This document outlines a lesson plan for teaching 11th grade US History students about analyzing current events related to the Syrian Civil War. The lesson uses a SCIM-C strategy (summarizing, contextualizing, inferring, monitoring, corroborating) to have students examine news articles about the war from different perspectives and compare their content. Assessment includes a journal entry from the perspective of Syrian or insurgent forces. The goal is for students to learn how to interpret biased viewpoints in sources and draw valid interpretations about an ongoing conflict.

1. Brandon Behlke, Tyler Dornink, Megan Johnson,
Brigit Kyle, Patrick Reichling

2. Current Event Assignment
 11th Grade
 U.S. History
 Current Event: Syrian Civil War
 Time: 50 Minutes
 Strategies: SCIM-C

3. Goal
 Students will learn to analyze current event
documents by using the SCIM-C strategy

4. Objectives
 Students will apply the summarizing phase to examine
specific information, details, and/or perspectives of
the source
 Students will use the contextualizing phase to locate
the source within time and space
 Students will analyze the document by using the
inferring phase to make interpretations about the
source

5. Objectives
• Students will analyze the source using the
monitoring phase to look for evidence that
is necessary to answer historical questions
• Students will use the corroborating phase to
compare and contrast the sources provided
to them

6. Procedure
 Word Splash using words pulled from the articles
 Discuss the word splash with the class to get them in the
right direction
 Quick write:
 What is a civil war?
 What countries are currently in a civil war?
 What are the main controversies in that civil war?
 Discuss their quick writes and correct any
misconceptions they class might have

8. Procedure
 Read the Russian perspective article regarding
Russian/Syrian relationships in class
 Use the article to go over how to use the SCIM-C strategy

10. Procedure
 Split the students into 2 groups.
 1 group will read the Syrian perspective article
 1 group will read the insurgent perspective article
 Have the students go through and answer the SCIM
strategy questions in their groups
 They should also locate the vocabulary words
throughout the readings and discuss their meaning
within the article

11. Procedure
 Switch the articles between the 2 groups.
 Have the students read and answer the SCIM strategy of
the other articles
 Use the corroborating phase to compare and contrast
the documents in a grand conversation

12. Formative Assessment
 Walk around the classroom and check on the students’
work as they go through the SCIM-C strategy with the
first article
 Make sure they are on the right path before they move
on to the second article
 EX: What type of document is this source?
 ANS: Newspaper article from Russia/Syria/Israel giving
perspective on what’s happening in the war
 EX: What interpretations may be drawn from the
source?
 ANS: Both perspectives give biased viewpoints and
propaganda toward their opponent’s views and actions.

13. Summative Assessment
 Write a simulated journal
 The students will choose one side of the conflict (Syrian
or Insurgent) and write their journal from that
perspective.
 They should answer the following questions in their
journal
 Why do you think your side is the right side?
 What do you think your side is fighting for?
 Why do you think your side will be victorious?

14. State Standards
• B.12.1 Explain different points of view on the same
historical event, using data gathered from various
sources, such as letters, journals, diaries, newspapers,
government documents, and speeches.
• B.12.2 Analyze primary and secondary sources related to
a historical question to evaluate their relevance, make
comparisons, integrate new information with prior
knowledge, and come to a reasoned conclusion.
• B.12.4 Assess the validity of different interpretations of
significant historical events.

15. State Standards
• B.12.13 Analyze examples of ongoing change within and
across cultures, such as the development of ancient
civilizations; the rise of nation-states; and social,
economic, and political revolutions.
• B.12.15 Identify a historical or contemporary event in
which a person was forced to take an ethical position,
such as a decision to go to war, the impeachment of a
president, or a presidential pardon, and explain the
issues involved.
• B.12.17 Identify historical and current instances when
national interests and global interests have seemed to be
opposed and analyze the issues involved.

16. Works Cited
 "Syria's Assad Says Russia 're-establishing Multipolar World'" The Daily Star Newspaper. Daily Star.com, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/Middle-East/2014/Apr-02/252068-syrias-assad-says-russia-re-establishing-multipolar-
world.ashx#axzz2xm3iKrcS>.
 "Syrian Arab News Agency - SANA - Syria : Syria News ::." Syrian Arab News Agency - SANA - Syria : Syria News ::. Syrian Arab News Agency,
n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://sana.sy/eng/21/2014/04/02/536727.htm>.
 "Syria’s Slow Death." Slate Magazine. Slate Web Magazine, n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
<http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/foreigners/2014/02/bashar_al_assad_killing_syrians_through_starvation_the_syrian_dicta
tor_is.html>.
 "US-backed Free Syrian Army Has "Crossed the Line". Could Unleash a Chain of Events Which Would Pull Russia into the Conflict." Global
Research. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.globalresearch.ca/us-backed-free-syrian-army-has-crossed-the-line-could-unleash-a-
chain-of-events-which-would-pull-russia-into-the-conflict/5315961>.
 "USA Arms Syrian Rebels, Russia Arms Syrian Government." English Pravda.ru. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014.
<http://english.pravda.ru/hotspots/conflicts/14-06-2013/124843-usa_russia_syria-0/>.
 "Bashar Al-Assad: A Tyrant in Full." Www.nationaljournal.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.nationaljournal.com/daily/bashar-
al-assad-a-tyrant-in-full-20130909>.
 Lederer, Edith M. "U.N. Council Unite Over Syria Resolution | The St. Petersburg Times | The Leading English-language Newspaper in St.
Petersburg." U.N. Council Unite Over Syria Resolution | The St. Petersburg Times | The Leading English-language Newspaper in St.
Petersburg. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.sptimes.ru/story/39215>.
 “Russian”
 "В Сирии у границы с Турцией убит брат президента Башара Асада – ИА REGNUM." Московский Телеграф. N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Apr.
2014. <http://www.moscowtelegraph.net/?p=9378>.
 "В Сирии боевики напали на школу, госпиталь, банк, церковь: не менее 33 погибших – NEWSru.com." Московский Телеграф. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 15 Apr. 2014. <http://www.moscowtelegraph.net/?p=7319>.