Hey guys! Fantastic work in my last class. You all exceeded my expectations, and I deeply appreciate all of your hard work. Are we all ready to discuss another catastrophic, influential, brutal, gruesome war? I sure am!
(Optional assignment) I know we talked about the Ukraine War last month, but there was recently a startling development. If you want to understand how high the stakes are, and how quickly things can escalate in all these conflicts, watch this 5 minute video by Matt Walsh, and/or this 15 minute video by Charlie Kirk.
Now onto the actual homework.
Assignment: Please fill out this Google Form. Don’t worry about spending too much time on this, and don’t worry about offending me. I’m just trying to hear from you guys about what I can do to make this class the best it can be.
KNOW
This week we look at a multi-sided civil war taking place in a country most of you have ever heard of: Yemen. Despite Yemen not being a major player in the eyes of average people two decades ago; this war has not only thrust it onto the forefront of the world stage, the events of this war have sent shock waves throughout the global marketplace. Let me explain:
Assignment: Watch this video and take notes on when your country is mentioned, (because I bet a lot of you will sign-up for one before watching this).
Now that you know the what, it’s time to dive into the why. Except there is one major difference with the why: instead of me giving you the why, you’re going to find it yourself.
UNDERSTAND
Assignment: Sign-up for a country here, and find out why that country is involved in this war. (If you sign up before January 3rd then you will get Vanbucks.) The countries at the top of the list are directly involved, and as you move down, the countries shift to more support roles. If last class you wanted to be more involved in our debate, choose one of the countries near the top.
Now for the fun part.
Assignment: Prepare a brief 1-minute presentation on both how and why the country you chose is involved in the Yemen Civil War, also what your country hopes to gain from involvement. I’m sorry to make it so short, but I want to leave as much time as possible for our debate. If want to prepare a longer presentation, text me beforehand. If you can somehow make it interesting and/or fun, then great job. However, I understand that this topic could be difficult to make an interesting presentation out of, even for me. So I’ll say that this is the only class that it will be acceptable to stand up and talk for your presentation.
Assignment: Take a deeper dive into the reasons why your country is involved in the war. In class we will have a debate, and your goal is to convince the rest of the class that your country is in the right. Obviously some countries start at a disadvantage, but don’t let that deter you; I truly believe that if you put in the effort and study hard, anyone can make a compelling argument or even win.
Pro-tips for success:
- While you should look deep into the reasons your country is involved, that’s a requirement. If you want to really stand out during our debate, become familiar with the talking points the other side will use (example: Yemen should be prepared to answer about government corruption and religious oppression).
- Notice the geography of not just your country, but the countries surrounding it. Geography can and does play a key role in this war (example: Yemen is located on the southern choke point into the Red Sea, not a great place for a war zone. If ships decide to not risk going through the war zone around ).
- Remember the liquid gold of the world: oil and gas. If you look at your stat sheet, you might notice how many of the largest oil and gas producers are located in the middle east, and also involved in this war, (Iran, Saudi Arabia, UAE). To sell to the western world in Europe and America requires passage through the Red Sea. The Red Sea is now shut down, and the petrol states can no longer sell that way.
- If you have questions or have no idea where to start studying, feel free to text me at 385-450-0914. If you think you can complete the assignments about your country than I would encourage you to do it yourself. If the only place to study you can think of is Wikipedia, then please ask for help if you feel you need it.
BECOME
The last days are upon us. We are consistently told that our generation has been saved to come forth in the most crucial moment of the world’s history (second, when you think about Christ’s life). Read Revelation 13: 15-17, and Revelation 20: 4-6. I’ve read Revelation 3 times, and I only noticed the story of the Mark of The Beast on the last one. In 20:4 it mentions people who will be beheaded for their choice to stand with Christ. If you were put in that kind of situation, would choice would you make? Write down in you journal any impressions that come to you. Revelation is the playbook of what will happen prior and after the Second Coming. I strongly urge you to read it, even if you don’t understand all the symbolism.
Have fun studying, and I’ll see you in class!
