time to take

A Trip to the Middle East

with a focus on these ideas from MUIDS ESLO #5

Being an altruistic global citizen

with respect for cultural differences
Group presentation tours will take place December 6-9
Time to take a holiday (before your real holiday and Winter Break). In groups of up to five
people, design, according to the details below, a trip to one of these four destinations in the
Middle East, for Thai travelers (your classmates).
The tour should have focus on culture and history and also include basic information on the
country, including cultural products and traditional food, with a meal explained with cultural
significance of the dishes offered, and basic explanations of the modern leaders and their
contributions to the country. The political structure of the country should also be explained.
The rest of the class should be interactively included in the tourat cultural attractions,
in restaurants, in museums, or on cruises, etc., with tour guides asking questions to see if they
are listening.
Destinations (one per group)
1) Istanbul, Turkey
2) Esfahan, Iran
3) Jerusalem, Israel / Palestine
4) The United Arab Emirates
Your trip should include:

2-3 (or more) cultural/religious attractions

1 (or more) museums
1 restaurant
1 traditional marketplace
Accommodation (optional; if mentioned should have historic/cultural relevance)

In each location, in you will be leading tourists (your classmates) through the destinations
and taking care of them on the trip, explain the cultural and historic importance of every
place you go to and how they represent the feeling. Your classmates not in the presenting
group on the tour will be guests. Somewhere along the way (the museum or a cultural/historic
site with strong connections to leader) a short lecture on the biography of the leader(s) needs
to be given.

* Your trip should create and show a PowerPoint presentation focusing on photographs,
ideally one photo per screen that shows representations of the places, food, attractions, etc
visited and you describe as if you were actually there (because, well, you are, kinda). Short
videos / clips under 15 seconds each without narration may also be shown.
* Keep track of and list your References / websites
* During the presentations, the tours should mention:
* 1-2 political leaders or other influential people and their roles or relevance
* The countrys political structure of the country and how it emerged
* 1-2 major political events such as revolutions, uprisings, coups, etc. (For example, the
formation of modern Turkey, Irans 1979 Islamic Revolution, 1947 Creation of Israel / alNakba)
Each student presenter should speak for at least four minutes, demonstrating their
understanding of the topic and ability to memorize as much information as possible while
using just bullet points and basic notes to guide them. (You may look at notes/script from a
smartphone or printed notes, but try to avoid reading word for word, as if you are seeing the
words for the first time ever. : )
The final part of the presentation should focus on a special dinner to celebrate the end of the
trip, and should explain what the meal will consist of, with reference to the origins of the
food and his role in shaping and being shaped by the history and culture of your destination.
The historical role-play rubric will be used in grading this assessment.
Below are the four destinations, with explanations of possible attractions to include in your
tour
The following is the four destinations and samples of places that should or may be included
on the tour: (* = required destination). The choice of restaurant (and accommodation, if
you mention one) is up to you and can be discovered via a bit of online research
1) Istanbul
*The Hagia Sophia
*The Blue Mosque
*The Grand Bazaar
*Topkapi Palace
Dolmabache Palace
A Bosporus Cruise
The Suleymaniye
Leaders to be mentioned: Mustsfa Kemal Atatrk and Recep Tayyip Erdogan

2) Esfahan
*The Mosque of the Shah/ The Mosque of the Imam
*Naghsh-e Jahan Square
*Naqsh-e Jahan Square / Imam Square / Shah Square
Leaders to be mentioned: Mohammad Reza Shah and Ayatollah Khomeini

3) Jerusalem
*Temple Mount and The Western Wall (Wailing Wall)
*Dome of the Rock and Al-Aqsa Mosque
* Yad Vashem Holocaust Memorial
* Via Dolorosa
Events that should be mentioned:
Creation of Israel / The Catastrophe (al-Nakba)
The Holocaust (World War II)
Leaders to be mentioned: Yitzhak Rabin and Yassir Arafat
4) United Arab Emirates
*Dubai
*Abu Dhabi
*Burj Khalifa
*Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque
Ferrari World
The Palm Islands
Atlantis, Jebel Hafeet
Al-Bidyah Mosque
Hajar Mountains
Leader to be mentioned: Students choice
**********
Guiding Question for a Reflection on the tour you prepare/present and the three other
tours you go on: How have these trips to the Middle East prepared you for being an
altruistic global citizen with respect for cultural differences?