11 lkW llu 1,1 DOCUMENT MESBME ED 128 265 95 SO 009 380 AUTROR Otero, George G. TITIE The Arabs: Perception/flisperception. A Compare ive View, Experimental Version. INSTITUTION Denver Univ., Colo. Center for Teaching International Relations. SPORS AGENCY Office of Education (DREW) Washington D.C. PUB DATE 75 VOTE 78p.; Pages 65-67 and 69 of tha original document are copyrighted and therefore not available. They are not included in the pagination; For related docuLnts see SO 009 378-385 EDES PRICE 1IP-$0.83 HC-$4.67 Plus Postage. DESCRIPTORS *Arabs; Changing Attitudes; Class Activities; *Comparative Analysis; Data Collection; *Ethnic Stereotypes; Experimental Programs; Global Approach; Instructional Materials; *Learning Activities; Map Skills; Middle Eastern Studies; *Resources; Secondary Yducation; *skill Development; social Studies; Social Stadies Units; Sereotypes ABSTRACT In this unit, high-school students identify and evaluate their ovn images of the Arabs and begin to develop more accurate perceptions of the Arabs through data analysis. Activities emphasize_social studies skills, such as napmaking and reading, use of time lines and the concept of chronology, and data collection and analysis. Students compare their precourse attitudesbased on stereotypeswith facts learned from newspaper articles, journal reports, other readings, and, when possible, conversations with Arabs. A comparison of United States and Arab population distribution by geographic_ area and a study of crop production are used to demonstrate the variety of life-styles possible within one nation. A scavenger hunt allows students to explore-possible sources of information about Arabs, analyze points of view expressedi and determine accuracy of the information collected. Most of the 16 activities could be adapted to the study of other national or ethnic groups by simple changes in the data. An appendix contains a bibliography; lists of embassies and.missions, major newspapers of tie Arab world, Arab information offices, major oil companies, orgmnizations, publications, and audiovisual materials; and data sheets. (AV) ****** ************* ************ *** ************************* Documents acquired by ERIC include many informal unpublished * materials not-available from other sources..ERIC makes every effort * * to obtain the best copy available. Nevertheless, items of marginal * * reproducibility are often encountered and this affects the quality * * of the microfiche and hardcopy reproductions ERIC makes available * * via the ERIC Document Reproduction Service (EDRS). BIM is not * responsible for the quality of the original document. Reproductions * * supplied by EDRS are the best that can be made from the original. *********************************************************************** U S PEPARTIME NT OF 1-4LT,4 EnUCAT,QNSI,VVC-LFARE ,4A7IONAL IN S111LITE C) tOkli& 'Ha?! f 141', ri.jij . fv t t D(t- t4( , 4 t(-1=1'.F F 40M CO T 1- fr't c:5`,4LI), AN !OE, t . %TA" Efl NC_ (NFL F t=.04F r\./ Cf liCNA It. It cM C,4 AT P ION co) Center for Teaching international Relations Sponsored Mt Graduate School of International Studies School of Education Center for War/Peace Studies FTHE ARABS: ?ERCEIOW'I4iSPYRCFJPTION An Experimental Unit Prepared by the Center for Teaching InternationalRelati ns Parielly supported by the U.S. Office of Education,which claims noesponsibility for he materials and opinions presented Special thanks to the menbers of the Centerfor Teaching International Relations staff who aided in the preparationof this unit. This unit was prepared by George O. Otero. This work is not published. It is being distributed to a lim ted audience fox experimentalpurposes. It may not -be reprnducedor further disseminated without permissionin writing from: Center for Teaching International Relations Graduate School ofInternational Studies Universityof Derwer Denver, Colorado 80210 (303) 753.3106 or (303) 753-2998 3 T E ARABS PER:EPTION / MISPERCEPTION A Comparative View by George 0 Center for Teaching InternationalRelations 19/5 Experimental Vers ion 4 TABLE OF CONTENT- TEAC ER'S INTRODUC7ION . Unit Objectives Teaching Sequence: . Overview . .. WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THE ARABS? 1 AHAB 'ME ARAB . ...... *7 , ......... WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW . ..... HO HUM, INTERESTING FACT, THAT'S A PROBLEM . 8 TESTING OUR STEREOTYPES . 11 ITHE SCAVENGER HUNT . .. 13 TO TELL THE TRUTH . MHERE WILL YOU FIND THE ARABS? MAKING AND COMPARING RAPS . 26 'PIE MATCH GAPE . ARE ALL ARABS ALIKE? . - . HAVE MY VIEWS CHANGED? , . ......f . 36 INTERVIEW WITH AN ARAI , ... ..... .......4. 38 TEXAS AND PALESTINE PROTEST POSTERS . .44 . 4 . .. 4.. 43 IDENTIFYING STEREOTYPES IN THE MEDIA-- TEXTBOOKS . 46 . SOURCES . ... 51 . APPENDIX . 54 Bibliography Embassies/ Mi_sions Newspapers Arab Information Offices Major Oil Companies Organizations Free Publications Free-Loan Audio-Visual Materials Data Sheets 5 TEACHER'S INTRODUCTION: THZ ARABS "Reality happens to be, like a landscape possessed ofan infinite number of perspectives, all equally veracious and authentic. The sole false perspective is that which claims to be the only one there s." lose Ortega y Gasset "A man is free onl yif he can choose. He can choose only if he knows erough to compare." Eric 7romm We all carry pictures of he- peoples in our minds. These pictures or images are usually widely held by members of our own group, and are applied to all members of the perceived group. Because of these mental pictures many people in the United States see the Arabs as people whowear veiled garments, are lems, have many wives, own camels etc., and react- to all Arabs accordingly, even in cases where individuals don't fit preconceived notions and images. Such strong, clear, and all-inclusive imagesare called "stereotypes." The purpose of this unit is to provide students withexperiences in the class- room that will give them the opportunity to identify and evaluate their own , images and perceptions of the Arabs ard beginto develop more concrete and accurate perceptions of the Arabs through data analysis. Developing a more complex notion of others is hard for studentsor adults to do, but the attempt to do so must be made in classrooms ifour perceptions and actions are to keep up with a rapidly changing world. Developing more complex images of other peoples is difficult because of the function of stereotypes. It is convenient for a person to use stereotyped perceptions of others, even if conflict and misperception is the result. It is also difficult to acquire diverse images of others because we see other peoplesas different from ourselves. The classroom provides an environment where studentscan be exposed to the data and processes whereby theycan begin to develop more complex notions of the Arabs and rely les on stereotyped perceptionsor precon- ceived notions. This unit also focuses on activities thatwill improve the students' performance in various social studies skills. The important skills emphasizedin this unit are map-making and reading, use of time-lines and theconcept of chrono- logy, data collection and analysis. Finally, the lessons In the unitattempt to actively involve the students. Activities revolve around student-generateddata and decisions inways that will raise questions about the Arabsin the students' minds. Such questions might be: How am I similar toor different from an Arab person? are my images of the Arabs? How accurate Why are my views of theArabs sometimes different from the views of others in my class?Where did I getmy views of the Arabs? Should I changesome of my perceptions of the Arabs? Although this unit deals specifically w th student perceptions of the Arabs, a simple change in the data could make the lessons helpful indealing with the students' images and knowledge of any other ethnicor national group your class might study. Please feel free to adaptthese lessons in anyway you find useful in your classroomsituation. UNIT OBJECTIVES: 1. Students will be given the opportunity to identify and evaluatetheir personal perceptions andknowledge of the Arabs. 2. To make students reevaluate their previously-held knowledgeand perceptions of he Arabs. 3. To give students the opportuni y to develop morecomplex and concrete perceptions and knowledge ofthe Arabs. 4. To increase the students' ability to interpret and drawmaps, utilize time-lines and the concept of chronology, and collect andanalyze data. TEACHING SEQUENCE: The un t goals are includedsequentially in Activities 1-8. would, when completed, There activities take approximately eightto ten class periods, and would adequately expose students to all of the unit goals. Depending on the time available and the type of class you are teachingyou may find Activities 9- 13 useful. These activities are not inany particular order and could be to accentuate any of the unit used goals you might wish to focuson. Activity N1: WHAT DO YOU THINK OF THEARABS? This activity helps students identi y their perceptionsof the Arabs by filling out a questionnaire and compiling theresults. Activity AHAB THE ARAB This activity uses a sound cassette reco ding to helpstudents identify commonly heldstereotypes people in the United States have and maintain about theArabs. Students are also given the opportunity to decide whetherthe images are probablytrue or whether they are incompleteand inaccurate. Activity #3: WE WOULD LIKE YOU TO KNOW This activity can be usedas a pre-post test It reflects students' perceptions of the Arabs by asking them to makea list of 10 statements they perceive as being