THE CHOICES PROGRAM BROWN UNIVERSITY
VIDEO COLLECTION

The Syrian Civil War

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Introduction: From Peaceful Protest to Civil War

Why is it important for high school students to learn about Syria?
What are the most common misunderstandings about Syria?
Who lives in Syria?
What are some dos and don’ts for studying the Middle East?

Part I: French Colonialism to Independence

How was the Ottoman Empire connected to the world?
How did the Ottomans manage diverse groups within the empire?
Who were the Young Turks?
What was the Young Turk Revolution?
How was World War I a turning point for the Ottoman Empire?
What was the mandate system?
How was Great Britain involved in the creation of Iraq?
How did the French use a “divide and rule” policy in their mandate of Syria?
How did the Great Syrian Revolt challenge French colonial rule?
What are the legacies of French colonialism in Syria?
What is sectarianism and what role has sectarianism played in Syrian history?
How has the region known as the Middle East changed?

Part II: The Assad Regimes

What was the Cold War?
How did U.S. interests in the Middle East shift over time?
Why is there a conflict between Israelis and Palestinians?
What is political Islam?
What was Iraq’s foreign policy like during Saddam Hussein’s rule?
What motivated the Bush administration to invade Iraq?

Part III: The Syrian Conflict

What is the Arab Spring?
Why is the term Arab Spring problematic?
What are some of the long term effects of the Arab Spring on the Middle East and North Africa?
What caused the Arab Spring?
What were the effects of the 2011 Arab Revolutions?
How did the Syrian Civil War begin?
How has the Syrian Civil War sparked a refugee crisis?
Why are some people attracted to ISIS?
How do media portrayals of ISIS promote misconceptions about the Middle East?
What do people in the Middle East think about terrorism?
Who are the Kurds?
What have been the consequences of the War on Terror?
What have been the human costs of the War on Terror?
How has Turkey responded to the Syrian Civil War?
Why is it important for high school students to understand what is happening in the Middle East?
What are refugees and internally displaced persons?
  • March 25, 2011
How does the United Nations deal with refugee crises?
  • March 25, 2011
What is the process for refugees coming to the United States?
Do refugees present a terrorist threat to the United States?
Why is it important for high school students to learn about the Middle East?
What is humanitarian assistance?
What are the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance?
What are the challenges of providing humanitarian assistance in conflict zones?
How does international law offer protection to people providing humanitarian assistance?
What are the ethical dilemmas of humanitarian assistance?

Lesson: The Geography of Syria

What was the mandate system?
How did the French use a “divide and rule” policy in their mandate of Syria?

Lesson: The Great Syrian Revolt—Analyzing Anti-colonial Writings

What was the mandate system?
How did the French use a “divide and rule” policy in their mandate of Syria?
How did the Great Syrian Revolt challenge French colonial rule?
What are the legacies of French colonialism in Syria?

Lesson: Refuting ISIS—An Islamic Scholar Rejects Extremism

Why are some people attracted to ISIS?
How do media portrayals of ISIS promote misconceptions about the Middle East?
What do people in the Middle East think about terrorism?

Lesson: Refugee Stories: Mapping a Crisis (Online)

What are refugees and internally displaced persons?
  • March 25, 2011
What is the process for refugees coming to the United States?

Lesson: Syrian Refugees—Understanding Stories with Comics (Online)

What are refugees and internally displaced persons?
  • March 25, 2011
How has the Syrian Civil War sparked a refugee crisis?
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