November 2014 Name _____________________

Conflicts and Debating – Personal Reflection

Answer the following questions as a personal reflection on the unit you have just
studied, beginning with conflicts, ending with a classroom debate.

1. We read and talked about conflicts, specifically Ireland’s Troubled History.

Write TWO facts that you found most interesting. Explain why.

2. Read the following quotation from Let The Sun Shine by Fergal Keane:

“Never have I been so glad to be wrong. Until the very last moment I
doubted that a deal could be reached. Shaped by my island’s bloody
history and steeped in native pessimism, I could not believe that an
accommodation between Orange (Protestants) and Green (Catholics) was
possible….. I would caution about hope; there was too much bad blood
from the past for this to end in in smiles…. How wrong I was, how
wonderfully wrong …”

a. How does the above quote add to your understanding of an Irish person’s point

of view?

b. Find a phrase or sentence from the quote that “speaks” to you. Explain why.
3. Group work – You and your group chose an article that was written for or against
Israel. Write TWO facts you personally found new or interesting from the article
your chose.

4. Describe your experience working with your group.

5. Public Diplomacy (“hasbara”) versus propaganda (Reuven Ben-Shalom’s article) –

As a teenager living in Israel, how would you explain Israel’s case to a person living

abroad? You may refer to the Arab-Israeli conflict or “Protective Edge” as an issue.

6. Explain why debates are important.

7. Write two positive things you learned from our classroom debate and two

negative things you learned.

8. What part of this unit did you find the most interesting / stimulating / informative

/ provoking / annoying…or other? Explain why.