Bashar al-Assad

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bashar-al-assad

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Bashar al-Assad born?September 11, 1965
2. Where was Bashar al-Assad born?Damascus, Syria
3. What is the presidential term?2000 - 2024
4. What is the pre-presidency career?Ophthalmologist, trained in London
5. What was Bashar al-Assad's job before he became president?He was an ophthalmologist, an eye doctor, before he became president.
6. How did Bashar become president of Syria?He succeeded his father, Hafez al-Assad, after his father died in 2000 and he had been recalled from medical training to take the leadership.

Authoritarianism: A form of government characterized by strong central power and limited political freedoms.
Ophthalmologist: A medical doctor specializing in the diagnosis and treatment of eye diseases and conditions.
Ba'ath Party: A political party that promoted Arab socialism and secularism, which dominated Syrian politics for decades.
Syrian Civil War: A complex, multi-sided armed conflict that began in Syria in 2011, resulting in widespread destruction and displacement.