Lesson Plan Headscarf Debate

David Mastroianni
University of New England
EDU 721 Technology with Inclusion Ed
June 12, 2015

Class Description
This class is a freshman history class. The content of this class covers from pre
history to the french revolution. This class is made up of 22 students. 9 boys and 13
girls. The students are seated in 6 groups which were chosen at random on the first
day of class. However, I do make it a point, as the year progresses, and I am able to
accurately guage the skills levels of students, to put a student with academic disabilities
in a group that I know has a strong student as well. Or, as I have done in certain
situations involving the availability of a paraprofessional, I will sometimes put the
strongest student in the class with 2-3 students with disabilities and the
paraprofessional in order to create a more easily managed and comfortable learning
environment for those students. The purpose of these groups is that I incorporate some
sort of cooperative learning process or activity in each days lesson. The academic and
skill levels of students vary in this class as it is a heterogeneous grouping of students,
inclusion is a priority in our school. For some, the evaluation and synthesis required for
this lesson, and the overall unit essential question, will be challenging. This lesson was
designed for students to be able to work together to begin generating the conclusions
they will be able to communicate through their individual written responses. There are
some ways in which I will account for students with disabilities which I will explain later
in the lesson plan. I have 2 students with Individualized Education Plans in my class as
well as 3 students who have 504 plans which allow for 50% extra time on assessments
as well as complex tasks broken down into smaller parts.

Student 1 Lisa is 19 years old, but, she will be receiving services at our school until
she is 21. Lisas academic and social skills are of a child between the ages of 7-12. All

work needs to be drastically modified (with no definitions as to how to modify) in

accordance with her IEP in order to suit her needs. These
Modifications: Tend to be completely different from the assessments required for the
lesson, but, I identify two to three skills that are always being reinforced and creae
various appropriate assessments. And, when possible, Lisa does work within groups in
order to reinforce social skills as well. Lisa has a 1 on 1 paraprofessional with her at all
times.

Student 2 Kate is 14 years old. She made her group sit in the front grouping of desks
so that she could be closer to the board, that alone was very good to see because
students with disabilities rarely advocate for themselves in my experience. Kate is an
incredibly hard worker and is a very conscientious student. Kates disabilities include:
severe processing issues
reading comprehension issues
ADHD.
Modifications include:
Work out of alternate texts
guided notes from the teacher
alternate assessments, when applicable
Preferential Seating.
However, Kate attempts to take part in as many class activities as possible so as to be
included and not singled out. Very rarely will she ask out of an assignment, therefore,
I have to constantly check for understanding through questioning or other formative
assessments.

Pre Assessment
Pre assessments will occur in three phases for this lesson.
Pre assessment 1:
Students will read two articles for homework concerning the current debate in Turkey
and France involving headscarf bans for people of the Muslim faith. The students will
then be asked to answer the essential question (listed under the Lesson Plan
exlanation) via a discussion board as well as respond to a classmates post before the
class begins the next day. Basically, this will be a preliminary way for me to check for
understanding before the students even come into class.

Pre Assessment 2: (Appendix B)

Students will individually complete a graphic organizer (chart) listing the pros and cons
of the arguments both for and against allowing those of the muslim faith to wear the
headscarf in public, especially in school. The chart will ask them to have at least five
reasons on each side of the chart.

Pre assessment 3:
I will provide two video clips highlighting the debate in Turkey and France. I will then
lead a class discussion where I will ask questions to check for understanding. They will
then have an opportunity to fill in any parts that they left blank on their chart based upon
our discussion. This is an informal verbal preassessment.
What arguments could support such a ban?

What arguments could refute such a ban?

Would this debate surface countries such Pakistan? Why or why not?

LESSON PLAN
Essential Question:
Does the law have a responsibility to protect religious and individual freedoms or
does law serve the sole purpose of maintaining order in society as a whole
regardless of personal freedoms that may be violated in doing so?

Connecticut Curricular Goals and Standards Addressed by Lesson

Historical Thinking:
1.9-10.1 Gather, analyze and reconcile historical information, including contradictory
data, from primary and secondary sources to support

Historical Themes:
3.9-10.1 Describe basic tenets of the world religions that have acted as major forces
throughout history, including, but not limited to, Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Islam
and Judaism, and indigenous popular religions

Applying History:
4.9-10.2 Describe and analyze, using historical data and understandings, the options
which are available to parties involved in contemporary issues courses

Academic Objectives:

Students will evaluate, using unit content knowledge and provided news documents,
whether an individuals right to freedom of religion is violated when Islamic
headscarves are banned in public institutions of secular nations.

Students will formulate an argument, support their ideas with specific class content
and provided document sources and clearly communicate their ideas.

Unit Essential Question being analyzed: Does the law have a responsibility to
protect religious freedom in the context of maintaining order, or does the law serve
the sole purpose of maintaining order in sociey?

To come to an understanding of the above academic objectives, students will

engage in a group inquiry lesson during one class period which is 65 minutes. By
working in heterogeneous groups, students are able to share with and encourage each
other.

Students will be required to use specific document support from sources

provided by the teacher to support both sides of the following question: Is an individuals
right to freedom of religion violated when Islamic headscarves are banned in public
institutions of secular nations?

This activity will allow students to use content

knowledge aquired within the classs current unit on Islam, and connect this information
to the current headscarf ban debate in our world today. The overall unit essential
question will require students to synthesize past content relating to the purpose of law in

society with new class content and current events, while evaluating the role of law when
applied to religious freedom.

Affective Objective: What strategies will you use to achieve the goals of this
lesson?
Students will begin to question and evaluate how society can vary politically and
legally between secular and Islamic nations. What are the advantages and
disadvantages of having separation of church and state within a society? How might
a students daily life be different if they did not live under the laws of the United
States of America?
An overall goal of this class is for students to gain acceptance of differences
through learning about varying cultures. In our post 9-11 society, American Muslims
have increasingly become targets of hate crimes in the United States. Students
began this unit by discussing their own stereotypes toward Muslims and possible
origins for these feelings. The class then worked to learn the basic principles of
Islam in order to defend truthful generalizations and refute negative, false
stereotypes.
This lesson continues to promote acceptance through awareness of varying
cultures. Our countrys involvment in the War in Iraq, peacekeeping operations in the
Middle East, and political aid to Iraqs current transitional government can be related
back to the spread of democratic principles worldwide. This unit was designed with the
hopes that students can begin to become aware of differences in our world, more
specifically become aware of the challenges involved when transitioning a government
based on deeply rooted Islamic principles to one based on a secular, democratic model.

Are there also downsides to secularism? What challenges are Turkey and France facing
in attempts to secularize public institutions?

Necessary Materials:
Access to computers or Mobile Learning Device to read articles and answer discussion
board question
Teacher Computer
Projector
White Board
Pro & Con Chart

Procedure:
Materials: (Appendix A)
Initiation Whole Class: The teacher will open the class by asking students, based
on two articles they have read for homework, what the current debate is in Turkey
and France involving headscarf bans. The class will then view a New York Times
video clip highlighting the debate in Turkey.
What arguments could support such a ban?
What arguments could refute such a ban?
Would this debate surface countries such Pakistan? Why or why not?
Cooperative Group Work: Students will work in their pre-existing groups to read
through source material provided relating to the headscarf ban in secular nations
such as France and Turkey. First, each group will be assigned one article to
highlight to the class. Each group will summarize the article and then present one

specific example within the article that could support the ban and one specific
example that could refute the ban. Students will then return to their groups to
complete a chart, using all source material, compiling document support for both
sides of the argument.

Independent Work: Students will then make an independent conclusion by

answering the following question: Is an individuals right to freedom of religion violated
when Islamic headscarves are banned in public institutions of secular nations?
Students will write out their answer to this question, supported by background
knowledge from this unit, prior units and their own lives as well as specific document
support. These conclusions will then be discussed during the next days class.

Assessment of Student Learning

Students will be informally evaluated on the above academic objectives through teacher
observation of individual participation in the class discussion and small group
discussions monitored by the teacher.
Teacher evaluation of individual student charts (Appendix C) and concluding statements
will provide a formal evaluation of how well students evaluated whether an individuals
right to freedom of religion is violated when Islamic headscarves are banned in public
institutions of secular nations by synthesizing class content with provided document
support to formulate an argument. The students will then be asked to write a five
paragraph essay answering the essential question that I provided to the class before the
lesson began. This essay will be due 3 days after the conclusion of this lesson.

Instructional Timeframe
Prior to this lesson, students have gained an understanding of the main tenets of
Islam, analyzed how the pillars of Islam refute negative stereotypes of American
Muslims after the attacks of 9-11, identified Islamic law within the Koran, evaluated
how Islamic law influences government and criminal law in Islamic nations verses
secular nations, and discussed how the growth of the Islamic empire has influenced
varying interpretations of Islamic law today. This class requires students to analyzed
this content, along with new document material, while continuing to work toward a
final generalization about the role of law in society.
This unit also requires students to incorportate information from other areas of
study this year. Through previous units covered, students have been introduced to
the founding and principles of Judaism, Christianity, Hinduism, Buddhism, Taoism
and Confucianism. This unit explores the main tenets of Islam and Islamic law, while
also asking students to evaluate how law and religion in general are interpreted in
varying parts of our world today. While the legitimacy and interpretation of Islamic
law is at the center of several debates today, this overall question can also
incorporate background knowledge from previous religions studied. This class has
also looked at various systems of law, from Hammurabis Code of Law, to Jewish
Law, to Confuciuss Five Orders, to the Romans democratic court system, and
evaluated the effectiveness of different means of creating order. While the content
relating to Islam is new in this unit, the goal of this unit is to allow students to
synthesize information relating to several major world religions with Islam, as well as

analyze the role of law based on historical legal systems, Islamic law and
applications to the current headsarf debate.
Closure:
Relating to the above instructional time frame description, this lesson is meant to get
students to think about the big picture and their abilities to see beyond stereotypes
through logical reasoning and research. Students will then be encouraged to use the
organizational methods that they learned for the next unit where they will be asked to
write a mini research paper.

Appendix A
Article Links:
http://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/oct/03/france-muslim-women-home-working

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/04/01/french-veil-ban_n_2992642.html

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4424776.stm

Video Links
http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%20headscarf
%20debate&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=headscarf%20debate&sc=1-16&sp=1&sk=#view=detail&mid=17CA2B39C3B47F3C27A517CA2B39C3B47F3C27A5

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=%20headscarf
%20debate&qs=n&form=QBVR&pq=headscarf%20debate&sc=1-16&sp=1&sk=#view=detail&mid=41F7F2694B451F8E54EC41F7F2694B451F8E54EC

Appendix B
Essay Grading Rubric
Criteria

Thesis
(10)

Organization/Argument
(10)

Significance/Analysis
(10)

Evidence and Examples

(10)

Writing Style
(10)

Exceeds
Expectations
(Distinguished)
9-10
Dynamic, novel and
Compelling.
Causes the reader to
say, I never
thought of that
before.
(10/9)
Argument
moves/develops the
thesis throughout
the paper; clearly
organized;
considers and
refutes alternative
arguments.
(10/9)
Demonstrates full,
thoughtful,
insightful
understanding of
the deeper
significance of
subject; analyzes
facts and draws
conclusions.
(10/9)
Two or more
detailed, specific,
accurate examples
to support each
point.
(10/9)
Paragraphs have
strong topic
sentences and stick
to 1 subject;
advanced, formal,
appropriate
vocabulary.
(10/9)

Meets
Expectations
(Acceptable)
7-8
Solid, clear, and
stable. Causes the
reader say, This
works.
(8/7/6)

Meets Some
Expectations
(Limited)
4-6
Vague and a
stretch. Causes the
reader say, Im
not sure where this
is going?
(5/4/3)

Does Not Meet

Expectations
(Deficient)
0-3
Illogical or
missing. Causes
the reader to say, I
do not know where
this is going?
(2/1/0)

Argument moves,
develops the thesis
throughout the
paper organization
wanders
throughout the
way, considers
alternative
arguments.
(8,7,6)
Demonstrates an
understanding of
the significance of
subject; shows
some analysis of
facts and draws
some conclusions.
(8/7/6)

Argument is
confused; the
thesis is not
consistently
developed;
organization
wanders, does not
consider alternative
arguments.
(5/4/3)
Lacks an
understanding of
significant
elements of
subject; only 1-2
examples of
analysis of facts
and drawing
conclusions.
(5/4/3)
A few points
attempt to have
detailed, specific,
accurate examples;
other points lack
examples.
(5/4/3)
Paragraphs wander
or jump between
topics; paragraphs
are exceedingly
long or short;
informal or vague
vocabulary
(5/4/3)

Argument is
lacking, the thesis
is not developed
and there is no
evidence of
organization, does
not consider
alternative
arguments.
(2/1/0)
Lacks any evidence
of understanding of
subject, no
evidence of
analysis of facts or
drawing
conclusions.
(2/1/0)

One detailed,
specific, accurate
examples to
support each point.
(8/7/6)
Paragraphs stick to
one subject;
formal, appropriate
vocabulary.
(8/7/6)

Appendix C

No detailed,
specific, accurate
examples to
support points.
(2/1/0)
Paragraphs are
missing, lack of
clear subject;
awkward, informal,
or vague
vocabulary.
(2/1/0)

PROS TO BANNING HEAD SCARVES

CONS TO BANNING HEAD SCARVES

HEAD SCARF DEBATE CHART