for a living in the 21st century. —S. J. Perelman
Choices About Iraq
Sarah Roeske doesn’t shy away from
controversial issues either. Roeske
teaches a global issues course at Mountain View High School in Stafford,
Virginia, located just a couple of miles
from Marine Corps Base Quantico. It is
not unusual for her classroom to reverberate with the boom of jets taking off
or practicing overhead. Typically, a
quarter of her students have had family
or friends deployed to Iraq or
Afghanistan.
You might think that such a classroom is no place to discuss a subject as
sensitive as the Iraq War. On the
contrary, says Roeske. The high concentration of military families among her
students makes this tough topic one of
the most important she has taken on.
“The students want to understand why
the war started and where we’re going
from here,” she says. “To ignore such a
contemporary issue would be a
disservice to them. It’s important, and
especially so because of our location.”
Roeske’s students begin their unit
with prepared materials on the history
of Iraq from early times through the
downfall of Saddam Hussein and the
political, economic, and security challenges in the region today. These readings explore from multiple perspectives
the controversy surrounding the U.S.
decision to go to war and the conduct of
the war. Roeske supplements these
readings with recent magazine articles
bringing these issues up to the present.
Students engage in a variety of activities
that bring the topic to life; for example,
they visit carefully selected blogs that
provide a diverse and textured understanding of life in Baghdad today.
With this background in place,
Roeske’s students explore three divergent options for U.S. policy in Iraq,
each framed in clear terms, complete
with goals, policy proposals, risks, and
trade-offs. To prepare for a role-play
activity in which they will defend one of
the three options, students work in
© SUSIE FITZHUGH
“As students role-
play, they get braver
in discussion—
less able to hide
in silence.”
small groups. Each student is assigned a
distinct role, such as foreign or domestic
policy adviser, military expert, or Iraq
specialist. The students in each group
draw on the knowledge they have
gained from readings and classroom
activities to develop a presentation for
the class that makes the best case they
can for their option. The presentations
provide a platform for further discussion of the pros and cons of these alternatives, including additional factors the
presenters did not consider, after which
students decide for themselves what
they think.
Discussion of the options can become
personal in Roeske’s community. These
issues are real to her students. Some
students talk about the difficulties their
family members have had after
returning home. One girl whose parents
and older sibling were all deployed to
Iraq at the same time says that her
father shot and killed a civilian because
he was in a situation in which he
believed he had no other choice. This
leads to a thoughtful discussion about
civilians in war and not always knowing
who is hostile. Rather than fearing these
additions, Roeske embraces them.
Finally, Roeske’s students are expected
to propose their own option reflecting
their views. They draw from the alternatives presented, their own family experiences, and the knowledge they have
gained from the readings and activities.
“The students are challenged through
this process of role-play and discussion
to think more deeply,” says Roeske, “and
it is reflected in their options. They take
ownership of their beliefs, which is
virtually impossible when they’re simply
lectured to without the benefit of this
active engagement.”
Choices About World Trade
For a unit on world trade, Josh Otlin’s
economics students at Hudson High
School in Massachusetts read editorials,
view videos, and engage in other activi-
