GEP - Current Events Email - September 1, 2009

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Dear Educator:

Each month World Savvy will highlight breaking news and current events that can be connected to the classroom, including links to articles at various reading levels and connections to the standards. For complete background information on a range of contemporary issues, visit the World Savvy Monitor.

Election Turmoil in Iran

Throughout the summer of 2009, events surrounding the presidential elections of Iran captured the attention of the world. Presidential elections were held on June 12, 2009, with incumbent president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad declared a landslide winner, just two hours after the polls closed. Almost immediately, reformist candidates, including the main opposition candidate, former Prime Minister Mir Hossein Moussavi, disputed the results and accused the government of election fraud. Massive protests swept the nation in the following days and weeks, until the hardline government cracked down on protests and jailed numerous protestors. Ahmidinejad was sworn in as president on August 5, but questions continue to linger about the legitimacy of the government and internal dissent toward Ayatollah Khamenei appears to be growing.

For complete background information on contemporary Iran, read the March 2009 issue of the World Savvy Monitor. For updates and analysis of this progressing story, check the Monitor blog.

Recommended Articles:

Advanced Article: World Savvy Monitor – Update on Iran Elections (July 2009)
Intermediate Article: BBC News – “Defiant Iran President Takes Oath”
Beginning Article: Time – “Street Protests Continue with Ahmadinejad Second Term”

Multimedia:
Interview with Reza Aslan from “The Daily Show with Jon Stewart”
Link TV’s BRIDGE TO IRAN

Discussion Questions:

1. Who were the main candidates in the Iranian presidential election in June 2009, and who was declared the winner? Who was shown to be the front-runner in polls leading up to the election?
2. Who is Ayatollah Khamenei and what has been his role in the summer’s events?
3. Why did the protests occur after the presidential election in Iran? Why were protestors angry and what were they hoping to achieve?
4. Ultimately, who was elected president of Iran and inaugurated on August 5, 2009?
5. What role did the international community play in the election turmoil in Iran? Do you agree or disagree with their reactions? Why or why not?

Curriculum:

1. World Savvy Monitor – Classroom Companion
2. Choices Program: Supplemental Resources for Teaching About Iran

California Standards:

Government: 12.9 – Comparative Government

U.S. History: 11.9 – Foreign Policy post-WWII

World History: 10.10 – Contemporary Nation Building

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