Today, Ben read a story about a female American fencer, Ibtihaj Muhammad, and learned about the complex history of the head scarf. Muhammad was the first American athlete to wear a headscarf during American competition. Ben was interested in learning that she broke barriers by doing so and that her symbolic breakthrough was just one demonstration of the ways in which the headscarf has been now accepted in mainstream American culture. Ben read about the history of headscarves around the world and how, and why, they've made headlines for being controversial at times. Ben subsequently answered questions about the material and answered the questions with accuracy and analysis, demonstrating understanding and thorough synthesis when responding.