The Arab-Israeli Conflict

Overview

This website documents how one teacher strives to help her students understand the history and evolution of the Palestinian/Israeli conflict some of the different perspectives on it. The classroom videos and interviews with the teacher and students provide opportunities for viewers to:

Reflect on how the teacher makes comparisons to content addressed in other parts of the course (impact of British colonization on Africa and India Day 1, 22:50-25:21; assassination of Gandhi Day 2, 30:00);
Supports students’ intellectual engagement by making connections to student’s own lives and asking them to put themselves in comparable situations (writing prompt #1 Day 1, 1:36; Asking students to take a stand Day 2, 2:27; inviting students to advise President Obama Day 2, 43:00;
Goes over basic concepts and vocabulary (“what is a canal?” “Why are canals important?” Day 2, 15:00; “what is an accord?” Day 2, 28:53), but also supports deeper processing of information by interspersing the presentation of content with a variety of activities including 3 individual writing activities (Day 1), a poll (Day 2, 21:00), and an analysis of a political cartoon (Day 2, 30:25). In the process, the teacher touches on a wide range of relevant content including: Zionism, Balfour Declaration, Creation of state of Israel (1948), Al-Nakba (1949), Suez Crisis (1956), Six Day War (1967),Yom Kippur War (1973), OPEC oil embargo, Camp David Accords (1978), Intifada (1987), Assassination of Anwar Sadat (1981), Oslo accords (1993), and the assassination of Yitzhak Rabin (1995).

00:00 — Getting Started
01:36 — Introduction and writing prompt #1: "Imagine that you were forced out of your home..."
04:00 — Group Discussion: Using Student's personal opinions to frame the larger issue
08:36 — Background of the conflict: History of Israel
(Slides)
21:30 — Writing prompt #2: "How did British action lay the groundwork for conflict?"
23:45 — Group discussion: Drawing historical connections to British colonial impact in India and Africa
25:21 — Background of the conflict: Jewish migration, creation of Israel
41:06 — Writing prompt #3: "How might Al-Nakba lead to Palestinian nationalism?"
42:33 — Group discussion: "How might [Al-Nakba] lead to Palestinian nationalism?"

00:00 — Getting Started
02:27 — Soliciting students' opinions: "What is a possible solution to the tension between these two groups? Where do you stand?"
08:45 — Background of the conflict: PLO, Intifada, Suez crisis, Six day war, Yom Kippur war
22:50 — Video: American reaction to Yom Kippur war and OPEC oil embargo
30:03 — Background of the conflict: Camp David & Oslo accords
30:25 — Analysis & discussion of political cartoon
35:00 — Background of the conflict: Contemporary Israel
43:00 — Group discussion: "If you were working for President Obama, what would you suggest we do to resolve these issues?"

Interviews

Instructor
Student

Day One Interview with Cindy Severino
Day Two Interview with Cindy Severino
End of Year Interview with Cindy Severino

Day One Severino's Class, Student #1
Day One Severino's Class, Student #2
Day One Severino's Class, Student #3
Day One Severino's Class, Student #4
Day One Severino's Class, Student #5
Day One Severino's Class, Student #6
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #1
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #2
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #4
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #5
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #6
Day Two Severino's Class, Student #7

Cindy Severino, a social studies teacher at a Manhattan public high school, teaches a two day unit on the Palestinian/Israeli conflict in a 9^th grade global studies class.