Iran Cultural and Educational Center
Persian Language Development by Proficiency Language Skills Levels

Advanced Mid – Seventh Grade   

Where in the World – Travel to the Capital Cities – US and Iran

 I can research to present information and discuss when and why Washington DC became US capital city.

• I can research to present information and discuss when and why Tehran became Iran’s capital city.
• I can share the role that a capital city plays in any given country.
• I can identify geographical features of Tehran, its weather conditions and environmental issues such as air pollution and water shortage.
• I can provide information about major landmarks in Washington DC and what they represent.
• I can act as a tourist guide to plan on what a first-time visitor should see in a four-day stay in Washington DC and justify my choices.
• I can provide information about major landmarks in Tehran and what they represent.
• I can act as a tourist guide to plan on what a first-time visitor should see in a four-day stay in Tehran and justify my choices.
• I can compare Washington DC and Tehran to identify their similarities and differences.
• I can identify some past and present prominent personalities and their unique specialties in any field from Tehran or who lived in Tehran. [Sadegh Hedayat (writer), Forough Farrokhzad (Poet) Abbas Kiarostami (film maker), Hossein Zenderoudi (painter) Maryam Mirzakahni (Mathematician), Kayhan Kalhor (Kamancheh player, composer and master of classical Kurdish and Iranian traditional music, Azar Nafissi (Writer), Parviz Tanavoli, (Sculptor/Painter/Scholar) Jafar Panahi (Film maker) etc.]
• I can conduct research about a prominent personality in any field, e.g., film industry, music, art, mathematics, literature, science, architecture, education, etc., and from Tehran and make a presentation about their accomplishments.

Identity – Melting pot vs. Multiculturalism – Minority Groups

• I can conduct research to define the concept of the “melting pot”, its origin and its consequences.
• I can define what makes an ethnic group distinct from another.
• I can identify and discuss major ethnic/minority groups that form United States’ population, their countries of origin and why they have emigrated to the US.
• I can identify, share and discuss major ethnic/minority groups that form Iran’s population and their distinct cultural practices and products.
• I can compare selected minority groups in Iran and in the US to identify their similarities and differences and present the results.
• I can research to describe and discuss distinct cultural practices and products of major ethnic/minority groups that we encounter in everyday life and ways in which they enrich our way of life.
• I can explain and discuss why knowing more than one language and familiarity with other cultures can satisfy some immediate needs in the community.
• I can explain and give examples of the advantages of knowing more than one language as well as familiarity with other cultures in today’s world.
• I can identify and discuss ways in which knowing other languages and cultures promotes mutual understanding and thus helps avoid conflicts.
• I can research to identify professions that require knowledge of other languages and cultures and explain how I can prepare for such professions.
• I can outline a proposal to persuade and promote preserving heritage languages and cultures by including them in public and private education

Immigration – Why Do People Leave Their Counties of Origin?

• I can research to identify and discuss why an increasing number of people leave their countries of origin and what critical issues immigrant populations face today.
• I can research to identify some non-profit organizations and their distinct missions that aim at supporting immigrants/refugees.
• I can interview someone who has worked with a humanitarian organization to gain insight about their work with immigrants/refugees and present my findings to the class.
• I can interview someone from a minority group to find out why they left their country of origin and their experiences as an immigrant and share the results with my classmates.