Mr.+Zimmerman+Video


 * Questions to discuss before watching Mr. Zimmerman...**

__//Share your thoughts below each question. Feel free to use a different text color/font for your response and be sure to include your name at the end of the statement.//__
**What are some issues to consider in teaching about the Middle East? What issues do you consider when preparing your lessons? How do you prepare your students?**


 * When teaching about the Middle East I think that an important issue that needs to be consider when preparing is what is the student’s understanding of the Middle East is prior to the lesson. I think it is important to consider what might your student’s background knowledge of the Middle East is and what their misconceptions might be about the Middle East. When teaching the lesson I would want to only focus on the facts of the Middle East and not just an American perspective of the Middle East. I would want to be conscious that I was teaching not just “one side of the story”. Rather, an overview so students are able to develop a deeper understanding of the Middle East and begin critically thinking about this region. This will help allow students to have a better understanding of the different issues occurring in this region. As well as, do they understand what is going on in the region and are they able to look into the different issues of the Middle East in more than one perspective. It would also be important to consider if students have any relation to the region whether religious, culture, heritage or military. I also would want to make sure students understood that during this lesson it could be emotional for some students in the class. That students needed to be very respectful of each others thoughts, beliefs and comments during class discussions. Explaining to students when we discuss the different concepts and situations of the Middle East to try to think about these areas from more than one view. -Becki Farquhar **

There are many issues to consider when teaching about the Middle East. First and foremost the issue that cannot dictate classroom discussion is the idea that Islam is a radical religion that preaches hate and that all Muslims are terrorists. At the same time, the one thing that students will certainly know about the Middle East is the fact that 9-11 happened, and that Muslims were responsible. Depending on the school district, some students may have views that are hateful towards Muslims. I think it is important to address this issue head on because this is clearly an issue that students need to be knowledgeable about and prepared to discuss. Also, I think it is important to consider that there could be relatives of people who are in the military or even people killed on 9-11. Thus, I need to be sensitive to those who may feel harmed or threatened by these extremists, but I also need to point out that the terrorists are not representative of Muslims (who make up 1.5 billion of the worlds population) and that these are political extremists more than anything. --Steve Wolff As it regards teaching about the Middle East an educator has to consider several issues. First, an educator has to be aware of the ideals that students have about the Middle East before beginning the lesson. This will allow the teacher to address ideals that the students have be the positive or negative that may not be part of the lesson. Another factor is while addressing the issue it is important to give a disclaimer about controversial things that will be discussed including the impacts of foreign policy on the region. It will be important to avoid taking sides because conversations about the Middle East become so polarized and it is essential not to alienate or offend any students. In preparation of the lesson it is important to consider your students. There may students who have family/friends in the military and be sensitive to the topic. There could be students that are Muslim or from areas considered to be the Middle East and it is imperative to represent their culture in an appropriate manner. It will be imperative to prepare your students for the sensitive issue. It will also be key to note that you will not be able to cover every aspect of the Middle East, but you will try to avoid leaving gaps that lead to more confusion. These things are just a few points that will have to be addressed by a teacher looking to lecture/present information about the Middle East. -Bernard Charles

When teaching about the Middle East, there are some things that must be considered before during and after. One of the main issues is either first hand experiences or things students might already know about the region. In this day and age, students have access to a lot more information than when we were even in middle school. With so much access, students might their own views of the region. What I mean my first hand experience is that you might encounter a student who is from the region or has family there. This is where an educator should take some caution with regards to what and how they teach. One of the biggest things that need to be done is to not upset anyone. As an educator, you are there to inform. You need to make sure that you are not projecting your feelings or views on a subject to the student. It is up to them to take in the information and make their own decisions. I think when you are getting ready to teach, before the lesson planning, it is important to understand how complex the region is and it will be difficult to cover everything that should be covered. So when you actually begin planning, I think you should not only consider student backgrounds, but also how complex it is. I think if you go into it saying that there are 8 very important things to cover, and you want to ensure that you cover both sides. If you begin to see that the time limit is getting tight; maybe you say I will cover only 4 of these so I can give as complete of a picture as I can so it doesn't lead to more questions at the end. - Matt Lantzy

The Middle East is a lesson which I think varies greatly depending upon the age which we are teaching. There are different depths that we can go into if we are teaching middle school kids than if we are teaching seniors in high school. I think that it is important to bring the geography of the Middle East into class no matter who you are teaching this region to, but where to go from the geography depends on the age. If I was teaching older kids I would definitely like to focus time on the Israeli/Palestinian conflict as well as some of the reasoning behind all of the violence that takes place in the Middle East and how it affects us here in America. We should also consider things like oil and religion which are topics that are in the news often. We also have to consider the fact that some of these kids will have parents preaching things about the Middle East which are flat out wrong as well as the possibility of having Muslims in the same class as kids who are being told Muslims are bad in their homes. There are a lot of possible conflicts to think about, but teaching a worthwhile lesson about the Middle East is something that I think is essential to any good world history class. -Andrew Thom

There are a lot of issues to consider when thinking about teaching about the Middle East. The first being, what do we include in the Middle East? What does this area encompass? Is Afghanistan part of it? Is Egypt? Talking about an abstract area can be confusing and we need to make sure our students know there is no exact boundary to this area. Another issue is the vast amount of material that can be covered. Choosing the most important aspects to cover can be overwhelming. Like we discussed last week, what do they need to know and what is nice to know? Sometimes I’m not sure where the distinction is; it can be a very blurry line. Another consideration is the stereotypes that are out there about the Middle East right now. It is an area that is all over the news and the students may have heard all different kinds of things about the area that may or may not be true. When I was student teaching last semester I heard a student call the Arabic people “those towel-heads” and he did not seem to realize that is not a nice thing to say. Overcoming the stereotypes, and a lot of the hate stemming from 9/11 can, and probably will, be a challenge. We will have to prepare our students for the abstractness of this area and also that when we are talking about the Arabic people, or the Muslim people, we are not always talking about extremists and they need to understand a difference. -Katelyn Fedewa

The﻿re are many issues to consider when thinking about teaching about the Middle East. I think the first thing to consider is what areas or regions to include in the Middle East. Discussing an area that isn't necessarily defined by any drawn boundaries can be hard for students to grasp, especially over an area so vast. It is also important to consider the most important aspects of this region and its importance in world relations since there is so much material that can be covered, but can only be covered in a limited amount of time. It is important to understand the misconceptions that may come up during class, like racial or ethnic slurs or stereotypes. It is important to overcome the stereotypes and challenge the misconceptions that students may have in the class. Also, it is important to consider the diversity of your classroom and to know your students. If there are Islamic or Arabic students in your class it may be wise to listen to what they have to say or have them present their perspectives, cultures, and heritage to the class. It can also be important to keep these students in mind since they can bring insight to the class. Another reason to keep these students in mind is that they may need protection from other students since other students may use stereotypes or slurs that are offensive and dangerous. --Regan Kwong


 * I think that there are a lot of issues that need to be addressed in a classroom in order to effectively teach about the Middle East. The first issue that should be discussed is the difference between Islam and the extremist sects of Islam. The second idea that should be talked about is a brief overview of the history of the Middle East as a whole. This is a very ambitious task, but if the teacher remains focused I think they can effectively discuss and deliver the lesson in a clear fashion. One of the biggest issues that will need to be addressed very carefully is that of 9/11. This will the key topic that many students will want to talk about and we can use this time to de-bunk many stereotypes that they may be carrying with them. I think you prepare your students by creating a safe environment in your classroom where honest, open, and respectful discussion can take place so that the students can learn the most about the Middle East. -Zack VanSickle **

**How would you introduce a unit on the Middle East? Where would you begin?**


 * In introducing the unit on the Middle East I would first want to develop an understanding of the student’s prior knowledge of the region. To understand what they know and what their misunderstandings might be. After, I knew what the students prior knowledge of this region I would begin the unit. -Becki Farquhar **

First, I would show the students on a map where the Middle East actually is because I know even for college educated students that Geography is not that well known, and it makes things a lot more easy to understand for me when I can picture the countries in my head and their relation to each other. Then I would discuss 9-11 which would probably take some time, but I would use 9-11 to incorporate a lot of other things and work back from that date, and look at some of the reasons why the U.S. was attacked. Here, I have to be careful because some students or parents may not like hearing the idea that the U.S. has done things to upset the Arab World. -- Steve Wolff

When I would introduce a unit about the Middle East, I would ease into it slowly because there is so much that students could get confused by. Without sitting down and going through the whole process; I think I would probably start with Religion. I would begin there because it is such a huge influence, not only in the Arab/Israeli conflict, but also wiht how much religon plays into the every day life of many other countries in the region. I would hope to maybe introduce it by having a questionaire to see how much they know about the area, which could maybe then help me plan out the rest of the unit. If a large majority doesn't understand a certain topic, I could plan around that and maybe spend a little bit more time on that. - Matt Lantzy

Introducing a unit on the Middle East would be difficult as I said above. There are so many different ways to start, finish, and leave your students feeling confused. I would begin with a geographical explanation about what this area is and what it is not. I would explain that it is not necessarily a bordered set of countries but an area, a way of living, and a controversial entity. Then I would want to explain who lives there. Is it just Arabic people? Are there other races? Are they all Islamic? I would want to let the students know that everything is not black and white and what we think about an area is not always the reality. -Katelyn Fedewa

When dealing with a controversial issue, such as a unit on the Middle East, I feel it is very important to make sure the students have a good base knowledge to build from, while also making sure they know the classroom is a safe environment for them to express concerns, thoughts, or questions. The way that makes the most sense to me would be to start with a quick overview of the area by pulling up a map and sort of highlighting the area in which we will be discussing. I do not think I would start with a whole class lesson on the geography, rather just highlight where in the World it is for the students. From there I would probably start with religion, so much of this region is centered on religion and I feel that by using religion as a focal point it will help students make sense of a lot of the issues as we approach them. All in all I think working out from religion to other main points about the region is the easiest and most fluid way to tackle the Middle East. When it comes to making sure the students feel the classroom is a safe environment for productive discussion, I am torn on how to do that. Some ground rules will need to be set up; however, it is also important to make sure the students still have freedom to walk their way through these issues. Over all I feel the comfort of a classroom is built overtime, and part of the way that is done is by respecting one another's opinions, while also showing students factual proof on events that really did occur. - Thomas Ropek

﻿When inroducing the Middle East I would start with the geography question first. Since the Middle East doesn't truly have drawn borders that define exactly where and what it is on a map, I feel that this complicated issue is important to tackle first so studens can have a understanding of where the location is and why these places can or cannot be defined as the Middle East. I feel that by starting at where the Middle East is located, one can incorporate into the lesson the cultures, relgions, and the characteristics that make up why these places are considered or not considered to be part of the Middle East. It can then be scoped down to who lives there and the daily lives and cultures in the region. --Regan Kwong


 * I would introduce a unit on the Middle East by asking the students what they knew about Middle East? What did the news tell them? What do they hear all around them? I think this could effectively be displayed through a web or some form of concept web. I do not think that you should start with 9/11, because then the students will consistently come back to that as the key event in understanding the Middle East. Instead, you could use this prior knowledge as a way to break through stereotypes. -Zack VanSickle **

**What do you consider to be the major elements of the Middle East conflict? In what order would you introduce them? (For example, Mr. Zimmerman begins his unit with religion.)**

I would start with Geography because knowing the geography allows you to understand a lot of the conflicts that have occurred. (Iraq-Iran, Iraq-Kuwait, Israel-Palestine) After going over Geography, I would discuss religion and point out how many different religions there are and how many conflicts have occurred as a result of religious differences (Sunni-Shi'a, Jews and Muslims, etc). Then I would go into the history of oil and the U.S. involvement in the Middle East with special attention paid to the recent wars in Afghanistan and Iraq because students would likely be most engaged with these topics. Steve Wolff


 * Although, I introduced the lesson by gaining an understanding of my students prior knowledge, for each major element I would want to make sure I asked students why the though certain ways about the different topics. Even though I hated when teachers asked me why I thought a certain way, I think for a controversial topic such as the Middle East it might be beneficiary for the following lessons in trying to gain an understanding for the reasons for their thinking a certain way about the different issues in The Middle East. So, after assessing the students background knowledge of the Middle East I would begin teaching first about the geography of the Middle East. I think its important students know where this area is located and are able to understand where it is in relation to where we live. After, I would want to focus on the history of the Middle East. I would want students to understand the social (mainly religious), political and economic history of the Middle East. Also, what/who has had a major influence on this region throughout history. I think that prior to focusing on other elements of the Middle East students need to have knowledge of the history of The Middle East to understand where the tensions and conflicts of this area developed from. Once I know students understand the geography and history of the Middle East I would focus on more specific issues and conflicts. I would next focus on the major religions because many of the issues in the Middle East have developed from different religion’s beliefs. I would want to focus on what the different religions are of The Middle East and what their relation has been and is to the region. I think it would also be important to incorporate a lesson to help students have a understanding of the impact The Middle East as on the rest of the world. Find some way to address how the issues of The Middle East create other issues globally. -Becki Farquhar **

There are so many elements to what is possibly the most complicated issue in the latter half of the 20th and into the 21st century. Religion is definitely a major part of the struggle in the region. Along with that I feel that the demarcation of political boundaries by western powers as well as the interests of these western powers have played a significant role in shaping the region into what it is today. I think religion is certainly a good starting point as it is the preeminent issue from which most of the others stem. Building off of that you can segway into how borders were formed with no concern for conflicting religions or cultures, and often how these borders were drawn to the advantage of western powers in their colonial expansion across the region. -Joel Taggart

I agree with Joel that religion is very important when discussing the conflict in the Middle East. Religious differences seem to be the starting point for a great deal of the conflicts in the Middle East and even for the attacks of 9/11. I think with any class it is important to debunk any stereotypes that students may have and show them why those aren't necessarily true, for example the old student in Mark's class. Showing the students that not all places in the Middle East are really like that would be a very important part of the lesson. Another big component is geography. I don't think the students necessarily need to memorize a map, but a lot of issues in Middle East conflict today stem from disputed boarders. I personally don't think map tests are effective, unless you use it as a tool to gauge your students at the beginning of the unit to see where they think places are and then at the end to see if they learned it, but to me the students would just cram and stress to make sure they do good on the test and there is so much more to learn than making sure you can memorize the countries. I also took the geography class that people talked about in class, and I honestly could probably only label the most common places just because I crammed for the exams to get a 4.0. Just a personal opinion. : ) Anyways, I also think economics is important, because some of it directly affects the US. Since we get a lot of oil from the Middle East, older students might like to know why they can get gas for $3.19 one day and it's $3.68 the next. It also would be important to show that there are some very wealthy countries in the Middle East and they are not using their hands as toilet paper! -Sara Worthington ﻿I agree with both of the posts above by Joel and Sara. I think the biggest element in Middle East conflicts is religion. I think when you look back through the recent conflicts, there is always a cornerstone religious component. But I also think that another important element is Geography. Some of the biggest conflicts also stem from (as Sara said) boundries. We were talking in class about having to take "map tests"; but I also think that knowing geography isn't just knowing what maps say. Understanding where the region is and boundries as they currently exist are very important to understanding the conflicts that currently exist. I would also want to talk with them regarding influence of other nations in the process. When you look at the conflicts, there are always outside powers exerting influence and that has an impact. For example, if you look at what is going on at the UN at the Middle East peace process, the United States has a big say in the outcome of the proposal before the security council because they have said it will veto the proposal. With outside nations having so much influence, it is important to understand what role other nations play and how it will affect the outcome. In the end, I think the biggest elements are: 1. Religion, 2. Geography, 3. World Influence. - Matt Lantzy

As we talked about yesterday there are many major elements that can go into teaching the Middle East. One of the main elements is religion and the conflicts over Palestine and Israel. Others include natural resources (including water and oil), the struggle over political boundaries, ideologies (the current war), and much more. As stated above I would probably start off with explaining the geography of the location and how that leads in to a lot of these other issues. This would allow us to tackle the question of who are the major players? Why is their conflict? How are the governments and ideologies in the Middle East different from our own? There is a lot of ways to branch off on different topics after first tackling the geography of the area. –Katelyn Fedewa ﻿I would consider the geography, culture, and religions to be sources of major conflicts in the Middle East, for example Palestine and Israel. Not only are the conflicts between Palestine and Israel religious conflicts, but they also hold political conflicts, political boundaries conflicts, ideological conflicts, and much more. Other sources of conflicts to be included would be over natural resources, like water and oil. To begin I would start once again with geography and move into the religion and ideology. **How do you guard against bias when guiding students through highly controversial topics like the Middle East conflict?**


 * I think in order to remain not biased in topics like the Middle East conflict its important for students to recognize and understand that there are many perspectives of what is happening in this region. In doing so, I think we need to make sure students understand not to only focus a viewpoint from one group’s perspective, that one group is no better than another. To always think of the different issues from all the different group’s point of view and not take “sides”. Taking into consideration their values, morals and other ways of thinking that might contribute to their strong opinions and reasons for having conflicts with other groups. -Becki Farquhar **

When guarding against bias I think it is always useful to play devil's advocate. As a teacher with a controversial topic it is always important to discuss both sides of the topic. If a student challenges one thought you can respect it but then ask them a question that makes them consider the other point of view. This can help students understand that you are not forcing one opinion and they can make a decision based on both sides of a topic. Devil's advocate is always very eye opening when done correctly because it challenges a student to think in a different light and can eliminate an misconceptions. -Kam Bouchard

I agree with Kam that playing devil's advocate can be very effective and exposing students to arguments that challenge their existing viewpoints will be very effective. Hopefully by providing these arguments it will spark further discussion and get other students to get in the discussion and bounce off ideas off of each other. So while it is is good for me to provoke discussion, it would be ideal for students to debate with each other and I can facilitate the discussion. Steve Wolff

When we were in class on Monday, we talked about a very similar topic. While I think Kam is correct, I think that using it too much could lead to accidentally showing your personal feeligns. I think that the Socratic method could be very useful. This would make students really think about their positions and could lead to a healthy debate. If you get them thinking critically about their views and the need to justify them, it could allow them to flush out their own views. - Matt Lantzy

Guarding against bias is going to be an extremely different thing to do in a classroom. A lot of these students have probably heard many different things about the Middle East from their friends, their families, and the media. I really like Matt's idea of doing the Socratic Method. Questioning why they think the way they think will probably lead to them not really knowing. Do they only think that all Muslims are bad because their dad made some comment about the Muslim people? I want to challenge their understanding and help them come to the conclusion that people are people and while they have different beliefs and ideologies that doesn't make them bad. I also want them to understand that their is a difference between Muslims and extremists and that the war we are in is with the extremists NOT the Muslim religion. -Katelyn Fedewa ﻿I don't believe one can completely guard against bias in the classroom, but one can attempt to deter some of the bias. I agree with Becki, in that one way to remove some bias is by examining multiple perspectives on the topics being covered. Have the class look at multiple sides of the conflicts and issues. I also agree with Kam and Matt's in that the teacher must play devil's advocate or use the Socratic Method to flesh out students' thinking. -- Regan Kwong

I think the best way to guard against bias in a sensitive topic is to help guide the students ideas. If you have a biased opinion come out in class, address it and dig deeper to find out why and where this opinion came from. Students will be able to look more closely at what they think and understand that the opinions that they believed correct may not be so. -Zack VanSickle

**How do you create a safe environment in which to explore a controversial topic with students, some of whom may have a strong emotional connection to the topic? (Think about what the former student guest speaker said in Mark's 9th grade world geography class...)**


 * I think to create a safe environment when teaching a topic where some students might have a strong emotional connection to the topic its important for teachers to create a classroom environment where students are able to feel comfortable. I think teachers need to begin to build and develop this type of classroom from the first day of class in order for students to actually be able to feel safe and comfortable when discussions become more emotional and personal. To do this teachers need to explain to students to be respectful of their peer’s opinions, beliefs and differences. Teachers need to be extremely welcoming to their students differences. I think it would be important for students to understand that their peer’s differences are important in their education and to be open for that each person’s differences helps benefit the classes learning experience. Also, I think that when talking about controversial topics in class its important to have student's discuss why they think a certain way about something to allow other classmates better understand how they developed their thought. -Becki Farquhar **

In Social Studies, more than any other subject area it is critical for students to feel like they are free to speak their mind without worrying about other students or the teacher jumping on what they say and making them feel uncomfortable. Therefore, even when a student has an opinion that is not accurate (such as what the veteran said in Mr. H's class) it is important not to jump on them and make them feel stupid, but to reasonably point out why they might need to rethink their opinion. Steve Wolff

When I thought about what Mark was saying about the former guest speaker, I will admit I was a bit shocked that he would say that. But, I think that what we discussed after that could be a way to create the safe environment. If there is something that is brought up that is controversial, teachers can help guide the discussion and if there is something that is said that is just factually wrong, we as educators can go find a source that provides a clearer understanding. We can go find an official report or some type of primary source to help debunk something that was said. I also think that it is important to inform the class beforehand that while every student might not agree with others, it is important to respect someone elses point of view. If you can create an environment where students feel comfortable to express their views and opinions, the discussions can yield some very positive effects. Students need to understand that everyone has views, and it should be a place where there can be honest disagreement without attacking someone. - Matt Lantzy

Teaching in a social studies class is going to allow for a lot of controversial topics to come up and we need to start being prepared for all of the situations that will come up. There definitely can be a very strong emotional connection to talking about the Middle East, but there also can be about abortion and rape and all different topics. What we need to do is allow every student to share their opinion and try to be open minded about everything. We shouldn't be forcing our ideals on the students but helping them realize that their are different perspectives about issues and we need to all feel comfortable to share and not attack each others' ways of thinking. It can be very challenging and I don't want anyone to feel uncomfortable, but sometimes I think talking about issues that are very personal to students can actually end up being one of the most meaningful lessons for them. I think having a guest speaker say something like Mark's did can be very awkward and uncomfortable. I mean imagine if you had a Middle Eastern student in your class, that sure might not make them feel safe. We will have to change that by pointing out stereotypes and questioning that speaker about how just because they saw one person do that we cannot judge a whole people on one experience. It will be difficult though! -Katelyn Fedewa

﻿I agree with Steve in that I feel that students should be able to speak their mind, but when a misperception comes up it is important to have them reconsider their opinions. I also agree with Katelyn in that it is important to help students realize that there are different perspectives about issues and that there shouldn't be attacks on each others' thinking and opinions. I feel that no matter how a teacher prepares, uncomfortable moments will come up and not all of it can be deter right away. It is important to change stereotypes and question speakers about how they think and teach that one cannot judge the whole peoples on one person's experience, judgements, stories, and biases. Students must learn to think critically and analyze all sources that are coming up in the classrom and in discussions. --Regan Kwong


 * I think you create a safe environment by assuring the fact that it is an equal playing field for all of the students. Help them to see that while you are discussing this topic they must all remain respectful of each others view points, because that is exactly what it is, their individual ideas. -Zack VanSickle **

**What are the advantages and disadvantages of using hypothetical situations and analogies to examine complex or controversial issues?**

When I think about using a hypothetical situations in complex or controversial issues, I think there are advantages. I think the biggest advantage is that is helps students apply the issue in a situation that they might be familiar with. I also think that not only can they understand the effects in the "real world" but it helps simplify the issue. But, I think that it one must be careful as to how they use it. If you do use a hypothetical to simplify the issue, it might give the student the wrong idea that all issues can be boiled down like that. What I mean to say is if you simplify Issue X to the simple route cause Y, they might think that Issue Z, while similar might have also been caused by Y; which might not be the case. - Matt Lantzy

Taking in hypothetical situations and analogies are good for student because these situations get the students to think outside their personal knowledge box. This could provide students with a new understanding that they might never have considered previously. Plus student can gain valuable refuting skills, having to back of ideas they agree with or ones that they disagree with. There are two main cons to this approach, first is students not able to empathize to the situation. Students might not be able psychologically to understand another view point or adding all the complex variables that have to be taken into account when looking from a different view point. Second problem, some students will refuse to acknowledge or accept differing views. This prevents an effective discussion from occurring (look at politics). Gauge your students beforehand. -Chris Foldesi

I think there are a lot of advantages to using analogies and hypothetical statements, but only if they are relevant and don't make things more confusing than they already are. Sometimes controversial issues can be very confusing and complex so simplifying it for the students can be very beneficial. Using hypothetical statements and analogies is also a great way to improve their critical thinking. Asking them to come up with some of those ideas on their own sometimes can also be very helpful! -Katelyn Fedewa

The advantages are that analogies are a great way to get your point across and make students understand something that they may be struggling with. The problem is some students may not understand the analogy, or they could somehow misinterpret it. Thus, it is important to have multiple ways of explaining the same thing so that the teacher can reach students why may be confused with the issue or with your first analogy. Steve Wolff


 * I think one of the major advantages is that it allows students to relate their own lives to complex or controversial issues. By students being able to relate themselves it allows complicated issues to become more understandable for students. I know when I can take a complex issue and find a way to make it more simple it usually makes more sense to me. I can find solutions and ways to relate other things to the issue to help understand it better. Disadvantages could be some students may have such a strong opinion or way of thinking of certain things that it doesn’t help them. It could also for some students make an issue more complicated for them. -Becki Farquhar **


 * The advantages of using a hypothetical situation is that it connects the students to the subject matter in a better way while de-sensitizing the issue a little bit more, because everyone knows that the situation is not real. The disadvantage is that you may not be able to get them to understand the true feelings that would come through in the real scenario, because of the emotional detachment. -Zack VanSickle **