Teaching Resources

Scroll down for thematically organized resources on:
· General Middle East Resources
· History and the Middle East
· Maps and the Middle East
· Cultures of the Middle East
· Islam
· Muslim Americans
· Israel and Palestine
· The Arab Spring
· Connecting the Middle East to NC
· Teaching about the Arab Refugee Crisis
· Current Events

Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaLook for the NC symbol to identify curriculum and resources created by our outreach program or other North Carolina K-12 organizations!

General Middle East Resources

  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaTeaching the Middle East in 10 Quiz Questions: If you are teaching social studies or world history or current events, the Middle East appears in the curriculum. Professor Charles Kurzman has developed a quick quiz to help you teach about the Middle East, whether or not you consider yourself an expert. Take the quiz yourself, or use this printable version with your students!
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaLEARN NC: K-12 lesson plans, assessments, web links and professional development for North Carolina teachers from the UNC School of Education. The database of resources is searchable by NC Essential Standards and keywords.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaThe Modern Middle East Seminar: UNC World View website that showcases presentation materials on a variety of topics created by scholars, developed for the Modern Middle East Seminar, March 2015.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaReOrienting the Veil: UNC website exploring the history and significance of Muslim veiling, developed for the “Reorienting the Veil” conference, February, 2013. For teaching resources, click on “Resources,” and go to “Educators.” Additional commentary on the Veil by scholar Banu Gökarıksel here.
  • TeachMideast: An educational initiative of the Middle East Policy Council has a great website for educators! Bookmark this! There are lots of resources, including curriculum resources, a glossary of terms, country profiles, information on current events and more!
  • Country Profiles: This website, put together by the Middle East Studies Center at Portland State University, houses a fantastic country profiles section for countries in the Middle East and North Africa. Each country has its own page with teaching materials (lesson plans, teaching ideas, etc.) and more.
  • Middle East Studies Center Resource Hub: Supported by the Middle East Studies Center at Portland University, this ‘resource hub’ offers materials for educators organized by country and theme, and categorized into Background Information, Media & News, and Teaching Materials.
  • Lesson Plans on Turkey: The Turkish Cultural Foundation offers teachers a database of lesson plans. Lesson plans are developed by TCF’s Teacher Study Tour participants and other American educational institutions and experts on a number of subjects for middle and high school students. Search for the Ottoman Empire, World History, Current Affairs, Art and more!
  • Turkey Through Time – A Case Study in World History: An eight lesson curriculum useful in any World History class. Turkey is the site of many important points in World History. This curriculum would allow students to dive a little deeper into one geographical area during their survey World History class which is normally somewhat shallow due to its breadth. By focusing on Turkey students can better follow a place through time allowing them to see up close the different time periods. Thank you to Carla Ingram, South Caldwell High School, for sharing this curriculum!
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaThe Politics of Water: Water and Conflict in the Middle East: This website was created as a product of a class at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill. The politics of water involve the social, historical, environmental, and the economic implications of water in this arid region. This website was created as a teaching tool in order to spread awareness of the politics of water in these environments more specifically.
  • 15 Minute History Podcasts: These are relatively short podcasts with supplementary materials about World and US History, with discussions conducted by faculty and graduate students at the University of Texas at Austin. You can search World History by Region as well as Time Period.
  • Peace Corps World Wise Schools Lesson Plans: Search by region, country, subject, or grade level. You’ll find ready-made lessons ranging from understanding the norms of other peoples to practical challenges of obtaining water. These lessons are great for teaching cross-cultural understanding.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaTeaching about the Diversity of the Middle East: Created by the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies, this curriculum contains different activities that attempt to celebrate the diversity of the Middle East. The ideas for religious diversity, geographic diversity, linguistic diversity and more can be used to teach about the Middle East in conjunction with current events, world history, or integrated throughout the school year to ensure student understanding of the region. Check out the Adventures of Ibn Battuta Google Mapping activity!
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaClassroom Activities for Teaching about Terrorism: Terrorism is not only a topic present in the North Carolina Essential Standards, coverage of terrorist attacks around the world consistently appear in the media. This curriculum co-written by the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies and the NC Civic Education Consortium aims to teach that terrorism is not a clash of civilizations between ‘the East’ and ‘the West,’ but between the vast majority of humanity and the extremist few.
  • Teacher Resources for Promoting Success with Arab Immigrant Students: This downloadable PDF booklet distributed by Edmonton public schools in Canada. It is an excellent resource for any administrators or teachers who might be interacting with Arab or Muslim students in classes. There’s a lot of great information about culture, language, habits, religion, etc. For any student, there is a significant amount of Arabic language that would be very beneficial when working with school enrollment or adjustment issues.
  • Resources from the Project on Middle East Political Science: POMEPS has a Podcast Series with highly focused conversations on a Middle East topic, usually about 15 minutes in length and can be downloaded or streamed from iTunes or SoundCloud here. In addition, POMEPS Studies and Briefs are open access PDF collections of curated essays or articles on a specific Middle East topic, check them out here. The reading is a little advanced, perfect for college students.

  • Podcast series for teachers on the Middle East from Primary Source: Check out this new series of podcasts from Primary Source on “What Teachers Need to Know: Middle East.” There is one on Syria, another on the diversity of Islam, one on Syria, water and war in Yemen, the Saudi-Iran Cold War, etc. The series aims to help K-12 teachers bring the modern Middle East to their classrooms, one topic at a time. Click here for the Podcasts.

History and the Middle East

  • Ancient Mesopotamia: This History, Our History: This resource was developed in collaboration between a team of Chicago Public School teachers and the University of Chicago to aid the teaching of ancient Mesopotamia using artifacts from the Oriental Institute Museum. Resources on the website include lesson plans, short videos, a virtual museum, and a virtual interactive archaeological dig in Iraq.
  • Cool website on Mesopotamia from the British Museum: This is a great website put together by the British Museum. Have students read about the adventure of King Gilgamesh, and explore different maps of Mesopotamia. There is also a cool game challenge where students can learn about the importance of water and irrigation by acting as a farmer in ancient Sumer.
  • The River Valley Civilization Guide: This website has great, short summaries on the geography, economy, social structure, buildings, tools, etc. for river valley civilizations: Nile, Yellow, Indus, and Tigris-Euphrates River Valley Civilizations, and Paleolithic-Neolithic Eras.
  • Byzantium 1200: Byzantium 1200 is a project aimed at creating computer reconstructions of the Byzantine Monuments located in Istanbul, TURKEY as of year 1200 AD. There is also Babylon 3D, which is a digital reconstruction of the ancient city of Babylon created in 2013 for the Mesopotamia exhibition of the Royal Ontario Museum.
  • Prince among Slaves: the Legacy of Muslims in Early America: This Unity Productions Foundation and PBS website features rich content expanding on three theme areas: Muslims in early America, the Trans-Atlantic slave trade, and Identity. In addition to a film, the project has created educational modules on topics including “African Muslims Enslaved in the United States” and “Islam and the Blues.”
  • Our Shared Past in the Mediterranean: The Mediterranean has always been in contact with, shaping and being in turn shaped by, world historical forces. The region is influenced by Europe, northern Africa, Turkey, and the Arab world. This site features world history resources for teaching about the role of the Mediterranean as a commercial and cultural ecosystem in past eras, as well as lesson materials on the present and prospects for the future.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaAlong the Silk Road: A Journey of Global Exchange: In this lesson, students will learn about the Silk Road and compare it with global exchanges that are occurring today. Students will begin with an introduction to the meaning of a global exchange. After watching a TedEd Talk about the Silk Road, students will simulate travel along the Silk Road by visiting stations that represent key cities. At each “city,” students will map the route and analyze artifacts that range from photographs to non-fiction accounts. Click here to download the Elementary Lesson Plan or the Middle/High School Lesson Plan.
  • The Crusades: The life of Usamah ibn-Munqidh epitomized the height of Arab civilization as it flourished in the period of the early Crusades. His memoirs present an uncommon non-European perspective and understanding of the military and cultural contact between East and West, Muslim and Christian. This is a great primary resource to teach in conjunction with the European view of the Crusades. Grades 9-12.
  • Global Connections: The Middle East: PBS and Harvard University’s Middle East Outreach Center collaborated to produce these resources for high school teachers. Students can explore the geography, history, and culture of the Middle East through interactive timelines, themes, and connecting questions.
  • Homeland Afghanistan: Asia Society site featuring history and cultures of Afghanistan by era and theme, from pre-history to the present time.
  • Ottoman History Podcast: One of the largest digital resources for academic discussion concerning the Ottoman Empire and the modern Middle East.
  • Crash Course World History Videos: A series of educational videos covering World History featuring John Green. The production values are high (including animation, HD, etc.), and each video is about ten minutes long. Green frequently encourages his viewers to avoid looking at history through Eurocentrism or “Great Man” History, but to be conscious of a broader historical context.

Maps and the Middle East

  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaWhere is the Middle East?: This presentation uses maps to show that the concept of a region called the “Middle East” is a relatively recent and unstable construction.
  • Middle East Geography Quiz: Did you know that the “Middle East” stretches as far west as the Western Sahara in Africa? What is the smallest Middle Eastern country? Test your knowledge on a drag-and-drop game. All ages.
  • Middle East Map Puzzle: Click and drag the Middle Eastern country or capital to the correct place on the map.
  • Who Conquered the Middle East?: A quick-moving (90 seconds) animated map of the Middle East showing the rise and fall of kingdoms and the conquest of empires over 5,000 years.   Great for a highly visual and digital generation of students.
  • Al-Idris and Roger’s Book: Article on the creation of the twelfth century map (before Mercator) and the book that described the known world.
  • 40 Maps that Explain the Middle East: Maps are a powerful tool for understanding the world, particularly the Middle East. This site has 40 maps that can be used in understanding the Middle East.
  • The Afternoon Map: An Ottoman/Turkish/Middle Eastern/Balkan cartography blog that houses a range of visually appealing and intellectually engaging maps collected from archives and libraries around the world. Good primary sources!

Cultures of the Middle East

  • Art of the Islamic World: The Metropolitan Museum of Art’s collection of Islamic art is one of the most important and comprehensive in the world. This site has curriculum resources that support the study of Islamic art in English language arts, math, science, social studies, world history, and visual arts.
  • Sugar Street Review: A relatively new, online magazine dedicated to the culture of the Arab world and the wider Middle East. Sugar Street provides an alternative to Western media by sharing the best new writing from and about the region, giving insights that will garner a greater understanding of the region.
  • Aramco World: Provides free subscriptions, classroom sets, and online resources to educators with the goal of increasing cross-cultural understanding of the Arab and Muslim worlds. For archived online issues, visit here. To order printed editions, visit here.
  • Middle Eastern Dress: This document put together by the Center for South Asian & Middle Eastern Studies at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign provides photos and descriptions of traditional clothing worn in Middle Eastern countries.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaArab American Heritage Month: This Pinterest Board put together by Carolina Navigators highlights activities, facts, and ideas to celebrate Arab American Heritage Month with your students every April.
  • We Love Arabic: This blog is devoted to the study of the Arabic language.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaArab American Hip Hop: There are numerous Arab American hip hop artists on the music scene today. Some may be household names while others are less widely known. This site provides information about a few prominent artists with YouTube video links to their music.
  • Words Without Borders Campus Project: Egyptian Literature: WWB promotes cultural understanding through the translation, publication, and promotion of the finest contemporary international literature.WWB Campus brings that literature to high school and college students and teachers. Here, you’ll find fiction, poetry, and essays from around the world, along with resources for understanding it, ideas for teaching it, and suggestions for further exploration. They have begun with literature from Egypt, Mexico, China.
  • MENA Legends and Folktales: Folktales and legends embedded in a specific culture provide an opportunity to explore and teach rich and fascinating social lessons. This website has folktales from around the world, including many from the Middle East.
  • “Glimpses into the Arab World” videos:Qatar Foundation International (QFI) presents a journey into the Arab world featuring eight video vignettes that provide brief insights into various topics about Qatar, Arab society and culture. Each video features expert interviews and images from the Arab world and is accompanied by a collection of relevant educational resources hosted on QFI’s educator resource portal, Al-Masdar, to encourage further exploration and classroom discussion.
  • “American Women Writers of Muslim Heritage” website: Check out this new website developed by educator Betsey Coleman, an educational resource presenting texts and voices influenced by the Muslim world. You will find information about writers whose origins include Sudan, Pakistan, Palestine, Afghanistan, Syria, Morocco, Turkey, Somalia, and the U.S., to name a few. Each page consists of one writer, as well a video, examples of their works, discussion questions, and a “Now You Try” section featuring writing prompt based on the readings. There are also real-life examples of student writing.

Islam

  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaGlobal Islam and the Arts Lessons: Teaching about Islam or the Middle East? Check out these amazing 15 lessons from the Global Islam and the Arts Teacher Fellows. Lessons span grades K-12,  and are created around a topic that focuses on deepening understanding of global Islam. Lessons are aligned to the NC Standards and feature a variety of subjects including ELA, social studies, music, dance, and visual art.
  • Muslim Voices: Aims to promote intercultural dialogue and understanding between Muslims and Non-Muslims through podcasts, videos, and more.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaFive Faiths Project: Teachers are invited to use online information, slides, CDs and posters, as well as sacred texts to introduce students to the study of religions in general terms, and to the core tenets and practices of Hinduism, Judaism, Christianity, Islam and Buddhism. Grades 7-12.
  • ING – Educating for Cultural Literacy and Mutual Respect: This page has great answers to FAQ’s about Muslims (over 100 answers!), Sharia Law, and ISIS. It also provides free curriculum about Islam and multi-faith traditions – teachers must register (for free) on the website to access the curriculum portion only.
  • Access Islam: Designed to support the study of Islam in grades 4-8, this site has downloadable lesson plans, short videos, and a glossary of related terms.
  • First Amendment Center: A nonpartisan national initiative focused on educating the American public about the religious-liberty principles of the First Amendment. Check out their Resources Page for FAQ’s about teaching religion in schools.
  • Teaching Tolerance: A project of the Southern Poverty Law Center, this site provides resources for creating respectful, inclusive schools that value diversity. Click the link for Classroom Resources on Islam. Use the search tool to find more lesson ideas.
  • Ted Talk: Naif Al-Mutawa: In “THE 99,” Naif Al-Mutawa’s new generation of comic book heroes fight more than crime — they smash stereotypes and battle extremism. Named after the 99 attributes of Allah, his characters reinforce positive messages of Islam and cross cultures to create a new moral framework for confronting evil, even teaming up with the Justice League of America.
  • Eid Al-Adha: PBS Video: This 1:23 minute video is part of PBS’s ‘All About the Holidays’ Short Video Series for young children. Eid Al-Adha is a yearly four day celebration of the Islamic faith remembering the story of Abraham. Known as the feast of sacrifice, the celebration centers around sacrifice to Allah. Recommended for grades K-4 with National Standards for History listed.
  • PBS Frontline Muslims: This site showcases the stories of diverse Muslims around the world struggling to define the role of Islam in their lives and societies. Each portrait includes a video excerpt with additional information about the individual’s life and country. The site includes a Teacher’s Guide that has background information and classroom activities to extend the viewing experience of the film “Muslims,” as well as a timeline of Islam and glossary.
  • Pluralism Project: This project by Harvard University has great and comprehensive information about several different religions. If you click on ISLAM, the sidebar on the left has many short and descriptive articles and Islam and Muslims in America. Consider playing the call to prayer for your students!
  • Passion in Practice: Muslims of the Carolinas: A multimedia exhibit featuring Muslim students as they pursue their passions or interests and exemplify Islam in their daily lives. From the musings of a poet to the pirouette of a ballerina to the notes on a violinist’s music sheets; these photos, quotes, and stories are a good teaching tool to illustrate the diversity of Muslim youth!
  • Esse Quam Videri: Muslim Self Portraits: Community based artist Todd Drake has worked with Muslims in North Carolina and Bahrain to create self-portraits that share real reflections of themselves and their Muslim identities. After looking through the portraits, have students create their own portrait as Americans in response to stereotypes commonly held by global communities about our own country, or a portrait along another theme.
  • Blogs from America’s Unofficial Ambassadors: AUA works to build mutual understanding between America and the Muslim World. Unofficial Ambassadors have served overseas in schools or NGOs in Muslim communities in nine different countries, and return home to share their experience via community presentations and published essays. Check out the Ambassadors blog posts here about the things they’ve learned from and experienced in Muslim-majority countries.
  • Common Misconceptions about Islam and the Middle East: Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaThis PDF addresses FAQ’s and common misunderstandings about Islam. Print out this colorful sheet and use in your units on world religions, or share with your colleagues. Sheet two addresses misconceptions about the Middle East.
  • Introduction to Islam: This booklet, produced by the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies at Georgetown University provides basic information about Islam and answers FAQs. It also includes discussion questions and suggestions of print, audio-visual, and electronic references and resources.

Muslim Americans

  • 30 Mosques, 30 States: A blog by two friends who traveled to 30 mosques in 30 states throughout the month of Ramadan to better understand the diversity of Muslim societies in America
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaResources for Teaching Malcolm X: This PDF document lists resources and classroom ideas for teaching about Malcolm X, the African American experience, and African American Muslims (recommended for secondary and community college educators). Resources were suggested by scholars at the MalcolmX50 Conference. More resources, including short videos and interviews with scholars are available on the conference website.
  • Just Your Average Arab: First seven minutes of a short comic film about an “Arab American Survival Guide Post 9/11.”  Characters are advised to change their names, their looks, and their speech to protect themselves from accusations of terrorism.  Very funny, and a good springboard for discussion.
  • A Land Called Paradise: “A Land Called Paradise” is a four-minute long film celebrating the diversity of the American Muslim community. Follow this link to view the video, and to access the Middle East Outreach Council ideas for using it in classrooms.
  • Videos: What it Means to Be Muslim in America: The diversity of Muslims in the United States is vast, and so is the breadth of the Muslim American experience. These animated videos by the Huffington Post depict the experiences of 9 Muslim Americans from across the country who differ in heritage, age, gender and occupation. Relaying short anecdotes representative of their everyday lives, these Muslim Americans demonstrate both the adversities and blessings of Muslim American life.
  • Resources on Arab-Americans: The Arab-American Anti-Discrimination Committee has great, free resources for educators including lesson plans, information, and advice here! Also, MEARO (Middle Eastern American Resources Online) has a section for teachers with lesson plans and a short video.
  • #AskAMuslimGirl: Muslim Girl teamed up with Teen Vogue to bring you a video series delivering the voices of our squad of millennial Muslim women on the topics that young Americans want to hear about. Muslim women have been the center of headlines in corporate news and mainstream media for the past decade — yet, it has rarely been Muslim women doing the talking.

Israel and Palestine

  • PRIME: Textbook created by Palestinian and Israeli educators.  Includes both Palestinian and Israeli historical narratives on the creation of Israel.
  • Is Peace Possible?: Four short videos on the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict from The Atlantic and the S. Daniel Abraham Center for Middle East Peace.
  • BCC Timeline of the Conflict: This timeline covers ancient times up until the present day (as far as 2005). It includes key dates of recent Middle East history, and looks back at the origins and development of the conflict.
  • Just Vision: Resources highlighting the power and potential of Palestinians and Israelis working together through nonviolent means. The site has short films with discussion guides and interviews with Israeli and Palestinian grassroots leaders.

the Arab SpRING

  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaLesson Plan: Exploring the Arab Spring through Hip Hop: What was the environment like that prompted the revolutions? What was the role of hip hop during the uprisings? This PDF contains lessons and activities that can be modified to last from one day to four class periods. The lessons can be adapted to have a social studies or literary focus. Students will analyze song lyrics from the Arab world, learn about Arab American artists, and have the opportunity to write their own songs.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaUsing Hip Hop for Global Literacy: Teaching About the Arab Spring Resources: This resource sheet contains links on Background Information about the Spring, information about Music and the Arab Spring, Hip Hop on a Global Scale, and Arab American artists.
  • Voice of Freedom: Popular Egyptian song about the revolution, with English subtitles.
  • Egyptian Revolution: Fifty-minute NCVPS Culture Café by Andrew Simon, Duke graduate who witnessed the revolution. 
  • Telling the Story of the Arab Spring: an Interactive Graffiti Map: The map includes thirty-two examples of graffiti from Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Yemen, Syria and Bahrain, countries at the forefront of the Arab Spring. A good tool for understanding the visual power and context of various pieces of graffiti, as well as the regional dimensions of Arab Spring graffiti art.

Connecting the Middle East to Nc

  • Esse Quam Videri | Muslim Self Portraits: Community based artist Todd Drake has worked with Muslims in North Carolina and Bahrain to create self-portraits that share real reflections of themselves and their Muslim identities.
  • Nomads of North Carolina: Eight Duke students spent their fall break in 2011 traveling across North Carolina, discovering the stories of Muslims in the “Old North State.” This blog recounts their experiences and reflections on how many individuals can be tied together by the delicate string of one common-faith tradition.
  • Teacher Resources for Promoting Success with Arab Immigrant Students: This downloadable PDF booklet distributed by Edmonton public schools in Canada. It is an excellent resource for any administrators or teachers who might be interacting with Arab or Muslim students in classes. There’s a lot of great information about culture, language, habits, religion, etc. For any student, there is a significant amount of Arabic language that would be very beneficial when working with school enrollment or adjustment issues.

Teaching about the ARAB refugee Crisis

  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaArab Refugee Lives: Oral History Lesson Plans: Through these two lessons, students will gain a greater understanding of the various challenges that refugees from Syria and Iraq face. In Sanaa Domat’s Story, students will read excerpts from interviews with a Syrian woman originally from Homs, and explore the concept of ‘home’. In Sufyan A’s Story, students will read excerpts from an interview with Sufyan A., an Iraqi man originally from Baghdad, and explore the concept of ‘identity’. By using oral histories in the classroom, distant events will become more real and relevant to students. Oral histories were collected by students in a Refugee Lives interactive learning course at Duke University, and are part of the Refugee Lives Oral History Project.
  • The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Policy: A Civil Conversation: The United States has been a safe haven for the world’s refugees throughout its history. In recent years, violent and brutal conflicts in the Syrian civil war have driven millions of people from their homes. What should U.S. policy be for these refugees? The Constitutional Rights Foundation’s civil conversation method gets your students engaged in policy-based discussions on this crucial controversy of the day. Access The Syrian Refugee Crisis and U.S. Policy civil conversation activity and FAQ on the Syrian Civil War.
  • “I Am Syria” Website: This website has resources to help teachers teach about the crisis in Syria. It’s a not-for-profit educational site made by teachers, for teachers. The directions don’t have a complicated curriculum guide that no one has time to read; but instead, the site offers materials that you can click and use tomorrow in a secondary Social Studies or English class–with copies, video links, and power points all good-to-go!
  • UNCHR Lesson Plans on Refugees: The UNHCR has developed lesson modules for three different age groups that will help teachers introduce refugee issues into the curriculum of these different subject areas.This extends beyond the Middle East.
  • How to Teach about Refugees: This article from The Guardian (based in London) provides lesson ideas for teaching students about Refugee Crises around the globe. The article was originally published in honor of Refugee Week (begins June 15 in the UK).
  • Short Video (6:30) on the Refugee Crisis: This short video is titled “The European Refugee Crisis and Syria Explained.” It’s animated and high-interest – though they explain things very quickly.
  • Understanding the Refugee Crisis in Europe, Syria, and around the World: In this 9 minute video, John Greene discusses the growing number of refugees from Syria, Afghanistan, and Eritrea crossing the sea with the help of smugglers to seek refuge in the EU. He speaks quickly, but brings up many important points. Disclaimer; it’s a pretty liberal take on things.
  • The Washington Post’s Refugee: 18 Stories from the Syrian Exodus: These short vignettes tell the stories of 18 different Syrian refugees from all stages of life. The goal is to document the size and complexity of the crisis, showing its effects on the lives of individual refugees as well as the lasting impacts on the countries hosting them.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaActivities for Teaching about the Arab Refugee Crisis: Created by the Duke-UNC Consortium for Middle East Studies, this curriculum contains different activities that explore the refugee crisis by incorporating stories of refugees, analyzing the global response to the crisis through political cartoons, evoking empathy, and more. The activities can be used to teach a unit on Arab refugees, or integrated throughout the school year to ensure student understanding of the current global refugee crisis.
  • Geo-map-USA-North-CarolinaDivided By The Sea Short Videos: During the greatest migration crisis in Europe since World War II, UNC’s Vimy Global Team traveled to Reggio Calabria in southern Italy to document the complex struggles of incoming migrants and the local population so often overlooked by mainstream media. Check out their new multimedia website which has interactive maps, stories of individuals, great photos, and short videos to use in your  classroom!
  • Story of a Syrian Family in Comic form: This comic illustrates a woman’s correspondence with ABC News about her family’s struggle to endure the war: ABC decided to team up with Marvel to create a free digital comic to tell her family’s story. There’s also a teacher discussion guide that has been created. Click here for the News Article, Comic, and Discussion Guide.
  • Asia Society Resources on Immigration, Migration, and Global Ed: The Asia Society has compiled a wealth of resources to help you facilitate discussions about diversity, inclusion, and current issues like the executive order, with your students and your community. Check out the comprehensive list of resources is on their website.

Current Events

  • The Choices Program of Brown University: The Choices Program’s “Teaching with the News initiative” provides online curriculum materials and lessons to connect the content of your classroom to the headlines in the news. Topics cover a range of foreign policy and international issues. Each news topic identifies objectives, readings and handouts.
  • Al Jazeera English: This is the English version of the Arabic-language news network. Breaking news and features plus background material including profiles and global reactions. Provides alternative views to Western media.
  • Common Ground News Service: As an initiative of the international conflict transformation organization Search for Common Ground, CGNews welcomes all stakeholders to share their perspectives on key issues affecting Muslim-Western relations and on race relations in the United States. CGNews provides constructive articles that foster dialogue.
  • Media Literacy and the Middle East: This site includes articles on media literacy education and suggestions for integrating media literacy exercises and activities into existing curricula.
  • Culture Under Threat Map: For those of you discussing ISIS (and other terrorist groups), this is an interesting  project to add: mapping the destruction of cultural heritage and artifacts in the MENA region. The ‘Cradle of Civilization’ is in danger, as cultural sites have been targeted by a variety of terror groups. This website seeks to aid efforts to protect heritage by providing a foundation for identifying #CultureUnderThreat in the broader context of terrorist activity in the MENA region. You can also talk about Project Mosul: an effort to restore destroyed antiquities using 3D modelling.
  • Soccer as a way to Explore Middle East Politics: Get your students to relate to politics in the Middle East! Soccer in the Middle East and North Africa is played as much on as off the pitch. Stadiums are a symbol of the battle for political freedom; economic opportunity; ethnic, religious and national identity; and gender rights. This blog explores the role of soccer at times of transition in society. You can use the labels bar on the right to filter by country and topic.