Chelsea Blair
MESC Summer Institution
Revised – Teaching the Middle East Unit
July 20, 2014
Unit Title: Iran in the Twentieth Century
About this unit:
- This unit was designed with a High School World History class in mind. I chose to focus this
unit solely on Iran because I think it is an extremely important player in today’s current events
and yet we do not know very much about it or the role that the U.S. played in its recent history.
Being able to draw connections between the past and the present represents one of the most
significant skills students should build during history courses. This aim will be one of the driving
forces of this unit.
- This unit will cover Iran’s history from the turn of the twentieth century to the present. In
particular, it will deal with the effects of foreign involvement in Iran. Previously, this class
would have theoretically covered a unit on World War I/World War II and Russian history from
the Bolshevik Revolution.
- This unit’s lessons are designed for 80-90 minute long class periods.
Curriculum Framing Questions:
- How did foreign interest and imperialism chart a new course for Iran and neighboring countries?
- In what ways did the world wars help create a “modern” Iranian state?
- How did western involvement contribute to the political revolutions in Iran in the mid-twentieth
century?
Learning Objectives:
- Students will be able to describe the spheres of influence in Iran in the early 1900s.
- Be able to discuss why the west was interested in Iran and how they influenced its government.
- Be able to summarize the role oil played in foreign interest as well as the changes made to Iran’s
government in the twentieth century.
- Be able to draw connections between events that occurred in the early/mid-1900s and how the
consequences of those events are present in today’s current issues.
Standards:
- ODE.HS.2: Analyze the complexity and investigate causes and effects of significant events in
world, U.S., and Oregon history.
- ODE.HS.61: Analyze an event, issue, problem, or phenomenon, identifying characteristics,
influences, causes and both short- and long-term effects.
- ODE.HS.63: Engage in informed and respectful deliberation and discussion of issues, events,
and ideas.
- CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.2: determine the central ideas or information of a primary or
secondary source; provide an accurate summary of how key events or ideas develop over the
course of the text.
-
-
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.3: Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text;
determine whether earlier events caused later ones or simply preceded them.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.6: Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how
they treat the same or similar topics, including which details they include and emphasize in their
respective accounts.
CCSS.ELA-LITERACY.RH.9-10.8: Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a
text support the author’s claims.
Unit Outline:
- Lesson 1: The Middle East
o In this lesson, we will review what we have covered previously throughout the year about
the Middle East. This includes the region’s geography, Mesopotamia and the Fertile
Crescent, and the area’s contact with the west through the early 1900s (exploration, trade,
and WWI).
- Lesson 2: Iran & the Spheres of Influence (Included below)
o The purpose of this lesson is to connect Iran’s modern history with the students’ prior
knowledge of WWI and WWII.
- Lesson 3: The Issue of Oil (Included below)
o The purpose of this lesson is to emphasize the effect both world wars had on Iran and to
discuss the role oil played in their government on a national and international level.
- Lesson 4: The 1979 Revolution, Part I
o This lesson will focus on how the 1979 Revolution came about in Iran following the 1953
coup d’état by westerners and what the revolution looked like for the people living in Iran
at the time. The story “Persepolis” by Marjane Satrapi will be used as a visual reference
here (either the graphic novel or the film).
- Lesson 5: The 1979 Revolution, Part II
o The second part to this subject will center more on what the consequences of this
revolution were, especially in terms of Iran’s relations with foreign countries. This is
when the discussion really starts to focus on how Iran is viewed today and how those
portrayals came about. The film “Argo” will be used as a visual reference.
- Lesson 6: The Iran-Iraq War
o This lesson will start moving the unit from the past to the present. In discussing this war,
we will be able to draw upon current violence in the Middle East.
- Lesson 7: The Nuclear Crisis
o The focus here will be to examine the current stereotypes surrounding Iran and why the
west considers them a nuclear threat. We will be looking at both sides of each of these
subjects in particular what Iran thinks of westerners.
- Lesson 8: Iran Today
o In the final lesson, we will discuss the current state of Iran’s government and how Iran is
seen in the world today. This will be accomplished through the presentation of the
students’ summative assessment, the current events assignment. They will also
participating in a culminating discussion about how the events that took place in the
twentieth century connect back to and affected the present.
Summative Assessment:
- The summative assessment for this unit is not introduced in the two lesson plans provided here.
However, it would most likely have been introduced in the next lesson in the sequence once the
content had moved into the last 50 years or so. This will be attached at the end of this document.
This assessment will draw on the learning objective that students will be able to draw
connections between events that occurred in the early/mid-1900s and how the consequences of
those events are present in today’s current issues.
- The instructions are as follows:
o Find an article about Iran either in the newspaper or online from a newspaper source,
Time.com, USA Today, The New York Times, etc., or any other reputable national or
local source. Read the article and fill out the statements or answer the questions below.
You may not use articles on Entertainment/Gossip or Sports. Because this is a current
events assignment you are to choose an article that is no more than a month old from
when the assignment is given. Read the Rubric at the end of the worksheet to complete
all the requirements for this assignment. Attach the article to the worksheet.
Helpful resources for teachers:
- Iran Through the Looking Glass: History, Reform, and Revolution (The Choices Program,
Brown University)
o www.choices.edu/resources/supplemental/_iran.php
- “US-Iran Relations: A Brief Guide” (BBC News: The Middle East)
o http://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-24316661
- The New Middle East (Carnegie Endowment for International Peace)
o http://carnegieendowment.org/files/new_middle_east_final.pdf
- Iran and the First World War: Battleground of the Great Powers by Touraj Atabaki
o http://books.google.com/books?id=M3adD9kNH1gC&pg=PA59&lpg=PA59&dq=%22W
orld+War+I%22%2B%22Tangistan%22&source=bl&ots=fP73oKNOh7&sig=4pm1Rli8a
Yr87ev0T2t9YEAUbnQ&hl=en&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=1&ct=result#v=onepa
ge&q=%22World%20War%20I%22%20%22Tangistan%22&f=false
- The Middle East in Transition: Questions for U.S. Policy (The Choices Program, Brown
University)
o http://www.choices.edu/resources/supplemental_mideast.php
- The First World War by Hew Strachan
o http://books.google.com/books/about/The_First_World_War.html?id=KZHITOPMf4gC
o “The First World War (Jihad 1914 – 1916) – BBC Documentary” (based on the chapter
in the book)
 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cei8dFUzZ3s
- “Blood and Oil: The Middle East in World War I”
o http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jP0evPEsc30
- Middle East Cartoon History
o http://mideastcartoonhistory.com/1941To52/1946.html
Unit: Iran in the Twentieth Century
Grade Level: 10
Course: World History
Lesson Topic: Iran & the Spheres of Influence: Early Iran through WWII Time Allotted: 80-90 min.
Unit Essential Question: How did foreign interest and imperialism chart a new course for Iran and neighboring
countries?
Lesson Question: What are some of the connections between foreign involvement and conflict in Iran?
PREPARATION
Purpose/Rationale:
The purpose for this lesson is to connect Iran’s modern history with the students’ prior knowledge of World War I.
By starting with the early 1900s, the students will gain a better understanding of how the west became involved with
Iran and begin to see how the seeds of current issues were sown.
Prior Knowledge/Background Information:
The students in this World History class would have already covered the idea of Persia and the Fertile Crescent when
studying ancient civilizations. They would also have completed an in-depth unit on World War I/ World War II.
Therefore, with both of these topics, the goal is refresh the students’ memory and bring the Middle East’s role in
these wars to the forefront of our discussions.
During the previous lesson, we will have ended the class with the following activity:
Student’s Actions
Teacher’s Actions
Students will take out a spare sheet of paper and write
down what they think of when they hear Iran or any
questions that they have about the country.
Ask the students to take out a spare sheet of paper.
Instruct them to write down what they think about
when they hear Iran or any questions that they have
about the country. They will have 5 minutes.
Students will share what they wrote with the people
sitting next to them. After 5 minutes, they will come
back together.
Allow the students 5 minutes to share with the people
sitting next to them before coming back together as a
class.
Students will share what they wrote down and what
they discussed with their neighbor.
Call on students to share some of what they wrote
while you write their points up on the board. After you
have several points written up there, introduce the
following with the students:
- What kind of themes are we seeing here?
- Which of these topics has to do with the
questions you had about Iran?
- Does anything surprise you about what the
class came up with?
You will use these questions as part of a discussion in
the following class period.
* Slide 1 on the PowerPoint contains a modern map of
Iran. It is up to you whether or not to show this at the
beginning of this activity as a reference for the students.
Materials/Resources Needed:
The teacher will need a computer and a projector in order to download and then display the lesson’s PowerPoint.
There should also be copies of the Choices Reading: From Cyrus to Reza Shah (p. 2 – 15) and the graphic organizer
made for each student.
Depending on how quickly the class is able to move through the first lesson of the unit, this reading could be
introduced as homework that is due in this class period. That way, you are left with more time for discussion.
PROCEDURES AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING
Introduction:
Student’s Actions
Students will come in and settle down for
class.
Students will participate in a class discussion
about what the class collectively knows and
is interested in about Iran.
Teacher’s Actions
Resources
Greet the class and introduce the topic of
this upcoming unit.
- They will be starting a thematic
unit on Iran that covers from 1900
to the present. The primary goal in
doing a unit on Iran is to introduce
the students to a country that they
do not know a lot about even
though it is in the news constantly.
Time
3 min.
Start off the class with a continued
discussion of what the information they
compiled about Iran at the end of the
previous lesson.
Call on students to share some of what they
wrote while you write their points up on the
board. After you have several points written
up there, discuss the following with the
students:
- What kind of themes are we seeing
here?
- Which of these topics has to do
with the questions you had about
Iran?
- Does anything surprise you about
what the class came up with?
15
min.
* Slide 1 on the PowerPoint contains a
modern map of Iran. It is up to you
whether or not to show this at the
beginning of this activity as a reference for
the students.
Body of Lesson:
Student’s Actions
Teacher’s Actions
Resources
Time
Use the PowerPoint to go over some of the
basic background information about Iran.
PowerPoint. 15-20
min.
-
-
-
Students will consider the images on Slide 4
concerning Persian culture and modern Iran.
They will then share with the person sitting
next to them what they think these images
represent and how they are different. After a
couple of minutes, the class will come
together and participate in discussion.
Students should be ready to share if called
on.
In groups of 3, students will read a section
of the Choices reading. Then they will fill
out their graphic organizer for that section.
To do this, the students will:
- State what the text says
- State what they know
- And then answer the questions
Slide 2: Introduction Slide. This is
simply an introduction to the
content of today’s lesson. It should
be noted though that the Iranian
flag shown on this slide is not the
current one. This flag was adopted
after the Constitutional Revolution
of 1906 but was replaced by the
one we see today in July 1980 as a
result of the Islamic Revolution.
Slide 3: Map of the Persian Empire.
This slide shows a map of the
Persian Empire at its grandest.
Persia is a name that was given to
this region by its western
counterparts and so in 1935, Reza
Shah instructed foreign dignitaries
to officially use the term Iran.
Slide 4: Persian Culture vs. Today’s
Perception of Iran. Through
images, this slide shows how this
area is perceived. Engage in a
discussion with the students about
what they think these images say
about Iran and how important
perception is concerning these
topics. Why is it so hard to believe
they are from the same place? To
do this, use a Think-Pair-Share.
Introduce the main activity for today: use a
graphic organizer to take notes on the
history of Iran leading up to WWII.
The guidelines for this activity are:
- In groups of 3, you will read a
portion of the Choices reading and
fill out the graphic organizer for
that section.
- For each section, there are 2
questions that you will have to
answer. (These are displayed on
Slide 5).
- Once you have finished, be
prepared to share your findings
with the class and take notes on
what the other groups present.
The graphic organizer that they are using is
an It Says-I Say-And So. The teacher should
go over how to use the graphic organizer
before the activity begins.
10
min.
Choices
Reading.
Graphic
Organizer.
20-25
min.
Students will report out their findings to the
class. As other groups are presenting, they
will remain respectful and write down the
questions and answers for each of the
reading’s sections.
Have each group report to the class what
they found out from each section. If time is
running out or you are worried about the
students’ level of engagement, tell the
students that they should only worry about
writing down the question and the “And
So” for each section. However, the
reporting group should still explain how
they reached that conclusion.
20-25
min.
* How you divide the class into groups of 3
is up to you. One way is to have the
students form their own groups. Another is
to count off each student and then have
them find their partners.
Closure/Extensions: (Determining progress toward daily objective.)
Student’s Actions
Teacher’s Actions
Resources
Time
Write down their homework assignment for
next time.
PowerPoint
Slide 6.
2 min.
Introduce the homework assignment for
next time.
Homework: Students will think about the
following questions and write down their
thoughts/answers on a notecard. They will
use this notecard for a discussion at the
beginning of the next class period.
- What connections are you
beginning to see between Iran’s
government and Islam?
- Between foreign involvement and
conflict in Iran?
- How might these events relate to
what you already knew about Iran?
ASSESSMENT
Students will be assessed on their class participation. While the students are working in small groups, I will be moving
around the room making sure that everyone is on task and working well with others. I will also be checking to make
sure that the students are filling out their graphic organizer which will count towards their participation. As their
homework for next time, students will need to fill out a notecard that discusses the following questions: What
connections are you beginning to see between Iran’s government and Islam? What connections are you beginning
to see between foreign involvement and Iran? How might these events relate to what you already knew about Iran?
Iran: From Cyrus to Reza Shah Graphic Organizer
Question
It Says…
I Say…
And So…
Step 1…
Write the question
(provided)
Step 2…
Find information from
the text that will help
answer the question.
Step 3…
Think about how this
information relates to
the question.
Step 4…
Combine what the text
says with what you
know to come up with
the answer.
Early Iran (p. 2 – 4)
How did the territory’s
geographic conditions
influence early Iranian
society?
What did becoming an
empire mean for the
people of Iran?
Islam and the Safavids
(p. 4 – 6)
What role did Islam
play in the creation
and rule of the Safavid
Dynasty?
Shi’ism (p. 5)
Describe the origins of
Shi’ism.
The Qajar Dynasty (p.
6 – 9)
In what ways was
Iran’s economy
unbalanced and what
were its effects?
Why were Britain and
Russia so involved in
Iran?
The Constitutional
Revolution (p. 9 – 12)
What were the
constitution’s primary
aims and why was it
unsuccessful?
If Iran was neutral in
WWI, then how was it
affected so negatively?
Reza Shah (p. 12 – 15)
In what ways did Reza
Shah attempt to
modernize Iran?
How was Iran’s
political and economic
power affected by
WWII?
Unit: Iran in the Twentieth Century
Grade Level: 10
Course: World History
Lesson Topic: The Issue of Oil Time Allotted: 80-90 min.
Unit Essential Question: How did foreign interest and imperialism chart a new course for Iran and neighboring
countries?
Lesson Question: What was the so threatening about nationalized oil?
PREPARATION
Purpose/Rationale:
The purpose of this lesson is to recap what the students read through last class about Iran’s history, to emphasize the
effect both world wars had on Iran, and to discuss the role oil played in their government on a national and
international level.
Prior Knowledge/Background Information:
After the previous class’s reading activity, the students should have a basic knowledge of Iranian history. The goal of
the first part of this lesson will be to refresh them on what they have learned and emphasize Iran’s role in
WWI/WWII, a subject that the students have also studied before. We will also be drawing on the information the
students compiled during the brainstorming activity at the end of the previous lesson.
Materials/Resources Needed:
The teacher will need a computer and a projector in order to download and then display the lesson’s PowerPoint.
There should also be copies of the 6 U.S. Documents of the 1953 Coup (TRB p. 22 – 32) and the OPVL chart for
each student.
Blood and Oil – The Middle East in World War I (Iran Clip): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gvjsQw23O68
[2:08 min]
Iran and World War 2 Part 1: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-VDo97ZTsik#t=363 [starts at 6 min., 6:07
min. remaining]
PROCEDURES AND ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT LEARNING.
Introduction:
Student’s Actions
Teacher’s Actions
Resources
Time
Students will come in and settle down
for class.
Greet the class and introduce the topic for
today. (This is summarized in the
Rationale.)
2 min.
Students will use their notecards to
participate in a discussion about what
the class as a whole presented about
Iran at the end of the last class period.
Students will use their notecards (their
homework assignment) to participate in a
discussion using the following questions:
- What connections are you
beginning to see between Iran’s
government and Islam?
- Between foreign involvement and
conflict in Iran?
- How might these events relate to
what you already knew about
Iran?
10-15
min.
Body of Lesson:
Student’s Actions
Students will participate in a class
discussion about what they learned last
time about Iranian history concerning:
Islam’s role in Iran, the Constitutional
Revolution of 1906, the Spheres of
Influence, WWI, and WWII.
Teacher’s Actions
Resources
Time
Using the first several slides of the
PowerPoint, you will engage the students
in a discussion/mini-lecture about the
information that was covered in the
reading last class period.
You will do this by:
- Clicking on a slide and asking the
students what they remember
about that particular topic (if they
have their readings from last time
then they can have them out).
- During these discussions, ask the
students questions that probe at
deeper issues or the main ideas of
each topic.
- After the discussion, show the
main points of that topic on the
slide and move on.
The topics that will be covered are Islam’s
role in Iran, the Constitutional Revolution
of 1906, and the Spheres of Influence.
These discussions do not have to be very
long, e
PowerPoint.
10-15
min.
When you get to WWI and WWII, there
are clips that go with them. Discuss the
topic with the students, summarize the
information with them, and then play the
designated clips.
Blood and
Oil. (2 min.)
15
min.
Iran and
World War
2. (6 min.)
*Note: Use the question, “In what ways
did WWI help create a “modern” Iranian
state?” during your discussion on WWI.
**Note: An interesting current event that
goes along with the WWII clip is that Iran
(as of 2009) is currently seeking
reparations from the Allies for
damages/expenses done to their country
back in the 1940s.
Participate in a class discussion.
10
min.
As a transition, briefly brainstorm with the
class about what types of foreign
involvement they have already seen in Iran
and what their reasons were for doing so.
Present a mini-lecture on the role of oil in
Iran. This was clearly one of the primary
reasons foreign powers became interested
PowerPoint.
15
min.
in the control of Iran and is still an
important issue today.
After WWII, members of the Iranian
government fought for the nationalization
of the country’s oil so that they could
have control of the majority of the profits
of this natural resource. Not foreign
companies. Iran elected Mossadegh to the
presidency under the assumption that he
would do so. As a result, the U.S. led a
coup d’état against his government in
1953. (However, this information was
only declassified by the U.S. government
within the last decade.)
In groups of 3, students will read
through 3 of the U.S. Documents of
the 1953 coup and complete rows on
the OPVL Chart for them.
In groups of 3, students will be working
with six documents all of which cover the
1953 coup. One side of the room will
work with the odd numbered documents
while the other side works with the even
numbered documents. In their groups, the
students will read each document and
complete a row for it on an OPVL chart.
If the students finish early, then they
should move on to the other set of
documents.
Closure/Extensions: (Determining progress toward daily objective.)
Student’s Actions
Teacher’s Actions
Write down their homework
assignment for next time.
Introduce the homework assignment for
next time.
Homework: Students will continue to fill
out their OPVL charts and bring these
back to class.
We will then recreate the chart and share
out as a class. The sheets will be handed in
after that activity.
Students should also be prepared to
discuss the following questions next time:
- How does perspective affect
interpretation of events?
- How else did the U.S. fight
against the Soviet threat during
the Cold War?
6 U.S.
Documents
of the 1953
Coup.
20
min.
OPVL
Chart.
Resources
Time
PowerPoint.
2 min.
ASSESSMENT
Students will be assessed on their class participation. While the students are working in small groups, I will be moving
around the room making sure that everyone is on task and working well with others. I will also be checking to make
sure that the students are filling out their OPVL chart which will count towards their participation.
Students will turn in their homework from last time, which was to fill out a notecard that discusses the following
questions: What connections are you beginning to see between Iran’s government and Islam? What connections are
you beginning to see between foreign involvement and Iran? How might these events relate to what you already
knew about Iran?
Students will complete their OPVL charts from this class period based on the three documents they are working with.
They will hand these in next class after a discussion activity with the entire class.
Name: _____________________
Period:______
IRAN CURRENT EVENTS WORKSHEET
DATE DUE:________
Directions: Find an article about Iran either in the newspaper or online from a newspaper source,
Time.com, USA Today, The New York Times, etc., or any other reputable national or local source. Read
the article and fill out the statements or answer the questions below. You may not use articles on
Entertainment/Gossip or Sports. Because this is a current events assignment you are to choose an
article that is no more than a month old from when the assignment is given. Read the Rubric at the end
of the worksheet to complete all the requirements for this assignment. Attach the article to the
worksheet.
Topic of Article: _____________________________________________________________________
Title of Article: ______________________________________________________________________
Source: _____________________________________________________________________________
WHO is this article about? ____________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WHAT is this story about? List four important facts from your article.
1. _________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________
WHEN did this story take place?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
WHY is this story important?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
CONNECT the article. What does it have to do with you? Based on what you have studied in class,
what events in Iran’s history can you trace this back to? Explain your answer.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
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Grading will be based on the following rubric:
A – Entire Current Event assignment displays the following requirements for each question/statement
above:
a. Demonstrates thoughtfulness, preparation, and accuracy.
b. Reflects real understanding of the story and the issues.
c. Follows directions.
d. Is complete, neat, and includes entire article.
e. Asks and answers a provocative (for discussion purposes) question.
B – Current Event assignment is complete but lacks 2 of the above requirements.
C – Current Event assignment lacks 3 of the requirements.
D– Current Event assignment lacks 4 of the requirements.
F – Current Event assignment is late (excepting all day absence) or lacks 5 or more of the above
requirements.
This assignment will be worth 40 points.