University of Michigan Center for Russian, East European, and Eurasian Studies Afghanistan Past and Present: Connections, Communities, Conflicts A Teachers’ Professional Development Workshop March 29, 2011 Selected Resources for Teaching about Afghanistan Assembled by: Donna Parmelee, Manager of Sponsored Project, CREES (Links last checked: March 24, 2011) LESSON PLANS/CURRICULAR GUIDES High School Activity 8. Afghanistan Resists Occupation (1839 – 1979) Type of resource: Teaching activities Overview: Classroom activities for teaching about the First and Second Anglo‐Afghan Wars, and the Soviet Afghan War, part of Teaching Global History resources developed by Alan Singer, professor of secondary education and the director of social studies education, Hofstra University. 8A. The First Anglo‐Afghan War (1839‐1843) http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/teaching_global_history/6.8A.pdf 8B. The Second Anglo‐Afghan War (1878‐1880) http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/teaching_global_history/6.8B.pdf 8C. Soviet Afghan War (1979‐1988) http://people.hofstra.edu/alan_j_singer/teaching_global_history/6.8C.pdf Afghanistan: Is Geography Destiny? Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students assume the position of archaeologists as they investigate history and curate a museum exhibition. Source: Asia Society http://asiasociety.org/education‐learning/resources‐schools/secondary‐lesson‐plans/afghanistan‐geography‐
destiny Afghanistan: People, Places and Politics Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students assess their prior knowledge about Afghanistan, establish goals for what they want to learn about the country, and participate in class activities related to the people, places and politics of Afghanistan with particular attention to their interaction with the United States and current events. Source: PBS NewsHours http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/4476/preview/ 2 A Woman among Warlords Type of resource: Website and video Overview: The film “A Woman among Warlords” follows the 2005 campaign of a woman running for Afghanistan’s first democratic parliament election in more than 30 years; the site also includes an overview of women’s rights in the Taliban and Post‐Taliban era. Includes high school lesson on Exploring Freedom of Expression. Source: PBS/Wide Angle http://www.pbs.org/wnet/wideangle/episodes/a‐woman‐among‐warlords/introduction/65/ Democracy‐Building in Afghanistan Type of resource: Unit with 3 lessons Overview: This unit provides students with an in‐depth understanding of current political and social issues in Afghanistan, as well as a more general knowledge of contemporary issues related to democratic transition and state‐building. Source: Stanford Program on International and Cross‐Cultural Education ($49.95 + S/H) http://spice.stanford.edu/catalog/democracybuilding_in_afghanistan/ Homeland Afghanistan Type of resource: Website Overview: Website exploring the geopolitical and cultural heritage of Afghanistan from the Age of Settlement (Pre‐history‐331 BCE) to the present through a humanities perspective. Afghanistan’s history is told through 75 video episodes, featuring leading experts–as well as hundreds of archaeological finds, paintings, literary works, music, photographs, and documentary films. Source: Asia Society http://afghanistan.asiasociety.org/ How Can Afghanistan Secure a Peaceful Future? Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students take a look back at the roots of conflict in order to recommend steps towards a more peaceful future. Source: Asia Society http://asiasociety.org/education‐learning/resources‐schools/secondary‐lesson‐plans/how‐can‐afghanistan‐
secure‐peaceful‐futu How Do You Talk to the Enemy? Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students review the current condition in Afghanistan and explore the possibility of negotiating with the Taliban. Source: PBS Teachers http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/7280/preview/ Life in Afghanistan: War, Insecurity, Poverty & Corruption Type of resource: Student readings and discussion questions Overview: Includes student readings examining the lack of security for civilians; the lives of girls and women and the U.S. outreach to them; and corruption in the Afghanistan government; discussion questions and suggestions for further student inquiry. One of several teaching resources taking a critical look at U.S. policy in Afghanistan prepared by Alan Shapiro available at: http://www.teachablemoment.org/ Source: Teachable Moment: Morningside Center for Social Responsibility http://www.teachablemoment.org/high/afghanistan12‐10.html 3 Teaching with the News: Interrogation Tactics in the News Type of resource: Online video, Study Guide and Media Literacy Activity Overview: Includes online video exploring post‐9/11 harsh interrogation tactics (Torturing Democracy) and related film guide and media literacy activity. Source: The Choices Program, Brown University http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_torturingdemocracy.php Teaching with the News: The United States in Afghanistan: Analyzing Political Cartoons Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students will consider three options for U.S. policy in Afghanistan and then articulate their own views on the issue. Source: The Choices Program, Brown University http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_afghanistan.php Teaching with the News: U.S. Policy in Afghanistan Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students will explore viewpoints on the U.S. presence in Afghanistan; interpret political cartoons and place them in the context of political discussion about Afghanistan; and identify the techniques used by cartoonists to express opinions. Source: The Choices Program, Brown University http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_afghanistan_cartoon.php The Kite Runner: Companion Curriculum Type of resource: Curriculum guide Overview: Includes five lesson plans designed to give learners a deeper understanding of the themes presented in the film The Kite Runner (2008), which was adapted from the bestselling novel by Khaled Hosseini and explores the friendships of two boys in Afghanistan. Source: Human Rights Education Program at Amnesty International USA http://www.amnestyusa.org/education/pdf/kiterunnerhigh.pdf The Women of Afghanistan Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students study the traditional role of women in Afghanistan, their experiences under the rule of the Taliban, and their struggle to provide a better life for themselves, their families, and their country in the years since 2001. Source: National First Ladies’ Library http://www.firstladies.org/curriculum/curriculum.aspx?Curriculum=1847 Through the Eyes of a Refugee Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Students will be asked to consider how, particularly in a time of conflict, topography influences the locations of refugee camps and the paths refugees might take to leave the area. Source: National Geographic Xpeditions http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/lessons/01/g912/refugee.html 4 Middle School Be Informed, Speak Up, Act: Military Conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan (Grades 6–8) Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: Includes a set of questions for class discussion about U.S. policy in Iraq and Afghanistan. Part of a broader lesson in which students deliberate on an important public issue, strengthen their understanding of possible public policy directives, and become participating citizens by taking grade appropriate action. Source: Scholastic.com http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/lessonplan.jsp?id=1190 http://www2.scholastic.com/browse/article.jsp?id=3751124 Teaching about Terrorism: A Case Study for Teaching Current Events in the Classroom Type of resource: Three‐week unit Overview: Case study for teaching about current events focusing on the aftermath of the September 11 tragedy includes geography, history, vocabulary, and writing and critical thinking skills prepared by Jeffrey Mark Pearlman. Source: Pearson Prentice Hall eTeach http://www.phschool.com/eteach/social_studies/2002_01/essay.html Multiple Grade Levels Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul | An Educator Resource Packet Type of resource: Curriculum guide Overview: Online teachers’ resource created by The Asian Art Museum of San Francisco to accompany a 2008‐
09 special exhibition of objects from Kabul’s National Museum ranging in date from 2200 BC to AD 200, including images, art and archeology hands‐on projects, and a timeline. Suggested Classroom Lesson Plans Lesson One: Geography: Mapping of Afghanistan (for Elementary/Middle School) Lesson Two: The Key Holder (Tahilwidar) Tradition and Bactrian Treasure Inventory (Elementary through High School) Lesson Three: Archaeology Inventory Project (Middle and High School) Lesson Four: Timeline of Afghanistan (Middle School) Lesson Five: History of Preserving the Treasures of Afghanistan (Middle School) Lesson Six: Tillya Tepe Gold Ornaments and Accessories (Elementary through High School) Source: Asian Art Museum of San Francisco http://www.asianart.org/pdf/education/Afghanistan‐workshop.pdf Afghan Rubậb: The Lion of Instruments Type of resource: Lesson plan Overview: The Afghan Rubậb is revered as Afghanistan’s “national instrument.” Despite censorship during the Taliban rule, the rubậb has regained its prominence in the Afghan culture. Designed by Nancy S. Beitler, Pennsylvania State. Source: Smithsonian Folkways http://media.smithsonianglobalsound.org/docs/lesson_plans/afghan_rubab.pdf 5 Afghanistan Unveiled Type of resource: Website about a documentary film, including two lesson plans Overview: Provides an overview of a documentary focusing on the first team of women video journalists to be trained in Afghanistan and their film exploring the effects on Afghan women of the Taliban’s oppressive rule and the U.S.‐sponsored bombing campaign in 2003. Source: PBS/Independent Lens http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/afghanistanunveiled/ Along the Silk Road Type of resource: Curriculum unit Overview: A set of 8 lessons exploring the ancient network of cultural, economic, and technological exchange that connected East Asia to the Mediterranean. Students learn how goods, belief systems, art, music, and people traveled across such vast distances, resulting in interdependence among disparate cultures. Source: Source: Stanford Program on International and Cross‐Cultural Education ($84.95 + S/H) http://spice.stanford.edu/catalog/along_the_silk_road/ From Silk to Oil: Cross‐cultural Connections Along the Silk Roads Type of resource: Curriculum guide Overview: Explores the Silk Roads across the centuries, including references to Afghanistan. Includes introductory essays and maps, timeline, and glossary, as well as curriculum units on geography, ethnic relations and political history, exchange of goods and ideas, religion, and art. Particularly relevant for teaching about Eras 3, 4, 5, 8, and 9. Source: China Institute in America http://www.chinainstitute.cieducationportal.org/education/for‐educators/curriculum‐resources/curriculum‐
guides‐units/ Pennies for Peace Type of resource: K‐12 service‐learning curriculum Overview: Includes: a K‐12 curriculum, linked to standards with an assessment tool; an implementation guide; fact sheets; printable maps, postcards, stickers & poster components; and videos. (Pennies for Peace was founded by Greg Mortenson, co‐author of the best‐selling book, Three Cups of Tea: One Man’s Mission to Promote Peace…One School at a Time.) Source: Pennies for Peace/Pearson Foundation http://www.pearsonfoundation.org/pr/090129‐penniestoolkit.html The Many Faces of Afghanistan curriculum guide Type of resource: Curriculum Guide Overview: Classroom ideas and activities for elementary and middle school were compiled to assist educators in introducing to the classroom a range of topics related to Afghanistan, including those that move beyond common themes of war and crisis and highlight the country’s rich cultural heritage. Prepared for “The Many Faces of Afghanistan: Past, Present and Future: A Workshop for Educators”; Portland, OR; January 26, 2002. Source: Mercy Corps http://www.greenvillageschools.org/documents/AfgCurriculum.pdf The Wars in Afghanistan and Iraq: Teaching Resources and Essential Questions Overview: Running collection of lesson plans about the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq posted since each began. Source: The New York Times Learning Network http://learning.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/07/06/the‐wars‐in‐afghanistan‐and‐iraq‐teaching‐resources‐and‐
essential‐questions/#Afgh 6 MAPS/TIMELINES Afghanistan and the War on Terror Includes interactive timeline (1921‐present) and interactive map of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups. Source: PBS Newshour http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/index.html Afghanistan Color Relief Map Source: WorldAtlas.com http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/printpage/aflarge.htm Afghanistan History Timeline from the Stone Age to 2001 (including detailed listing of rulers). Source: Afghanistan’s Web Site: afghanistans.com http://www.afghanistans.com/Information/History/Default.htm Afghanistan Maps: Perry‐Castañeda Library Map Collection; University of Texas at Austin Comprehensive set of country, city, detailed, thematic, and historical maps (and links to other online maps). http://www.lib.utexas.edu/maps/afghanistan.html Afghanistan Outline Map Student Exercise and Silk Road Map 300 BCE‐100 CE Source: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul | An Educator Resource Packet, pp. 64‐66. http://www.asianart.org/pdf/education/Afghanistan‐workshop.pdf Afghanistan‐Timeline: 1919‐present Source: BBC http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/1162108.stm American at a Crossroads: War in Afghanistan Interactive Timeline: 1979‐2007 http://www.pbs.org/teachers/connect/resources/4910/preview/ How big is Afghanistan?‐An Example of Map Comparison Comparison of maps of Afghanistan and the U.S. Source: University of Buffalo Map Collection http://www.vendian.org/mncharity/dir3/afghan_map/ Maps and Timeline Includes series of maps relevant to Afghanistan, including Inner Asia, Central and Southwest Asia (Political and Outline), The Middle East on the Eve of the Muslim Era, The Arab‐Muslim Empire to 750 CE, The Mongol Empire, Asia and the South Pacific. Excerpt from the following curriculum guide: From Silk to Oil: Cross‐cultural Connections Along the Silk Roads (see p. 5) Source: China Institute in America http://www.chinainstitute.cieducationportal.org/cimain/wp‐
content/themes/chinainstitute/pdfs/education/fromsilktooil_pdf2.pdf 7 Map of Afghanistan Source: National Geographic Xpeditions Atlas http://www.nationalgeographic.com/xpeditions/atlas/index.html?Parent=asia&Rootmap=afghan&Mode=d&S
ubMode=w Online Maps of Afghanistan (Ethnolinguistic, National, Mongol, Afghan Empire, Provincial, Ethnographic, Moghul, Major Roads) Source: Afghan Network http://www.afghan‐network.net/maps/ Regional Map Source: WorldAtlas.com http://www.worldatlas.com/webimage/countrys/asia/printpage/afregional.htm A Selection of Historical Maps of Afghanistan Online maps covering 500 BC to the early 20th century; webpage prepared by Cynthia Smith (2004) Source: Geography & Map Reading Room, Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/rr/geogmap/pub/afghanistan.html The Soviet Occupation of Afghanistan Interactive timeline 1921‐present Source: PBS Newshour http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/soviet.html Timeline of Afghanistan: 7000 BCE‐2008 Source: Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul | An Educator Resource Packet, pp. 91‐93. http://www.asianart.org/pdf/education/Afghanistan‐workshop.pdf OTHER ONLINE RESOURCES Afghanistan‐Language, Culture, Customs and Etiquette http://www.kwintessential.co.uk/resources/global‐etiquette/afghanistan.html Afghanistan Photo Gallery http://www.afghan‐web.com/gallery/ A Country Study: Afghanistan Overview of Afghanistan’s history prepared by Library of Congress Federal Research Division (research completed in 1997; book published in 2001). http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/aftoc.html Afghan‐American writing ‘One Story, Thirty Stories’ PRI’s The World report on One Story, Thirty Stories: An Anthology of Contemporary Afghan American Literature. Zohra Saed and Sahar Muradi, eds., University of Arkansas Press, 2010. http://www.theworld.org/2011/02/afghan‐american‐one‐story‐thirty‐stories/ 8 The Afghanistan Analyst Online research portal for scholars, students, journalists, policy‐makers, NGO/humanitarian workers, members of the armed forces and others who want to better understand Afghanistan. Includes links to online maps and photos of Afghanistan and other resources on Afghanistan. http://afghanistan‐analyst.org/default.aspx Afghanistan and the US: selected internet resources Webography assembled by the UC Berkeley Library. http://www.lib.berkeley.edu/SSEAL/SouthAsia/afghan_US.html Afghanistan and the War on Terror Site includes ongoing PBS NewsHour reports on Afghanistan plus reports on the Afghan economy, Soviet invasion, Al‐Qaida, profiles of Hamid Karzai and the Taliban, political timeline (from 1921‐present), an interactive map of Afghanistan’s ethnic groups, etc. http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/asia/afghanistan/index.html Afghanistan: Hidden Treasures from the National Museum, Kabul Additional web resources on the exhibit of objects from Kabul’s National Museum ranging in date from 2200 BC to AD 200 (see p. 4). http://www.nga.gov/exhibitions/2008/afghanistan/index.shtm http://www.nationalgeographic.com/mission/afghanistan‐treasures/ The Afghans: Their History and Culture Culture Profile prepared in 2002 by Barbara Robson and Juliene Lipson with Farid Younos and Mariam Mehdi and published by the Center for Applied Linguistics/The Cultural Orientation Resource Center. Provides basic introduction to people, history and cultures of Afghanistan. Designed primarily for service providers and others assisting the Afghan refugees in their new communities in the United States; includes overviews of history, people, economy, society, religion, family, music and literature, language, food, festivities, etc. http://www.cal.org/co/afghan/index.html Conflict and Resistance Them: The Buddha Statues of Bamiyan Excerpt from Art Through Time: A Global View series, which takes a thematic approach to art history and appreciation. http://www.learner.org/courses/globalart/work/49/index.html The Great Game: Afghanistan In summer 2009 the Tricycle, a theater in London, England, mounted a two‐month festival aimed at giving audiences a better understanding of culture and history of Afghanistan. The festival included a seven‐hour trilogy including 12 plays tracing Afghan history from the First Afghan‐Anglo War of the 1940s to the present. The plays have since been performed in the U.S., including performances for military from the Pentagon in February 2011. Available in Oberon Modern Plays paperback edition (2009) Sample web postings: http://www.tricycle.co.uk/about‐the‐tricycle‐pages/about‐us‐tab‐menu/archive/archived‐theatre‐
production/the‐great‐game‐afghanistan/ http://www.theworld.org/2011/01/the‐great‐game‐afghanistan‐plays‐in‐pentagon/# 9 Highlights and Resources from the “Contextualizing Afghanistan” Workshop Website includes resources prepared for a workshop cosponsored by the Davis Center Davis Center for Russian and Eurasian Studies and Center at the Center for Middle Eastern Studies at Harvard University in October 2008. Includes annotated list of books and feature films, Afghanistan in the Massachusetts History and Social Science Curriculum Framework, and Afghanistan: Background Facts and Figures (including maps, timeline, statistics). http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/files/Sources%20and%20Resources%20for%20Contextualizing%20Afghanistan.
pdf http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/files/Afghanistan%20in%20the%20Frameworks.pdf http://cmes.hmdc.harvard.edu/files/PrimerAfghanistan.pdf Iraq, Afghanistan, and the War on Terror: A Collection of FRONTLINE’s Reporting from 9/11 to the Present Includes the following websites with online readings, maps, timelines, and videos related to Afghanistan: Obama’s War (2009) The War Briefing (2008) Bush’s War (2008) Return of the Taliban (2006) The Torture Question (2005) In Search of Al Qaeda (2002) Campaign against Terror (2002). http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/terror/?utm_campaign=homepage&utm_medium=fixed&utm_sou
rce=fixed Library of Congress Country Profile: Afghanistan Covers history, geography, society, economy, transportation, government, national security; prepared in December 2008. http://lcweb2.loc.gov/frd/cs/profiles/Afghanistan.pdf Minaret and Archaeological Remains of Jam: A UNESCO World Heritage Site The 65m‐tall Minaret of Jam in western Afghanistan is a graceful, soaring structure, dating back to the 12th century. http://whc.unesco.org/en/list/211 See also: http://archnet.org/library/sites/one‐site.jsp?site_id=11345 Understanding Afghanistan National Geographic guide to Afghanistan, including facts, interactive map, photos, quiz. http://travel.nationalgeographic.com/travel/countries/afghanistan‐guide/ U.S. Department of State Background Note: Afghanistan Map and overview of geography, people, government, economy, etc. http://www.state.gov/r/pa/ei/bgn/5380.htm#profile Virtual Afghanistan Non‐anthropological site with information on Afghan culture. http://www.afghan‐network.net/Culture/ 10 Women in Afghanistan Links to web sites are about the status of women in Afghanistan. Learn what life was like for women and girls before and after the Taliban came to power compiled in 2007 and updated in 2009 by University of Missouri eThemes (Grades 7, 8). http://ethemes.missouri.edu/themes/1250 World Savvy Monitor: Global Status of Women Special Focus: Women in Afghanistan; Issue 9, May 2009. http://worldsavvy.org/monitor/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=531&Itemid=995 Williams Afghan Media Project An online resource at Williams College for the study of Afghanistan, included three photo collections that document in image and sound Afghan history and society from the late 19th century through the Soviet occupation as well as additional background information on Afghanistan. Directed by directed by David B. Edwards, W. Van Alan Clark ‘41 Third Century Professor in the Social Sciences, Williams College. http://contentdm.williams.edu/wamp/web/information.htm ADDITIONAL DOCUMENTARY FILMS (For other documentary films about Afghanistan, see PBS entries above.) Afghanistan Revealed: The Unknown Story of a Land (42 min., 2000) National Geographic sent Sebastian Junger and a photographer into Afghanistan at a time when journalists and reporters were banned and arranged access for them to Ahmad Shah Massoud, charismatic leader of the Northern Alliance. As it broadly sweeps 2,500 years of Afghanistan’s history, the film sweeps the dramatic, harsh terrain of 20,000‐foot mountains and the valleys between them and then focuses on Massoud, who fought the Soviets and the mujahedin and is filmed fighting the Taliban. Includes interviews with Taliban soldiers detained by the Northern Alliance and refugees discussing the torment and suffering they endure being under Taliban rule. The film concludes with news that Massoud, called the Lion of Pansjir, has been assassinated two days before 9/11/2001. Available free online at: http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/afghanistan_revealed/ Afghan Star Havana Marking, director (87 min., 2009) After 30 years of war and Taliban rule, pop culture has returned to Afghanistan. Millions are watching Afghan Star—an American Idol‐style TV series in which people from across the country compete for a cash prize and record deal. 2000 people audition, including three brave women. The viewers vote for their favorite singers by mobile phone and for many this is their first encounter with democracy. This timely and inspired film follows the moving stories of four young contestants looking for a new life. But their journeys take a terrifying turn as one young woman dances on stage, threatening her own safety and the future of the show itself. In English, Pashto, and Dari with English subtitles. http://www.zeitgeistfilms.com/videocatalog/product_info.php?products_id=156 11 Afghan Stories Taran Davies and Walied Osman (61 min., 2006) Filmmaker Taran Davies and Walied Osman set out to gain an understanding of how a generation having experienced 24 years of war has affected the Afghan people. From Queens, New York to the frontline in Afghanistan, Taran and Walied spend time with several Afghan families. They meet a member of the royal family who was tortured by the Taliban, a doctor and journalist stuck in a one room apartment with their four children, a relief worker trying to rebuild his country one road at a time, a town elder who dedicated his life to peace and his warrior son who fought alongside the Soviets. University of Buffalo Library Educational Media Reviews Online: http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/emroDetail.asp?Number=1221 Available free online at: http://www.snagfilms.com/films/title/afghan_stories/ Inside Afghanistan: Two Films on the Soviet Intervention and the Afghan Civil War (The Black Tulip & Inside Afghanistan) Pacho Lane, director (26 min. and 56 min., 1988) The only two American films made from the Soviet side of their intervention in Afghanistan and filmed in 1987. The first feature is The Black Tulip, the name given to the plane that carried Soviet soldiers’ bodies back home. This film documents how Soviet troops initially came at the request of the legal Afghan government, but not at the request of the people. The second film, Inside Afghanistan, examines the struggle for the future of Afghanistan between urbanized, Westernizing modernizers and the traditional Muslim world of the villages, still based on clan and feudal ties. University of Buffalo Library Educational Media Reviews Online: http://libweb.lib.buffalo.edu/emro/emroDetail.asp?Number=2544 http://www.docfilm.com/webpages/Afghanistan/afghanistan.html Kabul Transit David Edwards, Maliha Zulfacar, and Gregory Whitmore, directors (84 min., 2006) In the broken cityscape of Kabul, Afghanistan, amid the dust and rubble of war, Westerners and Afghans adjust to the uncertain possibilities of peace. Kabul Transit shuttles through the broken streets of the city, moving between public space and private, listening in on conversations, posing questions, probing the darker alleys mainstream media avoids. The result is a unique cinematic experience—a shifting mosaic of encounters and raconteurs, captured glances and telling gestures, all beautifully shot and woven together by the music and the found sounds of a city sluggishly coming to life. Rejecting the usual device of narration and portraiture, the film asks the viewer to experience Kabul as a newly arrived visitor would. In English, Dari, Pashto, Russian, and French with English subtitles. http://kabultransit.net/order.htm Lost Treasures of Afghanistan James Barrat, director (55 min., 2006) Explore the Bamiyan Valley with archaeologist Dr. Tarzi as he digs for a long‐forgotten monastery that houses the 1,000 foot Buddha in his ultimate quest to honor the Bamiyan people and their history. Also join Russian archaeologist Victor Sarianidi as he unveils and confirms whether gold treasures found underneath the Presidential palace were indeed the Bactrian Hoard treasure he helped discover and catalog two decades ago. Finally, listen to Afghani artists and archivists as they recount how they protected works of art and film archives from certain destruction by the Taliban. http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/dvds/culture%2C‐history‐and‐religion/world‐
cultures/lost‐treasures‐of‐afghanistan‐dvd 12 Restrepo Sebastian Junger and Tim Hetherington, directors (94 min, 2010) Winner of the 2010 Sundance Film Festival Grand Jury Prize for documentary, Restrepo chronicles the deployment of a platoon of U.S. soldiers in Afghanistan’s Korengal Valley, one of the most dangerous postings in the U.S. military. The movie focuses on 15 soldiers based at Outpost Restrepo, named after a platoon medic killed early in the deployment. Filmed by author Sebastian Junger and award‐winning photographer Tim Hetherington, Restrepo takes viewers on their own 90‐minute deployment, without comment or agenda. A National Geographic Entertainment release. Rated R (under 17 requires accompanying parent or adult guardian). It has profanity and combat violence. http://movies.nationalgeographic.com/movies/restrepo/ SUPPLEMENTAL BACKGROUND READINGS [This is a small sampling of online articles about Afghanistan.] Agnello, Mary F.; Todd, Reese H.; Olaniran, Bolanle; and Lucey, Thomas A. “Afghanistan and Multiculturalism in Khaled Hosseini’s Novels: Study of Place and Diversity,” Multicultural Education & Technology Journal 3(2): 96‐111, 2009. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERI
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ccno=EJ848247&_nfls=false Bayly, Martin. “Afghanistan: Crossroads of the Ancient World: Crossroads, not a Graveyard,” The Times Higher Education, 10 March 2011. http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/story.asp?storycode=415457 Chayes, Sarah. “Drawing Hope from History,” A Voice from Kandahar Blog‐NYTimes.com, 1 August 2006. http://chayes.blogs.nytimes.com/ Dalrymple, William. “Why the Taliban are winning in Afghanistan.” NewStatesman.com, 22 June 2010. [Explores parallels between the current war with the First Anglo‐Afghan War (1836‐42), one of the first major conflicts during the Great Game, the 19th century competition for power and influence in Central Asia between the United Kingdom and Russia and a major setback inflicted on British power in the region.] http://www.newstatesman.com/international‐politics/2010/06/british‐afghanistan‐government Hammer, Joshua. “Searching for Buddha in Afghanistan,” Smithsonian.com, December 2010. http://www.smithsonianmag.com/people‐places/Searching‐for‐Buddha‐in‐Afghanistan.html# For other Smithsonian.com articles on Afghanistan, see: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/topics/Location‐Afghanistan.html Pillar, Paul R; and Nagl, John. “Debating Afghanistan: Is Afghanistan the Right War?, The National Interest, Mar 1, 2010 (from the Mar/Apr 2010 issue). http://nationalinterest.org/greatdebate/debating‐afghanistan‐3795 13 Nilsen, Don; and Nilsen, Alleen. “Intentional and Unintentional Afghan Humor: ‘Local Logic’ At Its Best,” paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the National Council of Teachers of English, 2001. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERI
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&accno=ED459486&_nfls=false Rubin, Elizabeth, “Afghan Women: Veiled Rebellion,” National Geographic, December 2010. http://ngm.nationalgeographic.com/2010/12/afghan‐women/rubin‐text Salter, Cathy. “Why Is Afghanistan Important?,” Geography Teacher, Vol. 7 , No. 1, 2010, pp. 16‐21. http://www.eric.ed.gov/ERICWebPortal/search/recordDetails.jsp?searchtype=advanced&pageSize=10&ERI
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