Topic 6:

Response Groups

Promoting Critical Thinking and Thoughtful Discussion

Barbary Pirates©PIH 2009. All rights reserved.

Persistent Issue: What actions are justified in the interest of the welfare or security of the nation?

Central Question: How should the United States respond to unconventional attacks on its citizens?

Focus Questions: To what extent are comparisons between the Somali pirates and the Barbary pirates legitimate?

How should the United States respond to attacks on its

ships?

Response Group Strategy: Two-tiered discussion

Four-person heterogeneous groups Provide with stimulus material and foundational

knowledge Series of critical thought activities Small group discussions - - different presenter for

each question Presentation of small group conclusions;

whole class discussion

How should the U.S. deal with this threat?

http://nbnl.globalwhelming.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/somalia-pirates-400x416.jpg

Persistent issue: Unconventional attacks on Americans

Comparisons are often made in the media between the Somali pirates and the Barbary pirates

To what extent are these comparisons legitimate?

Can any lessons be applied to today?

Barbary StatesBarbary States

The Barbary Pirates

British agreements with pirates protected the colonists Pirates from Morocco and Algiers seized U.S. vessels in 1784 and 1785 The Articles of Confederation made it difficult for the U.S. to respond This issue continued to be a problem for presidents Washington and Adams

Response Activity 1

Jefferson and the Pirates of Tripoli (handout)

Read the handout. Discuss the focus question in your group. Be prepared to share your response.

Which option(s) is the best? Justify your response.

What obstacles make resolving this issue difficult?

Questions?

What Really Happened

Three pronged approach

A negotiated deal

Messy aftermath

Response Activity 2

Barack Obama and the Somali Pirates (handout)

Read the handout. Discuss the questions in your group. Be prepared to share your response.

Response Activity 2

Which COA did you choose? Why?

Response Activity 3

Consider what you know about the Barbary Pirates and the Somali Pirates.

In what ways are the Somali Pirates like the Barbary Pirates? Different?

Similarities Differences Need more information

Major Areas of Disagreement:

Were the Barbary pirates really privateers?Were the Barbary pirates terrorists? Were the Barbary pirates Islamic holy warriors engaged in Jihad?

Were the Barbary pirates really privateers?

Piracy is “any illegal acts of violence or detention, or any act of plundering, committed for private ends by the crew or the passengers of a private ship or a private aircraft.” (source: UN Convention on the Law of the Sea)

A ship is referred to as a privateer if it is permitted by a government to arm itself and if it only attacks the ships of a country against which their government has declared war. The state should withdraw its sanction of privateering once a war has ended.

Were the Barbary pirates terrorists?

Terrorism: [the] unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence against people or property to coerce or intimidate governments or societies, often to achieve political, religious, or ideological objectives (Snoddon, 2007, p. 228).

What should the U.S. do about the Somali pirates?

• How would you characterize the situation in Somalia?

• How does the way you perceive this problem influence the COA you are willing to recommend?

• What lessons, if any, can be applied from America’s conflict with the Barbary Pirates to address this issue?

Response Group Summary

Purpose of strategy: • promote critical thinking• formulate a decision on an issue• use reasoned argumentation

Variations: Religious Freedom Case

PIH Curriculum Design Principles

1. Scaffolded Instruction

2. Authenticity

3. Multiple Intelligences

4. Effective collaboration