According to The Qatar Tribune, Qatari customs officials destroyed some 31,000 bottles of wine seized after routine inspections of incoming shipping containers in the nation’s port. Continue reading “November 22, 2016: Haram in Qatar, or How I Learned Not to Cast the First Stone”
One of the best aspects of this fellowship is the access it grants to the US embassy in each country that we visit. Outside of a tragic terrorist attack in Libya, most Americans probably haven’t given much thought to the fine, knowledgable folks who represent US interests in hundreds of countries around the world. Continue reading “November 21, 2016: The Foreign Service Explains the Day”
If you look around Openendedsocialstudies.org, you’ll find that I love history. Continue reading “November 20, 2016: Living History in the UAE”
The Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque is located in Abu Dhabi, and is the largest mosque in the United Arab Emirates. It holds up to 40,000 worshippers, has four massive minarets, each 106 meters tall with designs incorporating elements from major periods in Islamic history, and 82 domes, each inscribed in gold with verses from the Holy Quran. Continue reading “November 19, 2016: Grand Mosques and Grand Desert Adventure in Abu Dhabi”
After bidding Bahrain a fond adieu, our TEACH Fellowship delegation proceded to the global crossroads of the region – Dubai, the richest of the United Arab Emirates. On first blush, the city itself is sprawling and urban and at the remove of the airport gives no sense of the opulance and glamor with which it has branded itself. Though it definitely seems prosperous. Continue reading “November 16, 2016: Opening Eyes in Dubai”
What is the purpose of education? Is it solely for the individual’s benefit – so that he or she can get a good job and have a successful career? Or is it to produce a socially conscious citizen, someone who is curious and compassionate about the world and the people in it? Continue reading “November 14, 2016: Big Buildings and Bigger Ideas in Bahrain”
After a truly heroic 24 hours of travel – from Florida to Atlanta, Atlanta to Amsterdam, Amsterdam to Qatar, and Qatar to Bahrain – I am proud to report that I am alive and well in the Kingdom of Bahrain. I’m here with a dozen other teachers on the TEACH Fellowship sponsored by the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber of Commerce. Continue reading “November 13, 2016: Alive and Well in the Kingdom of Bahrain”
Proud to be participating in the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber’s Teachers Educating Across Cultures in Harmony (TEACH) Fellowship. I leave for Bahrain, UAE and Qatar in just over two weeks, and I’ve been reading up on the history of the Middle East and Islam with the following books: Continue reading “Preparing for Departure with the Bilateral US-Arab Chamber’s Teachers Educating Across Cultures in Harmony (TEACH) Fellowship.”
Check out the inaugural episode of the Open Ended Social Studies YouTube series on the Inca. It’s a great supplement to our featured lesson on the Inca. Continue reading “Open Ended Social Studies on YouTube: The Inca”
On my last full day in Peru, I took a moment to slow down. Continue reading “July 18, 2016: A Morning with the Shoeshines, An Evening with the Dead”
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