To find out who Ben Linder was read this excerpt from the Washington Post.

ON THE DAY OF BENJAMIN LINDER'S funeral, hundreds of chanting people marched with his casket in Matagalpa, a Nicaraguan city in the country's northern war zone. The Linder family walked near the head of the crowd, dazed by the heat of the day and the event. Just hours before, the Linders had stepped off a plane from Oregon into Nicaragua's fervid April sun, and they now found themselves suddenly embroiled in this noisy, equally fervid tribute to Ben, the first American killed by the contras.

• Increasing sensitivity through a personal approach. Students are encouraged to stand in someone else's shoes through role play.
• Increasing critical thinking through asking students to examine several sources about the same event and not just relay on the account of one.
• Developing a critical mind through encouraging students to question political policy

As a group, the team should look through these websites to get an overview of who Ben Linder was and how the issues surrounding his death.

Ben Linder Sites:
The Death of Ben Linder

Book Review:
The Death of Ben Linder The Story of a North American in Sandinista Nicaragua By Joan Kruckewitt

The Oregonian:
Longtime Portland activist David Linder dies at 75 The pathologist's mission to help the poor in Nicaragua, where his son, Ben, was killed by Contras in 1987, will continue, family members say

U.S. Relations with the Sandinistas:
CIA Report on the U.S. Foreign Relations with the Sandinistas

Now that students have chosen which roles they will take, they are ready to become an expert. Dossiers have been prepared for each role. These contain guided instructions that should help you

Click on the name of your role to receive the Dossier

	Photojournalist			Local Press
	International Press			Diary Archivist
	National Press			Government Agent

• one editorial essay
  
• a bibliography
  
• and can answer the following questions after examining the evidence to demonstrate an understanding of the content.

1. Who was Ben Linder and what happened to him?
2. Where and when did it happen? What kind of place was El Cuá?
3. What were the conditions like for him (and others) working on his project in Nicaragua?
4. Who were the Sandinistas? What was their relationship to Ben Linder?
5. Who were the Contras? What was their relationship to Ben Linder?
6. Define the terms: sandinista, contra, "freedom-fighters"
7. How can we benefit by studying the death of Ben Linder?
8. What does studying this topic mean to you personally?
9. Imagine for a moment that you work with Ben at a co-op in Nicaragua. What would that experience be like?
   
   

Student Self-Assessment

• Through having to explain their perspective to another, students self-assess their own understanding.
  
  Student Peer-Assessment
  
• Students assess each other's understanding of their perspectives through their discussions while role-playing
  
  Teacher Assessment
  
• Teachers can use the rubric to assess the student publication.
  Evaluation Rubric
• Teachers may use this suggested rubric to assess student collaboration
  Student Collaboration Rubric
  
• You may also ask your students to participate in creating a rubric.
  How to create a rubric WITH your students. Read here about empowering students through negotiable contracting to draft rubrics for authentic assessment
  
  Why rubrics? Read here about why rubrics are used.
  
  
  Students' Increased Cultural Sensitivity
  
• To evaluate how students are increasing their cultural understanding or awareness through this activity, pay close attention to the language students use in communicating with each other, in their presentations, and in their brochures. The best way to measure their increased sensitivity is through knowing your students and finding out what their feelings are before the activity begins. You may start by asking students what their perceptions are of Nicaragua at first and then follow through by asking students to write a letter to a Nicaraguan (muralist, teacher, etc.). Once our e-pals area is complete, there will be contacts in Central America for students to send their letters to bringing authenticity to the task of letter writing.
  
  For this activity it would be appropriate to ask students to imagine they work with Ben at a co-op in Nicaragua. What would that experience be like?
  

We hope that by being a part of the Linder Mystery students gained an insider's perspective of what it would be like to live and work in Nicaragua during the Sandinista Revolution.