Buena Vista University Hosts Middle Eastern Culture Workshop

January 23, 2015

On Jan. 15-16, Buena Vista University hosted 15 area K-12 teachers for a workshop focused on teaching Iowa Core standards using Middle Eastern artifacts from BVU's Keith Carter Collection.

Keith Carter spent 30 years teaching elementary students in Libya and Saudi Arabia. While working abroad, he traveled extensively throughout the Middle East, northern Africa and Asia. Carter collected hundreds of artifacts over the course of his career, and upon retirement, he moved them to his home in Newell. In 2010, he donated a portion of his collection to BVU, consisting of more than 200 cultural artifacts from countries including Libya, Turkey, Iran, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia and Syria. A large portion of the objects are associated with the concept of shared hospitality and are objects that Carter believed could generate a more personal understanding of world cultures.

Last week's workshop, sponsored in part by an Iowa Humanities grant, brought teachers together to explore these artifacts in the context of Middle Eastern culture. Those who attended learned about Islam and the history of the Middle East from guest speakers, as well as methods for teaching with artifacts. The attendees were also able to visit a mosque in Ames and have an authentic Middle Eastern meal from the Pammel Deli.

"In the 20 years I have been teaching, this is one of the best workshops I have ever attended," said Hope Bumgarner, tenth grade world history teacher at Spencer High School. "Having the opportunity to hear from Muslim women and their thoughts and reactions to recent news events put a real face to the religion for us and gave us a different aspect to consider."

Some of the Carter Collection artifacts are assembled as teaching kits that can be checked out by educators free of charge. The kits include lesson plans which meet Iowa Core state standards in English language arts and social studies, as well as 21st century skills. Using these teaching kits, Bumgarner and two of her colleagues who also attended the workshop plan to incorporate many of the Carter Collection pieces in their classes, including the clothing items for a unit on religions, sections on the Ottoman Empire and Armenian genocide, and discussions on ethnic conflict.

"I am thrilled that our Keith Carter Middle Eastern Heritage Collection will become an active part of learning in area classrooms," said Dr. Dixee Bartholomew-Feis, professor of history and workshop organizer. "I am very excited about the plans we already have for a local school to come to BVU for a field trip and to continue our work in breaking stereotypes that divide our human community."

Bartholomew-Feis added, "The workshop brought together an amazing group of teachers, and each of them is dedicated to creating a greater openness and understanding through knowledge. It was a wonderful experience in cooperation between higher education and K-12 education."

To reserve the Keith Carter teaching kit, contact Bartholomew-Feis at 712.749.1803 or bartholomew@bvu.edu.