The long history surrounding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is deep and complicated. But there are things we know to be true. We know this conflict connects to imperialism and other oppressive systems that we encourage educators to name and address with students. We know that people are dying, fighting for their lives and engaging in liberation movements to be heard and treated with dignity—and that they’ve been doing so for decades. And we know that all children deserve to be safe.
Over the last 30 years, we’ve created hundreds of thousands of resources for educators offering guidance on a range of subjects. But when we changed our name, we made some promises—to ourselves and to our community. And one of those promises was to always learn alongside the educators we serve.
As in all learning, the first step is recognizing what we don’t know—and looking to those who can teach us. In the last week, many of you have looked to us for resources on teaching about what’s happening between Israel and Palestine. The fact is: We do not have these resources, but we do have friends and colleagues with more expertise in addressing injustice beyond the context of U.S. schools. Here are some of the people and organizations we’re learning from now. We hope you’ll share some of the resources you’ve found useful in the comments below.
Teaching Resources
TeachMideast | The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
“The Israeli-Palestinian conflict is among the most intricate and divisive issues on the global stage today, and teaching about it can be immensely difficult – but also immensely important.”
Rethinking Schools | Independence or Catastrophe? Teaching Palestine Through Multiple Perspectives
“I present the 1948 events as both the Israeli War of Independence and the Palestinian Nakba (nakba is Arabic for catastrophe). It is through the events of 1948 that students get their most intimate understanding of how different narratives determine what people see as the truth.”
The New York Times Learning Network | Teaching About the Current Conflict in Gaza and Israel
“In this lesson, students will learn about the roots, causes and impact of the escalating violence in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories.”
Teach Palestine
This page lists nine websites with materials specific to teaching about various aspects of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including lesson sets, curriculum and other supplemental resources.
PBS Newshour Extra | Studying Israel-Palestine Conflict Through Media Literacy Lens
Focusing on Israeli airstrikes on Gaza City on May 16, 2021, this page contains a video, discussion questions and additional resources.
Perspectives From the Region
Rethinking Schools | As an Arab American Muslim Mother, Here Is the Education I Want for My Children
“I hope that it doesn’t take another generation for us to witness a more expansive social studies curriculum that includes Palestine and the history of U.S. involvement in the Middle East — from the perspective of the people who are from the region.”
Just Vision Films
“Through our award-winning films and strategic public engagement campaigns, stories of Palestinians and Israelis working for a just, free and equal future have reached millions worldwide.”
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