Institute Agenda

Iran Through the Looking Glass: Perceptions and Misperceptions


DAY 1: SUNDAY, JUNE 29, 2008

3:00-3:30 Reception [Watson lobby area]

3:30-3:45 Welcome, Introductions, and Logistics
Susan Graseck – Director, Choices Program
Mollie Hackett – Professional Development Director, Choices Program

3:45-4:15 Best Practices in Social Studies Education - Discussion
Leader: Mollie Hackett

4:15-5:15 Panel Discussion: Creating the Iran Unit
Jo-Anne Hart – See Scholar Biography page (Scholar advisor for unit)
Andy Blackadar – Editor, Choices Program (unit author)
Mariam Habibi – Professor of History, NYU-Paris; IB History Teacher, International School of Paris (contributor to unit)
Philip Benson - IB History Teacher (contributor to unit)

5:45-6:45 Opening Dinner [Library]

7:00 Iranian Movie (Optional)

DAY 2: MONDAY, JUNE 30

8:00-9:00 Breakfast [South Pod]

9:00-10:10 Scholar Presentation - Highlights of Modern Iranian History
Engin Akarli, Joukowsky Family Professor of Modern Middle East History; Professor of History, Brown University

10:10-10:25 Break

10:25-11:10 Blogging as an Educational Tool - Introductions and Instructions
Leaders: Jo-Anne Hart and Mollie Hackett Blogging Activity (discussion launched with question provided by Engin Akari)

11:15-12:15 Teaching Activity: Oil Nationalization Simulation
Leaders: Mollie Hackett with Kacey Dewing (OR) and Micki Ward (CA)

12:15-1:00 Lunch [South Pod]

1:15-3:00 Computer Lab Session

Setting up Blogs and Wikis
Leaders: Jillian McGuire (Choices Program) and Jo-Anne Hart
Incorporating Blogs and Wikis into teaching
Leaders: Mollie Hackett and Jo-Anne Hart
Using Digital Activities – Review and Feedback
Leader: Mollie Hackett

3:00-3:20 Break

3:20-4:30 Scholar Presentation - Iran and the US: Watershed Moments and the Shaping of Views of Each Side
Jo-Anne Hart, Associate Professor, Lesley University; Adjunct Faculty, Watson Institute for International Studies, Brown University

4:30-5:00 Blogging Activity
Discussion will start with a question provided from Jo-Anne Hart.

5:05-5:30 Debriefing the Day
Facilitators: Mariam Habibi and Philip Benson

5:30-6:30 Dinner and Welcome from David Kennedy - Watson Institute Director [Library]

6:40-7:40 Scholar Presentation - Watching McNamara in Tehran
James Blight, Professor of International Relations (Research), Watson Institute, Brown University Janet Lang, Adjunct Associate Professor of International Relations (Research), Watson Institute, Brown University Hussein Banai, Graduate Student, Brown University

DAY 3: TUESDAY, JULY 1

8:00-8:45 Breakfast [South Pod]

8:45-9:30 Iran in 1979 – Presentation and Discussion
Presenter: Mariam Habibi with Philip Benson

9:30-10:30 1979: Iranians Debate Their Future - Options Role-Play Activity
Leader: Mariam Habibi and Philip Benson

10:30-10:45 Break

10:45-11:55 Scholar Presentation - The Iranian Revolution and the Islamic Republic at Thirty
Ali Banuazizi, Professor of Political Science, Boston College; Co-director, Program in Middle Eastern and Islamic Studies

11:55-12:45 Lunch [South Pod]

12:45-1:25 Breakout Sessions: Participants can chose between one of two sessions to attend:

    1. Using Primary Sources in the classroom
      Facilitators - Mariam Habibi and Philip Benson
    2. Reading strategies for increasing understanding
      Facilitator – Mollie Hackett

1:25-2:30 Small Groups: Each team will work with and critique a unit lesson.
Lessons to examine [Ground floor classrooms]

    1. Digital Activities (in process) STG (Andy)
    2. U.S. Documents of the 1953 Coup (Philip)
    3. Charting Iran’s Political Climate (Kacey)
    4. Human Rights in Iran (Mariam)
    5. Causes of Iranian Revolution (in ME unit) (Mollie)

2:35-3:45 Scholar Presentation - Reading and Misreading Iranian Women in the US
Farzaneh Milani, Professor of Middle Eastern and South Asian Languages and Cultures, University of Virginia

3:45-4:00 Break

4:00-4:30 Blogging Activity
Discussion will start with a question provide by Farzaneh Milani and Ali Banuazizi

4:30-4:50 Debriefing the Day
Facilitators: Jo-Anne Hart and Mollie Hackett

4:50-6:10 Teams reports
Groups provide feedback on the lessons with which they worked.

6:15-8:00 Dinner: BBQ [Watson Quad]

DAY 4: WEDNESDAY, JULY 2

8:00-9:00 Breakfast [South Pod]

9:00-10:10 Scholar Presentation – Iran’s Nuclear Challenge
Nina Tannenwald, Associate Professor (Research), Watson Institute, Brown University

10:10-11:10 Choices Options: (1) Examining ways to engage with them (2) Exploring what comes next
Facilitators: Mollie Hackett, Mariam Habibi, Philip Benson

11:10-11:25 Break

11:25-12:15 Discussion: How do we take back what we have learned and make it meaningful for our students?
Facilitators: Mariam Habibi, Philip Benson

12:15-12:30 Discussion: Leading a Choices Workshop
Mollie Hackett

12:30-1:30 Lunch [South Pod]

1:30 Conclusion of Institute

All sessions are in McKinney Conference Room unless otherwise spe

NOTE: The Choices Program 2008 Summer Institute is made possible with the generous support of the Cranaleith Foundation. Additional support is provided under grants from the Carnegie Corporation of New York and the Ploughshares Fund.