My students worked in small groups on the Unit 4 Origins of Revolution Enlightenment Quotes Activity and the last question posed asks them to consider specific connections they can make to current events. As I walked around the room and asked groups to share the current connections to their quotes, there were some associations made but some groups struggled. It made me think about the Arab Spring but my students weren't familiar at all with the term or the connection to the ideas presented about autonomy, sovereignty, governance, etc. This feels like a teachable moment to help them understand more contemporary examples.
I would like students to listen to the NPR podcast Throughline episode "A Symphony of Resistance" (May 20, 2021) for the purposes of 1) making a connection to contemporary examples of revolution, 2) listening to first-hand accounts of people explaining from their perspectives how the protests unfolded in Tunisia, Egypt and Syria and 3) awareness of the reasons people sought change within their governments as it relates to individual sovereignty and liberty.
- Has anyone in the WHP community used these events to make current connections?
- If so, what other materials have you used to do so?
- The hosts of the podcast acknowledge that this not an historic event yet as people are still living out the consequences of the uprising; is this too much for the moment?
- Any suggestions or other thoughts on how to help make other relevant connections?
