Terrorist violence targets ethnic or religious groups, governments, political parties, corporations, and media enterprises. Organizations that engage in acts of terror are almost always small in size and limited in resources compared to the populations and institutions they oppose. Through publicity and fear generated by their violence, they seek to magnify their influence and power to effect political change on either a local or an international scale. Discuss how and why student responses differed. Discuss whether or not movies are a good source for accurate information about history, society, and current events.
Students keep a log, over the next week, of the movies and television shows that they view.
After students have logged their movie and television experiences over a week, students bring their logs to class and discuss their findings. Students will be evaluated based on journals, classroom discussion, and completed log entries of television shows and movies in regards to characterization of heroes and villains. Students can learn about the movies that have won awards in the past sixty years and determine why these movies were successful in the time periods in which they were created. Students can find newspaper articles about recent examples of terrorism, either in the United States or in other countries, and report on these situations to the class. Students can interview someone of Arabic descent or background and discuss how he or she feels the media does or does not accurately portray the lifestyles and beliefs of Arabic people.