Looking
for the
“Why” in
the
“What”
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/maps/asia/afghanistan/
 The
role physical geography has played
in the development of the Afghanistan
and the geopolitics of the region.
 Analyze the roots of current issues in
Afghanistan including economic
development, the Taliban, and regional
divisions.
 Evaluate different points of view in
regards to complex current issues.
 Physical
Geography
 History
• Landlocked
• Silk Road
• Water Sources
• Strategic Location/
• Mountain Ranges
Buffer State
• Connections to
Neighboring Nations
http://media.maps.com/magellan/Images/afghanistanrah.gif
http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_a5BSlk38hqA/S7itXBgqODI/AAAAAAAAAHg/vNam
uLqtbgc/s1600/The+Great+Silk+Road+Map.jpg
 Ethnic
Groups
 Population
Density
• Great Diversity
• Distribution
• Cultural Barriers
• Urban vs Rural
• Geographic Barriers
http://www.theodora.com/maps/new8/afghanistan_ethnolinguistic-t.gif
Lifestyles
http://www.bestcountryreports.com/media/D_Images/Afghan_Pop.jpg

In My Classroom
• 1. Pre-Reading:
“Afghanistan: How we got
there”
 Historical Overview
• 2. Mapping Analysis
 Impact of Geography
• 3. “Student Voices”
 Current Conditions
• 4. Children of the Taliban
 Culmination

Choices Lesson
• “The Geography of
Afghanistan”
 Resources:
 Blank map, physical map,
political map and ethnic map
 Concepts Addressed:




Neighbors
Distance and Divisions
Physical Features
Ethnic Groups
• Additional Ideas
 Population Density,
Resources, Conflict Areas
 Upfront
(NYT)
• “Afghanistan: How we
got there”
 United
Nations
Assistance Mission
to Afghanistan
(UNAMA)
• “Afghanistan and the
Silk Road: The land at
the heart of world
trade”
http://teacher.scholastic.com/
scholasticnews/indepth/upfro
nt/features/index.asp?article=
f020810_afghan
http://unama.unmissions.org/Defa
ult.aspx?tabid=3919&ctl=Details&
mid=3639&ItemID=8115
 PBS
Newshour
• Lesson: Afghanistan-
People, Places, and
Politics
• Interactive Timelines
and Maps
• Student Voices
• Briefs Overviews:
Taliban
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/extra/t
eachers/lessonplans/world/afghanis
tan_overview_10-06.html
 Frontline
and
Independent Lens
• Children of the Taliban
• Pakistan Under Siege
• From Pampered
Princess to Polarizing
Politician (Benazier
Bhutto)
http://video.pbs.org/program/
979359652/#
http://video.pbs.org/program/
1218239994/