Nuclear Agreement with Iran

January 19, 2016 | All Grades

By Pulitzer Center Education

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Bazaar shopkeeper Mehdi Panahi supports the nuclear accord. Image by Reese Erlich. Iran, 2015.

Youth rally for reformist presidential candidate. Image by Reese Erlich. Iran, 2005.

Foad Izadi, professor at University of Tehran. Image by Reese Erlich. Iran, 2015.

Behesti Univeristy professor Javad Etaat. Image by Reese Erlich. Iran, 2015.

Magazine editor Mehrdad Khadir. Image by Reese Erlich. Iran, 2015.

After nearly four decades of strained relations, the United States and Iran reached a historic agreement in which the United States agreed to ease economic sanctions on Iran in exchange for a drastic reduction of Iran’s nuclear program. Pulitzer Center grantee Reese Erlich explores a diversity of Iranian perspectives on the deal through his project “The New Nuclear Agreement: How Does Tehran View Its National Security” by speaking directly with community members of all ages in Iran’s capital.

Watch the video and read the article attached. Use the questions to guide a discussion about your own opinions of the agreement and its impact on the citizens of the United States and Iran.

Educator Notes:

The attached lesson plan uses video and text to explore how Iranians from a variety of backgrounds view the nuclear agreement between Iran and the United States. Additionally, the lesson asks students to analyze how journalist Reese Erlich structures the article and to connect the nuclear agreement to their own lives.

The discussion topics and activities attached are suggestions for ways to quickly engage with the resources attached. Please feel free to adapt this lesson.

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Lesson Outline

Questions for "Meet the Journalist: Reese Erlich"

What do the Iranians interviewed by Erlich think about the deal made between Iran and the U.S.? Where do the agree and where do they disagree?
What are the most prevalent settings in the video? Why do you think Erlich picked these locations for filming the video?

Questions for "Why Iranian Youth Are Supporting the Nuclear Agreement"

How have you seen Iranians portrayed in the media?
Read the quotation below and consider the following:

"Iman Adeli, a 21-year-old future doctor, says Iran has long been isolated because of international sanctions.

"We were alone and at war with the world," Adeli says. "If the sanctions are lifted, trade will come back. We'll import and export more easily compared to the time of sanctions."

The handsome young man dressed in jeans and a T-shirt, like many Iranian young people, is an avid user of an Iranian messaging service called Telegram. The app kept students appraised of progress with negotiations in Vienna. "

How does the author describe the interviewee?
Why do you think the author communicates the details about the subject’s appearance and occupation to the reader?

Read the following quotation from the attached article:

"The majority of the reform movement is young people," said Prof. Etaat. "The principalists (conservatives) tend to be older people."

Why do you think the youth are more open to reform that the older generation?
According to the article, why are young people more in favor of reform?
In what ways do the opinions of youth and adults differ in your community?