Cairo



 

Teacher's Notes for the Lesson on Life in Modern Cairo

This unit describes many different aspects of life and society in modern Cairo, including housing, education, weddings, births, deaths, food, and entertainment. This unit is varied, and covers a vast amount of information in brief detail.

Encourage your students to explore any of these topics on their own, presenting their findings in a paper or in a presentation to the class.

  1. Talk about where people live. What kind of housing is most common in the large cities in your country? What about in your hometown? Talk about what kinds of advantages and disadvantages there are to these living arrangements -- what would be the effect on relations with the family? On personal privacy? Do you think most Egyptian children have their own room?


  2. Compare the educational system in Egypt to the educational system in your own country, and in other countries. Where does most education take place in your own society? In the home? At school? Both? What different things do you learn and where? Draw up a chart or poster comparing these different kinds of educational systems in both countries.


  3. Talk about the differences in relations between the sexes in Egypt and in your own country. What immediate differences do you notice? Have your students conduct more research into what Islam says about dating and marriage. It is important not to leave the impression that people are forced into marrying complete strangers: either the man or the woman can reject the marriage. Have students make a poster or chart and present their research on Islamic marriage customs to the class.


  4. This unit lists several phrases uttered in everyday situations that have a religious basis. Have your students list everyday phrases in English that have a religious origin and talk about those origins and what these phrases refer to. For example, "holy cow," (originally referred to the Hindu notion that cows are sacred), some place being a "mecca" (in reference to the city in Saudi Arabia that is the holy city of Islam), the notion that someone who is suffering is a "martyr." See how many your students can come up with on their own.


  5. The issue of women's dress is one that tends to attract a lot of controversy because it is assumed that women are forced into concealing clothing by their male relatives. This unit describes how many women have taken up Islamic dress in an attempt to gain credibility and respect in the professional world. Have a discussion with your students about styles of dress in your country and how certain styles of clothing are associated with certain social behaviors. For example: what do people wear when they want to look professional? When they want to gain immediate respect on sight? When they are just relaxing? How do people dress when they are at home compared to when they are going to school? When they are going to work? When they are going to a formal occasion? Would you wear the same thing to school that you would to a formal occasion? Why or why not? Do older people dress the same way as younger people? Why or why not? Now compare this to the situation of these women in Egypt: why do you think they choose to alter their appearance in the workplace?

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