Lesson Title: Causes of Terrorism

Learning Level: S3 Modern Studies (Third Level)

Lesson Duration: 50 minutes

Learning Intentions: 1. Understand the concept of terrorism and its impact on society. 2. Identify and analyze the main causes of terrorism. 3. Evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies in countering terrorism.

Success Criteria: 1. Students will be able to define terrorism and explain its consequences. 2. Students will be able to identify and explain at least three causes of terrorism. 3. Students will be able to evaluate the effectiveness of different strategies in countering terrorism.

Starter Task (5 minutes): Display a series of images related to recent terrorist attacks around the world. Ask students to write down their initial thoughts and feelings about these events. Afterward, facilitate a brief class discussion to gauge their understanding and perceptions of terrorism.

Context (5 minutes): Explain to students that terrorism is a complex issue that affects societies globally. It is important to understand the causes behind terrorism to effectively address and prevent such acts. Today, we will explore the main causes of terrorism and discuss strategies to counter it.

Main Activity (30 minutes): 1. Divide the class into small groups and provide each group with a set of cards containing different causes of terrorism (e.g., political grievances, religious extremism, socio-economic factors, etc.). 2. In their groups, students should discuss and rank the causes from most significant to least significant, providing reasons for their choices. 3. Each group will present their rankings to the class, explaining their reasoning and engaging in a class discussion. 4. Facilitate a whole-class discussion to compare and contrast the rankings, highlighting commonalities and differences among the groups. 5. Introduce different strategies used to counter terrorism (e.g., military intervention, intelligence gathering, community engagement, etc.). 6. In their groups, students should discuss and evaluate the effectiveness of each strategy, considering the causes of terrorism identified earlier. 7. Each group will present their evaluations to the class, explaining their reasoning and engaging in a class discussion.

Plenary Task (5 minutes): Ask students to reflect on their initial thoughts and feelings from the starter task. Have their perceptions changed or evolved after exploring the causes of terrorism? Facilitate a brief class discussion to allow students to share their reflections and insights.

Extension Activity (optional): For further exploration, students can research and present case studies of specific terrorist incidents, analyzing the causes and the strategies employed to counter them. This activity can be assigned as homework or completed in subsequent lessons.

Note: It is essential to approach this topic sensitively, ensuring a safe and inclusive learning environment. Encourage respectful dialogue and emphasize the importance of understanding diverse perspectives.