For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. You will be prompted to make a copy.
OVERVIEW
The Syrian Civil War began in 2011 and led to 15 years of bloodshed. Though Syria’s former ruler Bashar al-Assad was driven from power in December 2024, much of the harm inflicted on the civilian population over the course of the war continues to linger, including the displacement of millions of civilians.
In 2016, Marvel Comics and ABC News teamed up to create a comic based on texts from a mother in Madaya, Syria, that gives readers a look into the harms inflicted on normal civilians during the war. Students will watch a news report on Syria, do research on their own and then read this comic, which will enable students to understand the impact of war on individuals and families in a meaningful way that isn’t always captured by news reports.
ESSENTIAL QUESTION: What is the impact of the Syrian Civil War?
ESTIMATED TIME: Two 50-minute class sessions
GRADES: 8-12
OBJECTIVES
Students will read a free online comic that allows them to see the ongoing conflict in Syria on a person and emotional level.Students will understand the role of social media and technology to help journalists get much needed information out to the world.Students will be able to make connections to their own lives and historical events.
MATERIALS
Teacher Slides with detailed information
WARM-UP ACTIVITY (Day 1)
Watch the following segment from PBS News Hour about conditions inside Syria after the fall of Bashar al-Assad.
Half-century of iron rule ends in Syria as rebels seize Damascus. What’s next?
After watching the video, teachers can begin the activities that are part of the Slides presentation.Students will be asked to reflect on a time in their lives when they felt powerless. They will then pair/share this time and also the steps they took (or are currently taking, or even should have taken in retrospect) to overcome the situation. After sharing, the teacher will explain that after researching more about the Syrian Civil War, students will be reading an online comic about a mother trying to help her family survive during the ongoing civil war in Syria — a mother who felt completely powerless at times but refused to give up.Students will then go online and conduct research (I ask for two credible sources) about the history of the Syrian Civil War and what is happening in the country today. Depending on time, this can be assigned as homework. Studentswill pair/share their research at the beginning of the following class.
MAIN ACTIVITY (Day 2)
Students will pair/share the results of their research on Syria.Students will then read the “Madaya Mom” comic online and choose a panel that impacted them.Students will then share the questions and reflections they created. The class may want to discuss — did you understand the war in Syria differently from the comic than from the information you learned from your research? If so, how was your understanding changed?
EXTENSION ACTIVITY(s)
Students can research the refugee crisis and decide to raise money, create an awareness campaign, etc.Students can research another ongoing conflict and create their own comics.
STANDARDS – C3 Framework
D2.His.3.9-12. Use questions generated about individuals and groups to assess how the significance of their actions changes over time and is shaped by the historical context.
D2.His.11.9-12. Critique the usefulness of historical sources for a specific historical inquiry based on their maker, date, place of origin, intended audience, and purpose.
ABOUT THE LESSON AUTHOR
Tim Smyth is the Eisner nominated author of Teaching with Comics and Graphic Novels and high school social studies teacher, MS Reading Specialist, who travels the country giving professional development to educators on the power of teaching with comics. He has been published by many outlets, such as PBS, MacMillan, Scholastic, and others. He shares many resources on his website, Teachingwithcomics.com