Rationale

Unit Rationale: The Israeli-Palestinian Conflict
=== The conflict between Palestinians and Israelis in the Middle East has been a cornerstone of world politics and the United States’ foreign relation policy for decades. It is important as social studies teachers to help create citizens who are informed about such major issues that may arise in an election. It is equally important that we help equip students with the skills needed to gather and interpret any new information about such a topic that may surface in the future. We should also realize that not all students will be motivated by the power of the vote so it is also important that students realize the possibility of future U.S. military involvement in the region and how that could affect them personally. ===

This unit will address the history and current status of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The ultimate goal is for the students to develop a strong base with this material so that they can use it in their justification(s) for a proposal for resolving the conflict. The sequence of the unit is key to helping students fulfill their ultimate goal of developing a proposal. We start with the history of the Jewish and Palestinian peoples and the region itself because it’s imperative that students understand how history exerts its impact on the thoughts, beliefs, and actions of peoples and nations. Both ancient and recent developments in history have had a large impact on the conflict so both must be explored. We end with more current events and an overview of the region today in order for students to truly realize that the conflict has not been solved and that diplomats are currently trying to come up with resolutions similar to what they will be creating in class. The structure of the unit is designed so that students can develop practical skills such as note taking, analysis, reasoning, working with technology, and public speaking. Students get deep into the material through activities such as the Jigsaw Reading and the Socratic Seminar. The Google Lit-Trip, Podcasts, and iMovie all have students working with and learning from some of the most recent developments in technology but also help transform what they are learning about from words to something much more tangible and personal. Also, the podcasts and final project allow students to share their work with their classmates and possibly others, creating a larger incentive to put forth their best work.