This middle school history teacher uses complexity—and all the uncertainty that comes along with it—as the starting point for his unit on the Middle East.
How do you teach current events in a highly politicized climate in which facts have alternate versions and newspaper editors have worn out the thesaurus looking up synonyms for lie?
A couple of years ago a student approached me after history class. Avoiding eye contact, he trembled a bit before speaking. His voice was shaking. “I am sorry, teacher,” Armando began. “I could not finish my project. My parents were killed a couple days ago.”