Keeping it Real

Adolescents  often struggle to wrap their head around the complexity of current events. I, for one, can clearly recall my teenage years as I watched the Balkan War on TV, trying to connect the various dots. Even though, I felt drawn to this conflict, I still lacked the right tools to understand this tragedy. My head was riddled with too many questions, such as who the key players were, the motives of this conflict and the different parties involved. This was way too overwhelming for me to learn on my own. After all, the divide between what I was "learning" at school and what was unfolding beyond those confining walls was abysmal. 

One of the main reasons I am a big proponent for the exploration of current events in Humanities is that it provides adolescents with the right tools to analyze and interpret issues that otherwise would be too daunting for them to tackle on their own. Students have an inclination to be captivated by what is happening around them because of its relevance.

The Grade 9 students are currently learning about the patterns of a revolution as an overarching concept. For their final project they will be creating a crash course, discussing the stages and the impact of a revolution of their choosing. These can include but are not limited to political revolutions. Students can also explore cultural, scientific and technological revolutions. 

This unit kicks off with a case study about the Egyptian Revolution. I've chosen to delve into this topic instead of the more traditional revolutions because this revolution matters more to them. Students are being exposed to this unrest via the news and other social media. This revolution is unfolding right now as I am writing this post. They are able to understand the current unrest in Egypt and appreciate a vital stage: the consolidation of the idea that drives a revolution, a determining factor for its success. 

In one of my previous posts, I argued that Humanities should not be centered around history. Nevertheless, history is a great tool when used purposefully. For instance, one can opt to delve into the repercussions of the Six Day War, the assassination of Anwar Sadat and Hosni Mubarrak's rise to power. All of these can shed more light on the motives behind the Egyptian regime's draconian methods and the current unrest involving the Muslim Brotherhood. 

Students brainstorming the stages of the Egyptian Revolution

Last week, I was able to gauge the level of interest shown by the students as they explored this topic. I know that they are now hooked by this unit and will be more likely to create a meaningful final project. Teenagers have the propensity to be passionate about global issues; however, they need to be exposed to it from a young age. The exploration of global issues is a perfect avenue for our students to become future citizens of the world: compassionate, conscientious, and cognizant of the environment in which they live.