Teaching the Palestine/Israel Conflict: A Multiple Narrative Approach

In 2013, Dr. Samia Shoman presented a workshop called Teaching the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli Conflict: A Multiple Narratives Approach at the annual conference of the California Council for the Social Studies.  Below are updated 2017 versions of the lesson outline and supporting documents from that presentation.  These documents may be downloaded for educational purposes at no cost but may not be used for commercial purposes.  The entire set is available on a USB drive.  The USB drive is free, but we request $5 for shipping. To order, email info@karamanow.org.

Dr. Shoman completed her undergraduate education in Political Science at the University of California at Davis. She continued her education at San Francisco State University where she earned a Single Subject Teaching Credential in Social Studies and a Masters degree in Multicultural Education. She earned a Doctorate of Education, with an emphasis on Organization and Leadership from the University of San Francisco. Her doctoral research focused on Palestinian- and Arab-American activism in the United States. Presently, Dr. Shoman teaches world history at Hillsdale High School in San Mateo, California and is a lecturer at San Francisco State University.

The lesson outline and documents below are based on 25 lessons presented over 5 weeks. Lessons can be modified or streamlined as needed fit actual time available for this topic.

Lesson Outline (doc)

Unit Overview (doc)

Documents for Lessons 1-4

Survey: How Much Do You Know About the Middle East? (doc)
Map: Historical Changes in Land Distribution and Demographics in Palestine/Israel (docx)
Map: Middle East and North Africa (pdf)
Map: Blank Outline (doc)
What Do You Know/What Do You Want to Know/ What Did You Learn Chart (doc)
Demographics Power Point (ppt)
Terms: Facts, Perspective, Narrative and Truth (doc)
Current Demographics(docx)
Bush Speech and Worksheet (doc)

Documents for Lessons 5-9

1897 Zionist Conference (doc)
Balfour Declaration and McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (doc)
Multiple Claims to One Land Worksheet (doc)
UN Special Committee on Palestine and UN Resolution 181 Worksheet (doc)
1948 Document Analysis Worksheet (doc)
1948 Document A: Two Narratives (docx)
1948 Document B: Deir Yassin Massacre (doc)
1948 Document C: Israeli Declaration of Independence (doc)
1948 Document D: Palestinian Refugees (doc)
First Four Minutes of Occcupation 101
1948 Document E: Holocaust Survivors in Israel (doc)
Events of 1948: Debrief and Analysis Worksheet (doc)
Jewish Diaspora and Jewish Immigration to Palestine Worksheet (doc)
1967 Readings and Worksheet (doc)

Documents for Lessons 10-11

Developments in the Arab/Palestinian-Israeli Conflict, 1960's-1980's, Power Point (pptx)
Developments in the Arab/Palestinian Conflict, 1960's-1980's, Graphic Organizer (docx)
Yom Kippur War Documents and Worksheet (doc)
First Intifada Readings (doc)
First Intifada Guide (doc)
First Intifada Power Point (pptx)
Damages Incurred by Palestinians During First Intifada (doc)
Israeli Narrative on First Intifada (pdf)

Documents for Lesson 12

Attempts at Peace Power Point (pptx)
Attempts at Peace Graphic Organizer (doc)
1993 Oslo Accords and 2003 "Road Map" (doc)
Graphic Organizer and Link to Voices From the Conflict (doc)

Documents for Lesson 13

Documents and Guiding Questions on Gaza Strip and Israel (doc)
Reading Guide on Wall/Security Barrier (doc)
2010 Wall Fact Sheet (pdf)
Israeli Security Ministry on Security Barrier (doc)
Advisory Opinion of the International Criminal Court(doc)
The Wall Power Point (pptx)
Three Perspectives on the Second Intifada (docx)
Three Sources on the Second Intifada Guide (doc)
Sharon Visit Video (mp4)
Second Intifada Worksheet (doc)

Documents for Lesson 14

The Conflict Continues Power Point (pptx)
The Conflict Continues Graphic Organizer (docx)
Palestinian Non-Violent Resistance and Civil Disobedience (doc)

Lesson 15 Documents

UN Conference on Palestinian-Israeli Conflict (doc)
Proposal and Resolution Forms (doc)
Oral Presentation Rubric (doc)
UN Project Rubric (docx)
UN Conference Note Sheet (doc)
UN Conference Reflection (doc)
UN Conference Project Nomination Form (doc)
Your Truth Assignment (docx)

Lessons 16-20

No documents for these lessons

Lessons 21-25 Documents

Desmond Tutu and Ilan Pappe Readings (doc)
People and Organizations Creating Paths to Peace Power Point (pptx)
Paving a Way to Peace Worksheet (doc)
UN Conference Project Nomination Form (doc)
YNET Article: Soccer for Peace: Jenin Barkai Summer Camp (mov)
Encounter Point: 7 Minute Trailer (mp4)
Certificate of Recognition (doc)
Proposal and Resolution Forms (docx)

Supplemental Materials

MSNBC: Joe Sarborough Video (mp4)
Fox News: Greg Jarrett Interview with Diana Butto (mp4)
CBS: Mads Gilbert Video (mp4)
NBC: Today Show Video (mp4)
CBS 60 Minutes: Bob Simon Reports on How Israeli Settlements Challenge Peace Prospects (mp4)
CBS 60 Minutes: Bob Simon Reports on Christians of the Holy Land (mp4)
Media Reporting on Palestinian/Israeli Conflict Worksheet (doc)
One Murder, Two Stories (docx)
My Neighborhood Trailer (mp4)
U2 at Obama Inauguration Concert (mov)
Sykes-Picot Agreement (doc)
Sykes-Picot Agreement Questions (doc)
Palestinian/Israeli Conflict Quiz #1 (doc)
Palestinian/Israeli Conflict Quiz #2 (doc)
Teacher Resources: Arab Spring (doc)