Talking politics in class
Good morning, afternoon, or whenever it is that you read this.
My students are starting Unit 4 of AP Human Geography. This is my first or second favorite unit to teach depending on the year. This year feels like one where it will pull ahead since I am still, amazingly, motivated in my curriculum overhaul. But who knows? Maybe when we get to Unit 6, I'll truly raise the bar.
Unit 4 is Political Patterns and Processes. I always crack a joke at the top:
"They say you're not supposed to talk about religion and politics. Well, we talk about both in this class."
It's not a great joke, but by this point in the school year they're just amused by my unorthodox diction enough to earn a few chuckles. This is one of the few jokes tied to this unit because Political Patterns and Processes starts really digging into the often ugly human systems at the root of so much pain and violence.
"This unit addresses the political organization of the world. Building on knowledge of populations and cultural patterns learned in previous units, students examine the contemporary political map and the impact of territoriality on political power and on issues of identity for peoples." (College Board)
This unit examines topics like terrorism, balkanization, neocolonialism, ethnic cleansing, and imperialism, yet it also looks at democratization, human rights, and self-determination.
One of the central concepts a student must understand to succeed in this unit is the concept of a state versus the concept of a nation. Many students come to my classroom associating the word 'state' with how it is used in the United States, and using nation to say 'county'. Understanding this difference is fundamental.
I also give the students a disclaimer - we are not discussing US partisan politics. We are talking about how countries interact (though there is one part about gerrymandering).
The Lesson Plan: States vs. Nations
I start most units with some kind of hook. In the fall semester, these hooks are always case studies that I refresh every two years. For Unit 2: Population and Migration, they read an article about China's shrinking population, which ties into Population Dynamics, Population Policy, Population Composition, Aging Populations, Women, and even a little bit of Causes of Migration. For Unit 3 it was an article about about the legal questions about a Mexican dish called chiles en nogada, which traditionally uses the endangered barrel cactus, and ties into traditional culture, cultural patterns, and sustainability.
This year, I've started Unit 4 before Thanksgiving Break to give it some time to breathe - which means I can use a proper case study hook instead of just jumping right into lecture.
I'm using an article titled about the Kurds. I think it will be a good way to introduce the tension around nations, states, boundaries, and autonomy.
After reading the article, students will work together on a series of questions that explore not only the condition of the Kurds, but also the point of view of the governments themselves. This ultimately leads them to the final questions - What is a nation? What is a state? This is extrapolated only from the article and each other's thinking. This is a zero-tech day - students have only a blank piece of paper, a class set copy of the article (one for every two students), and a series of open ended questions that steadily increase in rigor and cognitive independence.
A nation refers to people who have a collective identity from shared cultural traits, history, ties to land, and ethnicity. A state refers to the political unit that administrates the population and territory of a place.
A common question I posed to students who struggled with the concept of State vs. Nation was to highlight what the difference was between the Kurds and Syria, Iran, Iraq, and Turkey.
The nice thing about these case study days is that it gives me an opportunity to speak with most of my students directly. At least half of the students, especially the struggling ones who would like to shrink into the background, get personalized, low-stakes Socratic questioning to help them work out their thoughts. Meanwhile, the walk-in 5s (students who are going to pass the AP test no matter what) get a relatively straightforward assignment.
Obviously, all of these topics will be addressed later in lecture to clarify any misconceptions, but it's a really solid way to start a unit.
Returning to my poli sci roots
One reason I really like Unit 4 is because it's the point where my first master's degree in Political Science (International Relations) gets to shine. I even brag to my students that I have a master's degree that makes me a unique authority on the topic.
And it's a great way to get students thinking about politics while divorcing it from the hot tamale that is American politics.
Thank you for reading, if you made it this far~