Frontline: Muslims

Geography and Cultures of Muslim Countries

By Susan L. Douglass and Nadia Pervez  - 2003

Overview

The purpose of this project is to encourage students to learn about one particular Muslim country in detail.

Objectives

Students should be able to:

• Research and describe the political, economic and social history of their chosen country
• Research and present cultural practices of their chosen country
• Research and present modern-day statistics related to their chosen country
• Create an in-depth country profile

Procedure

1. Put students into groups of three or four and ask them to choose a Muslim country they would like to learn more about. Ask students to pick their country from the country list provided (Handout 1) or choose one on their own.
2. Distribute Project Handout to students. There are two assignments from which you can choose. For middle school students, it is suggested you use Handout 2A, which asks students to conceptualize an internet website and television commercial. For high school students, it is suggested you use Handout 2B, which asks students to prepare for a United Nations event. When designing the website and television commercial, students can submit a hardcopy of their site design, and submit the text of their commercial and perform it in front of the class. If you have access to web-page design software and/or video cameras, you may choose to use them to bring the concepts alive. However, this is not necessary to complete the activity.
   
   Note: Before distributing the Handout to students, decide on how long the project should be and how long the project should take to complete. Students can use Handout 3, Key Points to Cover, along with your instructions, to prepare their projects accordingly.

Assessment

1. Final projects should be presented to the rest of the class and graded accordingly. You may wish to use the grading rubrics provided.