First Name:
Anna
Last Name:
Smith
Major Department:
Criminal Justice
Thesis Director:
Curtis Ryan
Date of Thesis:
May 2010
The purpose of this project is to promote an understanding of the culture, history and people of Afghanistan in seventh grade classrooms. Unique in its presentation and delivery, the project is divided into two main parts: presentations in seventh grade classrooms during fall 2009, and five posters (11X14 inches) explaining the five key aspects of Afghanistan discussed during the presentation. The final product includes a detailed description of the project, and several unconventional components: the PowerPoint presentation, images of materials used in interactive presentations in Middle School classrooms, and the five posters. The five main areas of focus are: the war-torn history of Afghanistan, religion, gender (specifically the role and rights of women in society), ethnicity, and the current conflict. The presentations consisted of a PowerPoint and lecture, interactive exercises on ethnicity and gender, and time for discussion on current issues. The presentations were very successful in engaging the students, and led to several great discussions. The five posters were sent to the classes visited as a follow-up to the presentations and will, hopefully, inspire more discussion and engage future students.