Group+Project+Description

= Wikispace Topics for Kite Runner = Groups will be assigned in class. For those not assigned to groups, you will write a 2 page min/max paper with citations and a bibliography on the status of Afghanistan today. Your paper is due the same day as the presentation or it is a zero. There is no make up for presentations and if you are not in class, you will earn a zero.

_ You will need to click "New Page" on the top left corner of the page list and the title of your page is the same as the title of your topic.

For your wikispace page, you will 'teach' the class the information you are responsible for. Much of this information is easily accessible, but you cannot use wikipedia or blogs. Instead, you will need to use online journals, magazines, or other websites that have been written by universities, governments, or respectable organizations.

After you have thoroughly researched your information, YOU will need to design your own page and use bullet points with YOUR OWN WORDS to help teach the class. I want pictures, graphs (if you can find any that would help), and all pages must be in 200 font.

Videos, unfortunately, will not work in school.

Your presentation will be ten minutes long and while you are designing your page, Mrs. Overly will be peeking in to see if your progress is good and if you are ready to present. I will not allow a crappy presentation to take up my class time and 'trying real hard' isn't a good enough reason for me to let you take up class time. Sorry.

http://www.history.com/ http://www.pbs.org/ http://www.afghan-web.com/history/ http://www.islamicity.com/mosque/uiatm/un_islam.htm


 * Timeline of Instability **
 * Mrs. Overly will give a general overview of Afghanistan’s government instability over time. The time line should include which religious was in charge and how they lost their position. Timeline should include any foreign or domestic wars, identify the leaders who are greatly revered and point out any signs of corruption. **


 * Muslim Faith **
 * Group: Ariel and Keith **
 * There is very little education about the beginnings of the Muslim faith in American public schools today. Teach the class about the very interesting beginnings of Islamic faith which dates back to a very familiar Christian story in the Bible. Identify the five pillars of Islamic practice, the most important holidays of the year, and how this faith has split into major divisions over the course of history. **


 * Class Separation **
 * Group Members: Frasat and Kostas. **** In the novel, there is a clear distinction between the two classes of people in Afghanistan (The Hazaras and the Pashtuns) Each of you should choose one group for the presentation. Help the class understand the religious roots of these differences and how violence has defined the relationship between the two for hundreds of years. Identify where the different classes have made progress and been pushed back. Make sure that you also include one of the most famous atrocities that took place in Mazāri Sharīf. **


 * Muslims in America **
 * Group Members: Max and Bria **
 * No religion has encountered as much scrutiny in the first decade of the 21st century like the followers of Islam. Search the internet and you will easily find examples of violence against Muslims all across America. Provide very recent examples. What organizations are involved in changing the opinion of America towards violence and what organizations fuel the hatred? **


 * Russians in Afghanistan **
 * Group Members: Sean and Josh **
 * What were the Russians doing in Afghanistan? How did communism find a doorway into this very God fearing country? What did the Russians have to gain and why was the United States so interested in keeping Russia out? Who did America side with in order to make this secret mission possible? **


 * The Shah-nameh **
 * Group Members: Ollie and Cat **
 * The Shah-nameh is the celebrated work of the epic poet [|Ferdowsī], in which the Persian national epic found its final and enduring form. Written for Sultan Maḥmūd of Ghazna and completed in 1010, the Shāh-nāmeh is a poem of nearly 60,000 verses, mainly based on the [|Khvatay-nāmak], a history of the kings of Persia in Pahlavi (Middle Persian) from mythical times down to the 7th century. For nearly 1,000 years, it has remained one of the most popular works in the Persian-speaking world and the inspiration for beautiful paintings and graphic art. The story of Rostam and Sohrab is one of the most popular stories and is well known by most children living in the Middle East. This group will introduce this epic story book and give a general overview of the content and conflict of these stories. What makes an epic hero in this part of the world? What is valuable to these characters? Why are these stories so attractive to young children? You will each list your individual favorite story as a way to inspire students in class to choose your story for their final creative art project. **


 * Taliban in Control **
 * Group Members: Nick and Megan **
 * Describe the Taliban’s rise to power in Afghanistan. Be sure to include their initial warm arrival to Kabul and help the reader understand how systematically, this group followed the seven steps to take over that we reviewed in TFA. Be sure to include pictures of the soccer stadium, burquas, Taliban beards, and any other detail mentioned in The Kite Runner. **


 * PTSD **
 * Group Members: Omar and Greg **
 * Once again we are studying an issue where children are greatly affected. For this group, I want you to focus solely on Sohrab. Does he demonstrate symptoms of PTSD? Where? Provide quotes from the book to support the symptoms. To what degree? Are there other children left after the Taliban who are similar? What does Sohrab need? **