Optional Post-Viewing Activity

After viewing the program students can track the audience reaction to Showdown with Iran at www.pbs.org/frontline/showdown/talk/
Access "Join the Discussion" and review the comments that viewers submitted.
- For those viewers who offered positive feedback, what did they identify as strengths of this program?
- For those viewers who offered critical feedback, what did they identify as shortcomings of this program?
- To what extent do students agree or disagree with viewers' feedback?

Assessment:
Review students' responses for clarity.

Discussion Questions

Identify what you think are U.S. political, military or economic interests in the Middle East.
Identify what you think are Iranian political, military or economic interests in the Middle East.
Identify what you think are the positions of European and Middle Eastern nations regarding Iran's:
- pursuit of a nuclear program
- revival of Shi'ism
- role in the Middle East
With respect to the current war in Iraq, what role does Iran play in this conflict? Why is Iranian involvement a serious concern for the U.S.? Why is U.S. involvement a serious concern for Iran?
Who were the "reformists" in Iran and what was their agenda? Who are the "hardliners" and what is their agenda for Iran?
After Iran assisted U.S. efforts to defeat the Taliban in Afghanistan, why did tension increase between Iran and the U.S.?
Why is the U.S.S. Nimitz, a U.S. warship patrolling the Persian Gulf, described by one of its captains as "eleven hundred feet of U.S. diplomacy?"
- Why do you think FRONTLINE producers named this program Showdown with Iran?
- Do you think this is an appropriate title? Why or why not?
- What other titles would aptly describe this program?