This is the greatest Shi'ite pilgrimage site in Iran. Have students consider the role prayer plays in their own religions. Does their religion have a similar pilgrimage site such as the Holy Shrine visited in this dispatch. Abeja - Sweet Home Iran Kids' Version available The team stays with an Iranian family and discusses family ties, arranged marriages, social customs, and the population explosion. Have students compare the role of family in Iran with their immediate community and family.
Extended families provide a great support network for money, daycare, illness and companionship etc.
The team visits the Nader Shah museum and gets acquainted with Iran's turbulent history through the life of this fierce warrior-ruler. A self-proclaimed Shah, he is responsible for uniting Iran in the 1700's. His iron-fisted leadership style profited great riches, glory, and success but it cost his life. The team explores the topics of ancestry, history, and leadership, challenging students to be responsible leaders, conscious of the legacy they hope to leave behind. The team visits the tomb of the great poet Ferdowsi, and discusses the importance of his epic poem, The Shahnama, in preserving the Farsi language and Persian culture during a time of Arab rule.