Pleasantville High School Creates Engaged Global Citizens

A visit to the Jacob Burns Film Center last week gave 10th grade Global History students a close-up look at current events in Afghanistan and women’s rights issues, which they are studying in class.

Social Studies teachers Daria Papa and George LaMar partnered with the Jacob Burns Film Center and took 70 Global History students to the theater on December 6 to view the PBS Frontline documentary “Afghanistan Undercover,” an investigation into the Taliban’s crackdown on women in Afghanistan.

“One of the core missions of the Social Studies department at Pleasantville High School is to provide students with opportunities for learning that raise awareness to become engaged global citizens,” LaMar said. “This experience allowed students to engage in real world learning with those who have been on the front lines.”

The screening was followed by a Q & A with PBS Correspondent Ramita Navai, where students had the opportunity to ask questions about her research, fears, investigations and partnerships with organizations to improve the lives of Afghans who have been affected by the rise of the Taliban.

“I found it so interesting that I had read and heard about similar events in the news, but I had never fully realized the emotional side effects until watching the documentary,” said 10th grader Joelle D’Aguanno. “The most striking part to me personally was the interviews with the men that were part of the Taliban. They were so calm but also very obviously uncomfortable with a woman asking them questions about the protection of women's rights. I don't think I have ever seen a person of the Taliban telling their side of what is going on. It definitely showed the very stressful and horrible situation that women and people that support women's rights are in right now. “

In Global History, students are examining enduring global issues such as women’s rights, child labor, poverty, poor working conditions and environmental concerns through case studies of modern countries. “Afghanistan Undercover” aligns with the curriculum and compliments the class's in-depth studies of these human rights violations by raising the profile of critical current worldly issues.