As part of the 2017 Blogging Challenge, students from around the world write posts and complete activities about common themes.  This week’s challenge is about global issues.  After yesterday’s chemical weapon attack that killed at least 20 children in Syria, I needed to write about Syria’s crisis.  The videos and images of children gagging and choking, and parents crying over the lifeless bodies of their babies broke my heart.  Why is the world allowing this to happen?

Syria’s Civil War

In 2011, peaceful anti-government groups were squashed by violent government crackdowns, and  opposition groups have been fighting the government for six years.  Since then over 470,000 people have died.  Not only that, but the prolonged conflict has allowed ISIS to flourish.  Read more about the Syrian civil war here: Quick Facts: What You Need to Know About the Syria Crisis.

4/4/17

Yesterday morning, planes dropped bombs full of weapons in Syria.  This attack was heinous; these are war crimes on civilians.  I don’t understand why the global community doesn’t do more for Syria.  Russia backs the Syrian President Assad and says the rebels are to blame for the nerve gas. The rebels who are fighting a corrupt government; a government that would murder its children.

 

AND this isn’t the first time.  In 2013, hundreds of civilians were killed after two chemical weapons attacks in Syria.

 

 

Global Response

Reuters reporters write that President Trump said yesterday’s attack was “horrible” but has not announced what the U.S. will do.  He also blames the Obama administration for this mess. His dilemma is “… whether to openly challenge Moscow and risk deep involvement in a Middle East war by seeking to punish Assad for using banned weapons, or compromise and accept the Syrian leader remaining in power at the risk of looking weak” (Tsvetkova).  Meanwhile, “British Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson, who two months ago shifted his country’s policy by saying Assad could be allowed to run for re-election, said on Wednesday that he must go” (Tsvetkova).

Can we stop name-calling and blaming and focus on the problem now? Too many innocent people have died! Enough is enough.  Can our global powers unite? What about the U.N.? Britain changed its mind about Assad ; why can’t we all follow suit?  What can we do as civilians?

Action

The following resources give ways we can help.  Sadly, I can’t open my home to Syrian refugees since Syria is on the U.S. banlist, but I have used these recommendations to do what I can.

The Global Citizen gives us “15 Ways You Can Help Syrian Refugees Now.”

The Huffington Post: “Outraged About What’s Going on in Syria?  Do Something About It”

After viewing Never Let Me Go as part of our PAGES experience at the Wexner Center, students were eager to learn more about human cloning.  We read the following articles in class: “Human-Pig” Chimera Embryos Detailed, Whatever Happened to Cloning? and The Science of Human Cloning.  Students read independently and together, annotating their texts and generating questions.  Questions fuel Socratic Seminars!

Socratic Seminar is a great way to get students involved in a text- questioning, analyzing and citing.  If you need more information about what a Socratic Seminar is, guidelines, or need forms, I like this Teacher Resource Packet.

On the day of seminar, we sat in a large circle.  Students were expected to contribute to the discussion meaningfully at least three times (asking a question or responding to a question).  When applicable, they needed to refer specifically to one of the texts.

I was impressed with the discussion and the willingness of students to participate!  We could have easily spent two days on this.  Some interesting points and questions that students came up with are:  cloning clones, how to define what is right and wrong, and the need to evolve and change.  Students came up with interesting analogies and even brought in the issue of cloned food.  You can see our notes here:  Human Cloning Seminar Notes.

There are a lot of variations you can try with seminars.  If you have a large group, you could split into two circles, creating a fishbowl (inner and outer circle).  Students could then have a partner with whom to collaborate.  Each circle would have the chance to discuss in the inner circle, while the outer circle tracks their partners and writes notes of anything additional to bring up next.  If students are struggling generating questions, or if you don’t have a lot of time, you could use teacher-generated questions.