Famous People Lessons: English Lesson on Muqtada Al-Sadr

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THE READING / TAPESCRIPT

Muqtada Al-Sadr is an Iraqi religious and political leader. He is also a militia commander and is head of the Mahdi Army. He is strongly opposed to America’s presence in his country but has stuck to a 2005 truce, which has seen levels of violence decrease. Sadr is currently studying to be an ayatollah and is still very popular with millions of Iraqis.

Sadr is the fourth son of the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq Al-Sadr, a famous Shi‘a cleric. As a child, Muqtada attended a religious seminary but did not finish his education. After his father's assassination, he took over the charity and social work his father had controlled. He immediately became very popular with his Shi’a followers.

In 2003, the US-led coalition set up the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). Sadr decided to enter the political stage. He stated that he had more right to govern Iraq than the IGC. He formed his own shadow government. Since 2003, his Mahdi army has provided many important social services to the people of Sadr City in Baghdad.

In 2004, Sadr's Mahdi Army demonstrated against the closure of Sadr’s newspaper and took over several key positions in Baghdad. After calling a truce, he told his soldiers to "do their duty" and go home. He boycotted the 2005 Iraqi election, saying it was a fraud. In 2007, Sadr went into exile in Iran. He continues to tell Iraqi soldiers and police not to work with American forces.

249 words

Sources: http://www.wikipedia.org/ and assorted biographies.

SYNONYM MATCH

Match the words from the article on the left with their synonyms on the right. Are your answers the same as other students’?

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	strongly	a.	reduce
2	truce	b.	school
3.	decrease	c.	cease-fire
4.	famous	d.	passionately
5.	seminary	e.	murder
6.	assassination	f.	well known
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	coalition	g.	a great deal of
8.	govern	h.	protested
9.	many	i.	alliance
10.	demonstrated	j.	sham
11	several	k	rule over
12	fraud	l	a number of

PHRASE MATCH

Match the following phrases from the article:

1.	an Iraqi religious and	a.	than the IGC
2	He is strongly opposed to America’s	b.	seminary
3.	Sadr is currently studying	c.	positions in Baghdad
4.	Muqtada attended a religious	d.	the political stage
5.	He immediately became very popular	e.	political leader
6.	Sadr decided to enter	f.	saying it was a fraud
7.	he had more right to govern Iraq	g.	to be an ayatollah
8.	He formed his own	h.	with his Shi’a followers
9.	took over several key	i.	shadow government
10.	He boycotted the 2005 Iraqi election,	j.	presence in his country

LISTENING GAP FILL

Muqtada Al-Sadr is an _______________ and political leader. He is also a _______________ and is head of the Mahdi Army. He is strongly opposed to America’s _______________ country but has stuck to a 2005 truce, which has seen levels of violence decrease. Sadr is _______________ to be an ayatollah and is still very popular with millions of Iraqis.

Sadr is _______________ the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq Al-Sadr, a famous Shi‘a cleric. As a child, Muqtada _______________ seminary but did not finish his education. After his father's assassination, he took _______________ and social work his father had controlled. He immediately became very popular with his _______________.

In 2003, the _______________ set up the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). Sadr decided to enter the _______________. He stated that he had more _______________ Iraq than the IGC. He formed his own shadow government. Since 2003, his Mahdi army has provided many important _______________ to the people of Sadr City in Baghdad.

In 2004, Sadr's Mahdi Army demonstrated _________________ of Sadr’s newspaper and took over several _______________ Baghdad. After calling a truce, he told his soldiers to "do their duty" and go home. He _______________ Iraqi election, saying it was a fraud. In 2007, Sadr went into exile in Iran. He continues to tell Iraqi soldiers and police _______________ American forces.

CHOOSE THE CORRECT WORD

Delete the wrong word in each of the pairs in italics.

Muqtada Al-Sadr is an Iraqi religion / religious and political leader. He is also a militia commander and is head of the Mahdi Army. He is strongly opposed / opposition to America’s presence in his country but has stuck for / to a 2005 truce, which has seen levels of violence decrease. Sadr is currently studying to be an ayatollah and is still very popular with / by millions of Iraqis.

Sadr is the fourth son of the late / lately Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq Al-Sadr, a fame / famous Shi‘a cleric. As a child, Muqtada attended a religious seminary but did not finish his educated / education. After his father's assassination, he took over the charity and social work his father had controlled. He immediately became very popularity / popular with his Shi’a followers.

In 2003, the US-led coalition set in / up the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). Sadr decision / decided to enter the political stage. He stated / started that he had more right to govern Iraq than the IGC. He formed his own shadow / shadowy government. Since 2003, his Mahdi army has provided many important social services to the people of Sadr City in Baghdad.

In 2004, Sadr's Mahdi Army demonstrated against the closed / closure of Sadr’s newspaper and took under / over several key positions in Baghdad. After calling a truce, he told his soldiers to "make / do their duty" and go home. He boycotted the 2005 Iraqi election, saying it was a fraud. In 2007, Sadr went into / up exile in Iran. He continues to tell Iraqi soldiers and police not to work with American forces.

SPELLING

The underlined, jumbled words are from the text. Spell them correctly.

Paragraph 1
1.	an Iraqi religious and itaiolclp leader
2.	strongly poodsep to America’s presence
3.	… which has seen levels of oneelvic decrease
4.	popular with ioslnilm of Iraqis
Paragraph 2
5.	Muqtada taenedtd a religious seminary
6.	finish his cueitdano
7.	hcytrai and social work
8.	his Shi’a oefolwrsl
Paragraph 3
9.	the US-led caotiolni
10.	the political sgtea
11.	more right to rgveno Iraq
12.	edivrpdo many important social services
Paragraph 4
13.	the oeurscl of Sadr’s newspaper
14.	took over evasrel key positions
15.	He oytteocbd the 2005 Iraqi election
16.	Sadr went into xeile in Iran

PUT THE TEXT BACK TOGETHER

Number these lines in the correct order.

( 1 )	Muqtada Al-Sadr is an Iraqi religious and political leader. He is also a militia commander and is head
( )	truce, which has seen levels of violence decrease. Sadr is currently studying
( )	In 2004, Sadr's Mahdi Army demonstrated against the closure of Sadr’s newspaper and took over several key
( )	many important social services to the people of Sadr City in Baghdad.
( )	of the Mahdi army. He is strongly opposed to America’s presence in his country but has stuck to a 2005
( )	child, Muqtada attended a religious seminary but did not finish his education. After his father's assassination, he took
( )	to enter the political stage. He stated that he had more right to govern Iraq
( )	Sadr is the fourth son of the late Grand Ayatollah Mohammad Sadeq Al-Sadr, a famous Shi‘a cleric. As a
( )	than the IGC. He formed his own shadow government. Since 2003, his Mahdi army has provided
( )	over the charity and social work his father had controlled. He immediately became very popular with his Shi’a followers.
( )	to be an ayatollah and is still very popular with millions of Iraqis.
( )	exile in Iran. He continues to tell Iraqi soldiers and police not to work with American forces.
( )	the 2005 Iraqi election, saying it was a fraud. In 2007, Sadr went into
( )	positions in Baghdad. After calling a truce, he told his soldiers to "do their duty" and go home. He boycotted
( )	In 2003, the US-led coalition set up the Coalition Provisional Authority and Iraqi Governing Council (IGC). Sadr decided

SCRAMBLED SENTENCES

With your partner, put the words back into the correct order.

1.	political and religious Iraqi an is Sadr leader
2.	an be to studying currently is Sadr ayatollah
3.	Iraqis of millions with popular very
4.	is son late Sadr fourth the Ayatollah the of Grand
5.	seminary Muqtada As attended a a child religious ,
6.	stage decided enter political Sadr to the
7.	he right Iraq IGC more govern the had to than
8.	He government shadow own his formed
9.	boycotted He election Iraqi 2005 the
10.	in exile into went Sadr Iran

MUQTADA AL-SADR DISCUSSION

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)
1.	What do you know about Muqtada Al-Sadr?
2.	Would you like to meet Muqtada Al-Sadr?
3.	What would you like to know about Muqtada Al-Sadr and why?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

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STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)
1.	What did you learn from this text about Muqtada Al-Sadr?
2.	What questions would you like to ask Muqtada Al-Sadr?
3.	What would his answers be to those questions?
4.	___________________________________________________
5.	___________________________________________________
6.	___________________________________________________
7.	___________________________________________________
8.	___________________________________________________

MUQTADA AL-SADR SURVEY

Write five questions about Muqtada Al-Sadr in the table. Do this in pairs/groups. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper.

Without your partner, interview other students. Write down their answers.

	STUDENT 1 _____________	STUDENT 2 _____________	STUDENT 3 _____________
Q.1.
Q.2.
Q.3.
Q.4.
Q.5.

Return to your original partner(s) and share and talk about what you found out. Make mini-presentations to other groups on your findings.

WRITING

Write about Muqtada Al-Sadr for 10 minutes. Show your partner your paper. Correct each other’s work.

______________________________________________________________________________

HOMEWORK

1. VOCABULARY EXTENSION: Choose several of the words from the text. Use a dictionary or Google’s search field (or another search engine) to build up more associations / collocations of each word.

2. INTERNET: Search the Internet and find more information about Muqtada Al-Sadr. Talk about what you discover with your partner(s) in the next lesson.

3. MUQTADA AL-SADR POSTER: Make a poster showing the different stages of the life of Muqtada Al-Sadr. Show your poster to your classmates in the next lesson. Did you all find out similar things?

4. MAGAZINE ARTICLE: Write a magazine article about Muqtada Al-Sadr. Include an imaginary interview with him. Write about what he does every day and what he thinks about.

Read what you wrote to your classmates in the next lesson. Give each other feedback on your articles.

5. LETTER: Write a letter to Muqtada Al-Sadr. Ask him three questions about his life. Give him three suggestions on what he should do in his future. Read your letter to your partner(s) in your next lesson. Your “Muqtada Al-Sadr expert” partner(s) will try and answer your questions.

ANSWERS

SYNONYM MATCH:

Paragraphs 1 and 2
1.	strongly	a.	passionately
2	truce	b.	cease-fire
3.	decrease	c.	reduce
4.	famous	d.	well known
5.	seminary	e.	school
6.	assassination	f.	murder
Paragraphs 3 and 4
7.	coalition	g.	alliance
8.	govern	h.	rule over
9.	many	i.	a great deal of
10.	demonstrated	j.	protested
11	several	k	a number of
12	fraud	l	sham

PHRASE MATCH:

1.	an Iraqi religious and	a.	political leader
2	He is strongly opposed to America’s	b.	presence in his country
3.	Sadr is currently studying	c.	to be an ayatollah
4.	Muqtada attended a religious	d.	seminary
5.	He immediately became very popular	e.	with his Shi’a followers
6.	Sadr decided to enter	f.	the political stage
7.	he had more right to govern Iraq	g.	than the IGC
8.	He formed his own	h.	shadow government
9.	took over several key	i.	positions in Baghdad
10.	He boycotted the 2005 Iraqi election,	j.	saying it was a fraud

ALL OTHER EXERCISES:

Look at the text in "THE READING / TAPESCRIPT" section at the top of this page.

Famous People Lessons.com English Lesson Plan on Muqtada Al-Sadr