, understand, and present details surrounding a contemporary issue facing Pakistan today.

Materials:

Included

· Team folders containing: Project Timeline, Research Forms, Skeleton Plan, Storyboard outline, and blank note cards for presenters

· Student Surveys (see page 1-11)

· Overheads of Project Timeline and materials to introduce the project

· Handout L: Project Timeline

· Handout M: Research Form

· Handout N: Skeleton Plan

· Handout O: Storyboard

· Handout P: Grading Criteria

· Handout Q: Self Evaluation

· Handout R: Teacher Evaluation

· Handout S: Audience Evaluation

· Handout T: Team Member Evaluation

Not Included

· Student computers with Microsoft PowerPoint™ program

Time Allotment: Eight, possibly nine, class periods.

Procedure:

1. Begin this project by reflecting on the current issues in Pakistan that students read about in the Contemporary Pakistani Voices interviews and create a class list of issues facing Pakistan.

2. Add on other topics you would like to include for this project.

3. Discuss the issue topics on the class list and then have students complete the project surveys.

4. Then introduce the entire project to the class and review the group roles.

5. On this introduction day it is useful to discuss the elements that make a PowerPoint™ presentation successful, for example text should be in bullet points only, not extended paragraphs.

6. Using the student surveys, assign students to topics and groups for Day Two and have groups meet for five to ten minutes to review the materials in their team folders. (You can assign their group roles beforehand, or allow students to pick their group roles at this time.)

7. For Days Two and Three, students will work to complete their research forms.

8. Day Four should be focused on pooling the team’s research and constructing the storyboard for the presentation.

9. Days Five and Six should be constructing the actual PowerPoint™ presentation.

10. Day Seven should be presentation rehearsal day.

11. Day Eight is formal presentation day. A detailed timeline is included.

12. A ninth day can be added if more time is needed for presentations and to conduct evaluations.

Groups:

3 or 4 students. Be sure to mix students up by PowerPoint™ ability and interest areas based on student responses to the survey.

Formal Group Roles:

· Organizer: This person records the group assignments prior to the final presentation. S/he is responsible for turning in work to the teacher in a timely manner and knowing what needs to get done each day. The organizer must work to keep the project moving productively and efficiently.

· Techie: After all of the research has been done, and the presentation has been story boarded, this person is responsible for putting together the rough and final version of the PowerPoint™. The techie is responsible for saving the PowerPoint™ with a back up.

· Presenter (1 or 2 people): The presenter(s) is/are responsible for the oral presentation in class. The presenter(s) are NOT to simply read the slides verbatim. The presenter(s) must enhance the slides with further details and points. The presenter(s) must also maintain a steady pace and volume level.

Contemporary Issues Topic Ideas:

· Afghani Refugees and Immigrants

· Nuclear Armament and Proliferation

· Illicit Drug Trade

· Kashmir

· Child Labor

· Potable Water Supply and Access

· Education/Madrassahs

· Poverty

· Rule of President General Musharraf

· Ghaz-Barotha Hydroelectric Project

· War on Terror

· Balochistan Province and the BLA

· Ethnic Diversity and Tribal Tensions

Presentation Guidelines:

This presentation is very specifically formatted. Below is the description of what should appear on each individual slide. Keep in mind that your slide will contain only basic points. The presenter or presenting team should have note cards that elaborate on the information in each slide to enhance audience understanding. Think of the slide as a guide or outline, not as a detailed explanation. Your presentation should last approximately ten minutes. There will be a brief question and answer session after each presentation during which all team members will be available to address questions from the audience. This means that each group member is accountable for knowing the presentation content.

Each slide will address certain elements and answer specific questions:

Title Slide: Includes: topic, group member names and roles, related visual

Slide #1: What is the problem? What makes this issue complex or controversial?

Slide #2: What is the historical background of this issue? How long has it been a problem? What has happened in the past because of this issue?

Slide #3: Who cares? Why is this issue significant or important? What other nations could be impacted and how?

Slide #4: What are diverse viewpoints in on this issue? Who is for it or against it and why?

Slide #5: What is being done now about this issue? Is there local, national, or international action on this issue?

Slide #6: If your group were serving as an advisory board to the government of Pakistan, what would you recommend the government do to remedy or alleviate this issue in a realistic and practical way?

Bibliography/Citations Slide: proper format. All sources that your team relied on for research should be included here.

Lesson 7: Individual Exploration Assignment Options

There are many more things that you can do to learn about Pakistan. Here are some Individual Exploration Assignment Option ideas for you to complete to enhance your learning.

1. Prepare a traditional Pakistani meal for the class to sample. Complete a one-page write-up that includes the full recipe and cultural information about the meal. For example, is it consumed on special holidays? Is it served in a certain way or with specific side dishes? Please cite your sources.

2. Research Pakistani art or architecture. Create a model or replica of a Pakistani work out of clay or other material. Attach a paragraph that explains the style or features of the original work. Please cite your sources.

3. Research Pakistani fashion. What are the traditional clothing styles for men and women? What are the regional differences in attire? Complete a one-page summary of your findings, attach a colored visuals page, and please cite your sources.

4. Research Pakistani music. What traditional instruments are used? Are there regional differences in music? What is Ghazal? Complete a one-page summary of your findings, play an excerpt of the music to the class, and please cite your sources.

5. Research Pakistani poetry and literature. Summarize a couple of famous stories or poems. Be sure to cite your sources. If you are really creative you can even add color illustrations to your summary.

6. With parent permission, rent and view any Pakistani film. The Pakistan film industry is called “Lollywood” and there are some “classics” to choose from at specialty video stores. There is also Ahmed’s film Jinnah, which serves as a counterpoint to Attenborough’s Gandhi. Watch one Pakistani film and write a one-page summary of the work.

7. Cricket is a national pastime in Pakistan. Research the game of cricket, its origins, rules of play, and discover Pakistan’s great cricket players. Write a one-page summary of your findings and please cite your sources.

8. Do you have another idea? Set up a meeting time with your teacher and present your proposal.

Lesson 8: Student Journal Responses to Pakistan Unit

Use your knowledge gained from the Pakistan unit to answer the following prompts. Your ideas provide feedback on the unit as a whole and allow you to reflect on what you have learned in the past few weeks.

· Based on the knowledge you have gained from this unit, why do you think U.S. students should learn about Pakistan? Why is this nation important?

· What is the historical significance of Pakistan?

· Briefly explain how Pakistan became a nation. What influenced its founding?

· What are some current challenges and complexities facing the Islamic Republic of Pakistan? Why should Americans be aware of these issues?

· What did you find most interesting about the Pakistan unit?

· What are two things you now know about Pakistan that you did not know before?

· What could be added to the unit to enhance student knowledge about Pakistan?

Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements (EALRS)

This curriculum unit addresses several Washington State Essential Academic Learning Requirements in Reading, Communication, History, Geography, and Civics. (For complete information about the Social Studies Standards, see:
http://www.k12.wa.us/CurriculumInstruct/SocStudies/default.aspx.)

Some of the specific EALR components covered include:

Reading

2. Understands the meaning of what is read

3. Reads different materials for a variety of purposes

Communication

1. Uses listening and observation skills to gain understanding

2. Communicates ideas clearly and effectively

3. Uses communication strategies and skills to work effectively with others

Social Studies: Skills

1. Uses inquiry and information skills

2. Understands and uses interpersonal and group process skills required by citizens in a democratic society

Social Studies: History

2. Applies the methods of social science investigation to investigate, compare, and contrast interpretations of historical events

Social Studies: Geography

1. Uses maps, charts, and other geographic tools to understand the spatial arrangement of people, places, resources, and environments on Earth’s surface

3. Observes and analyzes the interaction between people, the environment and culture

Social Studies: Civics

2. Understands the purposes and organization of international relationships

Acknowledgements

The Beyond Islam project would not have been possible without the financial support of a grant from the United States Institute of Peace. The World Affairs Council expresses sincere gratitude to the Institute and to the educators who contributed their time and expertise developing these curriculum materials.