LESSON PLAN: FATAH VS. HAMAS: CONTINUED STRIFE IN THE GAZA REGION
Background, Activities and Critical Analysis
By Lisa Prososki

Subject(s): secondary current events, social studies, political science, communication arts, and speech/debate classes

Time: Two 45-minute or one 90-minute class period

Objectives - Students will:

1. Read articles related to the conflict between the Fatah Party and Hamas and participate in class discussions about the ongoing conflict and the content of the articles.

2. Work as a class to construct a graphic organizer showing similarities and differences between what the Fatah and Hamas parties are seeking for the Gaza region.

3. Work in small groups to research a specific point of view about how the Palestinian Authority should be governed.

4. Work in a small group to construct a short persuasive speech about what their specific group wants to see happen in the Gaza region in terms of politics and leadership.

5. Participate in a closing discussion about the ongoing international impact of the conflict between the Fatah and Hamas.

To make these lesson plans better

Correlation to National Standards

Materials:

• copies of the Online NewsHour article "Abbas Call for Early Election After Hamas-Fatah Violence" available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/middle_east/july-dec06/abbas_12-18.html
• Internet access to Online Newshour in-depth coverage "Israel-Palestinian Conflict" available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/middle_east/conflict/index.html
• Research Guide (printer-friendly PDF)
• Research Guide Key (printer-friendly PDF)
  

Background Information:

The Palestinian Authority has two major political parties, Hamas and Fatah. They are currently trying to share power even though their ideologies are very different. Hamas feels a religious duty to eliminate Israel, while the Fatah party is interested in peace talks with the Israelis. This conflict between the two parties has set up much internal strive and political violence within the Palestinian government.

In recent elections, the Hamas party gained control of the parliament, while the Fatah party leader is the president. This split in power has resulted in dual leadership/authority within the territory. Hamas is considered a terrorist organization by many countries including the United States, Israel, and the European Union. As a result, much of the aid to Palestine has been cut off since this party has taken control of the parliament, resulting in economic crisis for the area as well as international isolation. These things combined make Palestine ripe for civil war and continued conflict between the Palestinians and Israelis.

Procedure

1. Review the conflict between Fatah and Hamas by distributing/sharing the Online Newshour article "Abbas Calls for Early Elections After Hamas-Fatah Violence" available at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/updates/middle_east/july-dec06/abbas_12-18.html. Work as a class or in pairs/small groups to have students read the content of the article.

2. As a class, work together to review what is already known about Fatah and Hamas by discussing the following questions related to the two political parties and the article.

Accessing the Online Newshour "Israel-Palestinian Conflict" in-depth coverage at http://www.pbs.org/newshour/indepth_coverage/middle_east/conflict/index.html will also provide information about key people, background information, and an archive related to politics and events in the region. Organize the information on the board or overhead using a Venn Diagram or another graphic organizer of your choice that will illustrate similarities and differences between the two parties and their leadership.

• In what ways do the Fatah and Hamas party differ in their goals and point of view? How are they similar?
• Who are the main political leaders for each party, and what actions do they want their party to take?
• What impact has Hamas leadership had on the Palestinian Authority in terms of its relationship with others in the region as well as the U.S. and other world powers?

3. Divide students into three groups: one representing Hamas, one representing Fatah, and one representing the international community. Distribute the Research Guide (Printer-friendly PDF) to each student. Using the Online Newshour resources cited previously, provide each group with approximately 15 minutes to find the answers to the Research Guide questions. All student should complete the Research Guide.

4. After all research has been collected, provide each group with approximately 10 minutes to work together to organize their information into a short (2 minute) persuasive speech that explains the group's position. The group should elect a spokesperson to present the speech.

5. After all three groups have made their speeches, facilitate a short discussion about the global impact of the Hamas-Fatah conflict using questions such as:

• What do you think will happen in the Gaza region if the conflict between Hamas and Fatah escalates into greater violence? How will common people be impacted?
• What actions do you think the international community might take if Hamas and Fatah cannot work out their differences in governing the Palestinian Authority?
• What do you predict will happen in this region? Why?

Extension Activities:

Continue to monitor events in the Gaza region by encouraging students to listen to newscasts and read newspaper stories about the conflict between Fatah and Hamas. Document these events by creating a bulletin board timeline using dated, student-written summaries of events and/or newspaper/magazine articles documenting what is happening. Compare the events to what students predicted would happen in the region and continue to discuss the international ramifications of this conflict.

Correlation to National Standards
McRel Compendium of K-12 Standards Addressed:

World History
Standard 44: Understand the search for community, stability, and peace in an interdependent
world

Language Arts
Writing
Standard 1: Uses the general skills and strategies of the writing process
Standard 4: Gathers and uses information for research purposes

Reading
Standard 5: Uses the general skills and strategies of the reading process
Standard 7: Uses reading skills and strategies to understand and interpret a variety of
informational texts

Listening and Speaking
Standard 8: Uses listening and speaking strategies for different purposes

Working with Others
Standard 1: Contributes to the overall effort of a group
Standard 4: Displays effective interpersonal communication skills

Thinking and Reasoning
Standard 1: Understands and applies the basic principles of presenting an argument
Standard 6: Applies decision-making techniques

About the Author: Lisa Prososki is an independent educational consultant and instructional design specialist who taught middle school and high school social studies, English, reading, and technology courses for twelve years. Prososki has worked with PBS TeacherSource and has authored and edited many lesson plans and materials for various PBS programs over the past ten years. In addition to conducting workshops for teachers at various state and national meetings, Prososki works as an editor, creates a wide range of educational and training materials for corporate clients, and has authored one book.

To find out more about opportunities to contribute to this site, contact Leah Clapman at extra@newshour.org.