IRAQ:  Will you be Our Neighbor?         

 

A WebQuest exploring the  political  and cultural  relations among neighboring  countries and peoples in the  Persian Gulf:  

or:  

a neighborhood intervention and an exercise in restorative practices  

 

 

 

WebQuest by Joyce Valenza

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

                                                  Map from CIA World Factbook
Introduction I Task I Process I  Evaluation I  Conclusion I Resources           

Introduction

Once known as the great civilization of Mesopotamia, Iraq has been continually overrun--by the ancient Persians, Greeks, the Arabs (who brought with them their religion, Islam), followed by the Mongols, and the Ottomans. Following 10 years as a British mandate, it won its independence in 1930.

Iraq's modern history has been plagued by coups and assassinations.  One of those coups by the Ba'ath Party, in 1968, established a military dictatorship. Saddam Hussein rose to assume the presidency of Iraq in 1979. In 1980, he attacked Iran, beginning the Iran-Iraq War. Saddam's reign was marked by cruelty--a genocide against the Kurds and multiple incidents of oppression, torture, and execution.  In 1990 Iraq invaded Kuwait, provoking the first Persian Gulf War. The UN issued economic sanctions forbidding trade with Iraq. In December 1993 Iraq agreed to long-term UN monitoring of its weapons programs, technically complying with the Security Council's cease-fire resolutions. Despite this, UN sanctions against Iraq remained in place. Iraq ceased any cooperation with weapons inspectors in 1998, but allowed them again, under UN pressure in late 2002.  In March 2003, a coalition, which included forces from the United States and Great Britain, attacked Iraq and challenged Saddam's power. This timeline will help you better understand Iraq's recent history http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/middle_east/737483.stm

A combination of desert, mountain, fertile soil, oil reserves, and a large multi-ethnic population, Iraq is a country of great geographical interest. Despite its land resources, modern Iraq is plagued with problems--damage done by past wars, labor shortages, salinization, migration of population from rural to urban areas, and troubles resulting from failed land reform projects. Though it is a major oil exporter, Iraq is dependent on its many neighbors for water and food. Iraq has been reliant on a UN oil-for-food program established in 1996, which allowed the export of limited quantities of oil to fund the acquisition of food, medical supplies and spare parts for the repair of its infrastructure.

Task

In this WebQuest you will be working in small groups, playing the role of one of Iraq's neighboring countries or ethnic groups, discussing your relationship with the country as it has existed over the past twenty years. 

Remember, in any relationship there are multiple points of view. A group of students will be representing the viewpoints of the major Iraqi ethnic groups, as well. 

Your job is to prepare an oral presentation and participate in a discussion during a "neighborhood intervention" with representatives of the country of Iraq. You should seek to understand the relationship your group of people has had with Iraq through recent history.  Be prepared to confront Iraq with specific issues, use maps and documents to illustrate your points, and suggest strategies for improving relations in the post-war Persian Gulf. Use this organizer to help you prepare your arguments and proposals.

An intervention is a meeting in which family and friends confront a person with their concerns and suggest options for dealing with observed problems and past behaviors.  This meeting is often facilitated by a professional counselor. In this case, your teacher will function as a facilitator/counselor. This is an exercise in a type of conferencing and intervention known as "restorative practice."  Restorative practice seeks to engage all stakeholders involved in a conflict in seeking resolutions, with the ultimate objective a comfortable return to the community. Reparations or consequences are discussed.  All parties take responsibility for their actions.

The class will be divided into the following groups:

Kurds Jordan Syria
Kuwait Iran Saudi Arabia
Turkey Israel Iraqi Shias
Iraqi Sunnis United States Saddam Hussein (or members of his party)

Each group will be responsible for:

Resources:

Be sure to use our Catalogs and Databases--for instance, EBSCOHost, SIRS, electric library, Facts.com, GaleNet.  Search your country's or people's name AND Iraq.

A longer list of resources on Iraq is located here.

Maps

Documents/Speeches:

Process

  1. Your team will begin by thoroughly researching your country or people's relationship to Iraq. Look for high quality Web sites from reliable sources, but please also focus your search on journal articles available through the library's many subscription services.
  2. Use this organizer to guide your research and help you collect information for your presentation.
  3. Prepare for the conference.  Meet with your partners. Anticipate the issues the other conference participants will bring up. Be prepared to interact with the other participants and answer hard questions!

Evaluation

You will be graded on your oral participation and the depth of your research, as illustrated by your organizer and annotated bibliography..

  Criteria Poor (1) Adequate (2) Good (3) Exemplary (4) Score
Analysis of the problem from point of view of country or group Group presentation of problem is logically organized and argument for a solution is clear and well-reasoned.          
Presentation of evidence/argument Students contributed to each others' learning by presenting the major arguments in a compelling manner. Graphic elements were used effectively to convey the message.          
Depth of research Students used a variety of high quality resources and incorporated documents, news, and visuals into the presentation. Students included at least three journal sources.          
Documentation Students documented sources appropriately in the written product.          
Group work Work displays evidence of collaboration. Students worked effectively as a team incorporating the talents of each member.          

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