What do people in Turkey want for their future?
Preview this unit for the table of contents, a student reading excerpt, and one lesson plan. Preview all units.
Additional unit descriptions for the Current Issues Series that summarize the historical context, student readings, and skill development are available on this MIRO board.
Second edition. September 2016. – Turkey is located at the crossroads of Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Its history is rich. Its largest city, Istanbul, once known as Constantinople and Byzantium, was previously the capital of the Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Mustafa Kemal Atatürk’s revolutionary reforms and efforts to create a modern, unified, and secular country out of the remnants of the Ottoman Empire make up one of the most remarkable stories of the twentieth century. While the legacy of Atatürk still looms large, there are new forces at play today that shape Turkey and its relationship to the world. Empire, Republic, Democracy: Turkey’s Past and Future is divided into three parts. Each part includes:
- Student readings
- Accompanying study guides, graphic organizers, and key terms
- Lessons aligned with the readings that develop analytical skills (including at least one that focuses on building geographic literacy) and can be completed in one or more periods
- Videos that feature leading experts
This unit also includes an Options Role Play as the key lesson and additional synthesis lessons that allow students to synthesize new knowledge for assessment. You do not need to use the entire unit; feel free to select what suits your classroom needs.
“The Turkey unit, especially the ideas at stake in the final debate, raises a lot of issues about national identity that are relevant to American students. Turkey is western enough for students to identify with people there yet still ‘foreign’ enough to be a good springboard to studying other cultures, Islam, etc. It helps that the issue is very contemporary.” – Kyle, History and Government Teacher, Washington