LESSON PLAN FOR ENGLISH TEACHERSTHE WORLD WATCHES IRANIAN PROTESTS
LinguaHouse
Nov. 18, 2022
Level: Mixed Levels
Type of English: Legal English
Tags: Breaking News; Controversial Issues; Ethics and Conduct; Politics; Crime and The Law; Challenges; Historical Events; 18+ Years Old; Video Talk; Article Based
Publication date: 11/18/2022
This lesson looks at the recent protests in Iran, what caused them and the viewpoint of different people and different countries in their reaction to the protests. Students will watch a news video on the subject and read an article about the situation. Exercises focus on comprehension, related-vocabulary and reading and listening skills. Students will also have the opportunity to discuss questions on the topic (by Joe Wilson).
Note: This worksheet discusses factual events which involve violence, including the death of adults and children. There is also reference to torture. While this is not the main focus of the lesson, its inclusion may be upsetting to some students. Teachers are strongly advised to read through the content of the lesson before deciding whether or not it is suitable for their class.
CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L5).
CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in American English (L6).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L5).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in American English (L6).
CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L5).
CLICK HERE to download the student’s worksheet in British English (L6).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L5).
CLICK HERE to download the teacher’s lesson plan in British English (L6).
CLICK HERE to download/listen to the audio extracted from the video.
AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
On September 16th, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran’s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Iranian authorities say she died of illness, but her family said she fell into a coma after being mistreated by police.
Protests sparked by her death have since rallied groups across Iran’s society from ethnic minorities to school children, and even oil workers. According to human rights groups, clashes with police have killed more than 200 people. But despite the crackdowns and widespread Internet shutdowns, videos have continued to emerge, showing how unrest has spread beyond women’s rights to a movement that is calling for an end to strike theocratic rule.
These demonstrations have now turned into the most broadly supportive movement in Iran in more than four decades. A day after her death, Amini’s funeral took place in her hometown of Saqqez. The ceremony quickly turned into a protest against the country’s morality police. Mourners took off their headscarves in defiance of the very rules Amini was accused of breaching.
Amini was Kurdish Iranian, part of an ethnic minority that has long accused the government of discrimination and neglect. After a week of unrest, authorities launched strikes at Kurdish militant groups across the border in Iraq saying they were inciting the protests. Although there were no visible separate slogans in the protests that followed Amini’s death. And the demonstrations against Iran’s strict Islamic dress code took on a new form.
On September 20th, a woman in the eastern city of Kerman removed her headscarf and cut her hair in a video that was widely shared online. It triggered a wave of support from around the world with celebrities and women imitating her gesture and posting videos to social media.
That’s roughly when the government restricted access to the Internet in large parts of the country. Access to platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp that have been used to organize rallies was blocked. The Internet cuts through criticism from businesses. Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce estimated the cost of $24 billion for industries including IT services.
But despite the restrictions, the protestors’ message was taken up by students across the country. In one case, children at an all girls school took off their scarves and chased away a man from the premises, throwing bottles and chanting ‘shameless’. As more crowds took to the streets in large numbers, the government used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse demonstrations.
A particularly deadly incident broke down the southeast, home to another ethnic minority, the Baluch. On September 30th, protestors were seen walking towards a police station before being fired upon. Local human rights groups say more than 90 people were killed in what protestors dubbed “Bloody Friday”. The government blamed the violence on a local militant group that has denied any role in the protests.
And then demonstrations spread to one of the most critical sectors of Iran’s economy, oil. In early October, workers went on strike at a number of refineries, blocking roads with stones and chanting slogans in support of other protests. Although the government claimed these strikes weren’t related to Amini’s death. These strikes highlight another big problem for the Islamic republic, a struggling economy due to US sanctions and a number of other issues in the country and they have a symbolic weight in Iran.
It was strikes to oil refineries in 1978, much bigger ones than today, that helped bring down the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the revolution that established the current Islamic republic. In recent years Iran’s leaders have faced several protest movements, but have shown no sign of backing down and today is no different. They claim the demonstrations are being orchestrated by foreign enemies, and hundreds of protestors have been brought to trial. But discontent has continued to emerge across society disrupting normal life.
From this prison that was engulfed by fire after a clash between detainees and prison guards to shopkeepers striking across the country and a major target of the demonstrations continues to be one of the foundations of the theocratic state. Its Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/the-magic-of-harry-potter. Accessed on November 7, 2022. © 2008–2022 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.
AUDIO/VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
On September 16th, 22-year-old Mahsa Amini died after being detained for allegedly violating Iran’s laws requiring women to wear a headscarf. Iranian authorities say she died of illness, but her family said she fell into a coma after being mistreated by police.
Protests sparked by her death have since rallied groups across Iran’s society from ethnic minorities to school children, and even oil workers. According to human rights groups, clashes with police have killed more than 200 people. But despite the crackdowns and widespread Internet shutdowns, videos have continued to emerge, showing how unrest has spread beyond women’s rights to a movement that is calling for an end to strike theocratic rule.
These demonstrations have now turned into the most broadly supportive movement in Iran in more than four decades. A day after her death, Amini’s funeral took place in her hometown of Saqqez. The ceremony quickly turned into a protest against the country’s morality police. Mourners took off their headscarves in defiance of the very rules Amini was accused of breaching.
Amini was Kurdish Iranian, part of an ethnic minority that has long accused the government of discrimination and neglect. After a week of unrest, authorities launched strikes at Kurdish militant groups across the border in Iraq saying they were inciting the protests. Although there were no visible separate slogans in the protests that followed Amini’s death. And the demonstrations against Iran’s strict Islamic dress code took on a new form.
On September 20th, a woman in the eastern city of Kerman removed her headscarf and cut her hair in a video that was widely shared online. It triggered a wave of support from around the world with celebrities and women imitating her gesture and posting videos to social media.
That’s roughly when the government restricted access to the Internet in large parts of the country. Access to platforms like Instagram and WhatsApp that have been used to organize rallies was blocked. The Internet cuts through criticism from businesses. Tehran’s Chamber of Commerce estimated the cost of $24 billion for industries including IT services.
But despite the restrictions, the protestors’ message was taken up by students across the country. In one case, children at an all girls school took off their scarves and chased away a man from the premises, throwing bottles and chanting ‘shameless’. As more crowds took to the streets in large numbers, the government used tear gas and live ammunition to disperse demonstrations.
A particularly deadly incident broke down the southeast, home to another ethnic minority, the Baluch. On September 30th, protestors were seen walking towards a police station before being fired upon. Local human rights groups say more than 90 people were killed in what protestors dubbed “Bloody Friday”. The government blamed the violence on a local militant group that has denied any role in the protests.
And then demonstrations spread to one of the most critical sectors of Iran’s economy, oil. In early October, workers went on strike at a number of refineries, blocking roads with stones and chanting slogans in support of other protests. Although the government claimed these strikes weren’t related to Amini’s death. These strikes highlight another big problem for the Islamic republic, a struggling economy due to US sanctions and a number of other issues in the country and they have a symbolic weight in Iran.
It was strikes to oil refineries in 1978, much bigger ones than today, that helped bring down the Shah of Iran, Mohammad Reza Pahlavi, in the revolution that established the current Islamic republic. In recent years Iran’s leaders have faced several protest movements, but have shown no sign of backing down and today is no different. They claim the demonstrations are being orchestrated by foreign enemies, and hundreds of protestors have been brought to trial. But discontent has continued to emerge across society disrupting normal life.
From this prison that was engulfed by fire after a clash between detainees and prison guards to shopkeepers striking across the country and a major target of the demonstrations continues to be one of the foundations of the theocratic state. Its Supreme leader, Ali Khamenei.
Adapted from: https://www.linguahouse.com/esl-lesson-plans/general-english/the-magic-of-harry-potter. Accessed on November 7, 2022. © 2008–2022 LinguaHouse.com. All rights reserved.
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