TEACHING EGYPT: APPROACHES AND RESOURCES

Barbara Petzen, TeachMideast.org

History as It Happens

Background Information Demographics of Egypt Economic Conditions and Political

Structures in Egypt Teaching Angles

Political Speech: Reading the Protests Making Revolution on the International

Scene/Screen US Foreign Policy: Who are our allies, and

how does Egypt affect those relationships? Comparison of different media sources

Demographics

Pop. 80,471,869 (July 2010 est., 16th in world)

0-14 years: 33% (male 13,308,407/female 12,711,900)

15-64 years: 62.7% (male 25,138,546/female 24,342,230)

65 years and over: 4.3% (male 1,546,774/female 1,818,778) (2010 est.)

Median age: 24

Economy

Economic reforms since 90s liberalized economy to induce more foreign investment

Remittances from 2.7 million Egyptians abroad Per capita GDP of $6,200 is 136th in the world Gap between rich and poor growing, many

allegations of corruption 44.4% in “poverty tunnel”—cannot or can just fulfill

basic calorie needs, or add basic non-food expenses 10% unemployment, 87.2 percent of the

unemployed are between the ages of 15 and 29, unemployment among college graduates 10 times higher than non-graduates

Food prices going up

Communications

Landline telephones: 10.3 million Cell phones: 55.4 million Internet users 20.1 million state-run TV operates 2 national and 6

regional terrestrial networks as well as a few satellite channels; about 20 private satellite channels and a large number of Arabic satellite channels

Reading the Protest

The Choices Teaching with the News lesson’s collections of protest signs allow students to examine the signs protesters have made and carried to ask the who, why and how questions:

Life magazine’s Fiery Protest slideshow Powerpoint of protest signs There is also a collection of blogs from

and about Egypt and Tunisia at globalvoicesonline.org

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons

Resources to Explore

Different Shades of Tahrir from al-Jazeera English http://english.aljazeera.net/indepth/spotlight/anger-in-egypt/2011/02/20112811181499676.html

Choices’ Teaching with the News: Egypt’s Uprising http://www.choices.edu/resources/twtn_egypt.php

Editorial Cartoon collection from The Comics Journal’s The Hooded Utilitarian http://www.tcj.com/hoodedutilitarian/2011/02/editorial-cartoons-four-reactions-to-the-egyptian-protests/

Popular culture: Rebel by Arabian Nights f/Lauren Hill http://www.the9elements.com/2011/02/arabian-knights-f-lauryn-hill-rebel.html

Exciting Stuff: Hip Hop from Tahrir