Lesson Plan - Revolution in Iran

Build Background Knowledge

Have students use Junior Scholastic’s interactive atlas and almanac to research Iran. At junior.scholastic.com/atlas, zoom in on the country and click its name. Direct students to write three sentences sharing facts about the country. Use Think-Pair-Share to discuss responses.

Preview Vocabulary

Use the online Skill Builder Words to Know to preteach the domain-specific terms ayatollah, democratic, economic, empathy, house arrest, Islam, mandate, morgue, persecution, radical, rational, and Western. Have students refer to the Skill Builder as they read.

Read the Article

Read the article aloud, have students read it independently, or have pairs read it together, alternating paragraphs for the introduction and each taking a part for the interview. As students read, ask them to jot down ideas in response to the “As You Read, Think About” question.

Answer Close-Reading Questions

Have students write their responses, or use the Close-Reading Questions to guide a discussion.

• Summarize what happened during Iran’s revolution in 1978-79. (Summarizing)
In 1978, Shah Mohammad Reza Pahlavi had been in power for nearly 40 years and had enacted many social and economic changes. While he had made cities more modern and allowed more Western influences, the shah “ruled with a heavy hand” and tried to eliminate ideas that he didn’t agree with. In 1978, Iranians started to demonstrate against him for religious reasons. Other Iranians, who wanted more democracy, also joined the protests. After troops killed more than 100 protesters in Tehran in September 1978, thousands more people demonstrated. In January 1979, the shah left Iran. Weeks later, the Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini took control of the country. He issued new mandates based on an extreme interpretation of Islam. The mandates limited Western influences and ordered women to cover themselves from head to foot, among other changes.

• What is happening in Iran today? How does it relate to the revolution in the 1970s? (Compare and Contrast)
Today, many women and girls are protesting rules that require them to cover their hair in public by revealing their hairstyles. The mandate was initially put in place more than 40 years ago after the revolution. Then, as now, some Iranians found ways to push back and assert their independence.

• How did Parisa Salehi and her family suffer persecution during and after the uprising? (Text Evidence)
Revolutionaries threw bricks through the windows of the Salehis’ home and burned their car. The family had to leave their home and stay with the mother’s family. The father, who was their town’s mayor, went missing for six months; he had been put in a political prison. About seven years later, he was under house arrest and would sometimes be taken in for questioning. One time, Salehi had to hide their chess set before officials with guns entered their living room. Additionally, she was arrested multiple times for walking their German shepherd and showing some of her hair in public.

• What does Salehi mean when she says “Even as a child, I wanted to make a statement: my personal freedom”? (Making Meaning)
Salehi means that she has always valued individual freedom. She stood up to rules she thought were unjust even as a child and even though she was afraid.

• According to Salehi, how do her childhood experiences affect her life now? (Cause and Effect)
Salehi says that she compares her current challenges with those she experienced as a child and that it helps her put the challenges into perspective. When she has a tough day at work, for example, it helps her to know that she’s dealing with rational people who will be able to work together to solve their problems. Salehi says she feels like she has more control over situations now and doesn’t feel as helpless as she did then.

• What are two other questions you would have asked Salehi? Why? (Asking Questions)
Sample response: I would have asked Salehi about what her father’s job as mayor was like because I would like to know more about her town and what kind of leader he was. I would also have asked her if she knew people who demonstrated in 1978 and what their experiences were like because I would like to know more about the demonstrations that took place.

• How does the map “Iran and Its Neighbors” support the article? (Text Features)
The map supports the article by showing Iran. It reveals that seven countries share a border with Iran. The other countries in the Middle East are shaded yellow, and I can see that Iran is one of the largest countries in the region. The map shows the location of the capital, Tehran, where more than 100 people died in one demonstration in 1978. The map’s caption also helps me understand how much Iran’s population has grown because it says the country now has 85 million people. The country had 37 million people in 1979, according to the article.

• Choose one image in the article to analyze. What do you notice about it? What do you wonder? (Visual Literacy)
Sample response: In the photograph from November 1978, I notice that the car looks like it has been set on fire. The wheels and windows are missing, and it’s hard to tell what used to be near it. I also notice that there seems to be a lot of paper on the ground. Most people in the image aren’t looking at the car and are dressed formally, in suits. I wonder what caused the fire and how many people had demonstrated there.

Analyze a Primary Source

Guide students to complete the Skill Spotlight activity at the end of the article independently or in pairs. Help them cite specific details from the interview in their responses. Then discuss as a class.

Read a Map

Assign the Skill Builder Map Reading: Iran and Its Neighbors to have students answer 10 questions about a map of the country and the rest of the Middle East. You might challenge fast finishers to write two additional questions and swap with a classmate. Review responses and correct any misconceptions. For more map reading practice, check out our Map Skills Boot Camp with 13 lessons at junior.scholastic.com/mapskills.

Assess Comprehension

Use Quiz Wizard to assess comprehension of this article and three others from the issue.