The Middle East Center (MEC) :: Useful Links, Resources, and Lesson Plans for K-12 Teachers and the Community

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Useful Links, Resources, and Lesson Plans for K-12 Teachers

The Middle East and the Islamic World

4Arabs.com Comprehensive search engine on the Arab world.
About.com - Israel Covers many aspects of Israeli politics, culture, and society.
Access Islam WNET, PBS's NYC affiliate, has launched a very good website for educators, featuring lesson plans and video clips from the PBS program
"Religion and Ethics Newsweekly" for grades 4-8.
African Studies Center at Penn Comprehensive country pages on all North African nations by our colleagues at the African Studies Center. The site is a great tool on all of Africa for K-12 teachers.
AIDS in North Africa and the Middle East Brief but excellent primer on HIV/AIDS in the region.
The American Forum for Global Education "Issues of Muslim Identity" - A high school curriculum including student readings, teacher guides, and maps.
Ancient Egypt Great website with gorgeous graphics and interactive features on everything you wanted to know about ancient Egypt. Especially good for advanced
elementary and middle school students.
The Auerbach Central Agency for Jewish Education Resources on Israel specifically targeting Jewish educators, but has many links and resources of interest to all teachers.
Al-bab Portal to many Middle East sites and resources.
Al Bawaba Middle East Gateway Everything from A-Z on the Arab world, including a kid's page and daily news from the region.
Are You Listening? Voices from the Middle East An anthology of stories with accompanying lesson plans from Turkey, Israel, Iran, and the Arab world compiled by Harvard's Middle East Outreach Center, tested and selected for their cultural richness and their appeal to high school students.
BBC News - Islam and the West Interactive site focusing on Islam in the news, including features, audio and visual streams with experts, analyses, virtual tour of Islam around the world, and much more.
BBC News - Israel and the Palestinians Timelines, key maps, leader profiles, the latest news and analyses, A-V streams, and more.
BBC News - The Struggle for Iraq Images, videos, and audio from the war, who's who in Iraq, accounts from ordinary Iraqis, and more.
Beliefnet Multipartisan, informative site on Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.
Canadian Aid for Southern Sudan Curriculum on Sudan and the war in Darfur.
The Choices Program High school lesson plan on U.S. Policy in Iraq developed by the Watson Institute for International Affairs at Brown University.
CIA World Factbook Concise Middle East country bios.
Columbia University - The Middle East Institute "(Re)embracing Diversity." High school curriculum on Muslims in America by the Muslims in New York Project at Columbia University. A fully integrated curriculum with a wealth of information on Islam and Muslims, handouts, and interactive classroom activities for students. Recently updated.
Council on Islamic Education Concise information on Islam, glossaries, teacher guides, suggestions for classroom activities, and important dates on the Islamic lunar calendar. Offers on-line lesson plans and an on-line Teacher's Forum.
Coverdell World Wise Schools Offers engaging stories, classroom resources, and ideas for service projects based on the experiences of Peace Corps volunteers, including those who have served in the Arab world and Islamic countries. You can also invite a returned Peace Corps volunteer in your area to come to your classroom through this program.
Detroit Free Press: 100 Questions and Answers About Arab Americans: A Journalist's Guide Useful FAQs on Arab American written in the aftermath of 9/11.
Electronic Iraq Partisan, but concise factsheets on the U.S. war in Iraq for the classroom and the public. The backgrounder by MERIP, refugees factsheet by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, and the Oxfam factsheet on the humanitarian implications of the war are particularly useful and accessible.

Emory Law School Interesting and accessible articles on all issues regarding Islam and human rights, and good links for activists.
Encyclopedia of Women and Islamic Cultures This free on-line publication offers a searchable database connecting scholars, students, practitioners, and activists with each other and with
NGO's, governmental agencies, and potential employers seeking researchers whose work specifically covers issues on women and gender related to Islamic cultures.
Eurasianet.org Very informative and interactive website with the latest news and analysis from the Caucasus and Central Asia.
Foreign Policy Research Institute Teacher workshops, summer institutes, programs for students, curriculum materials, and more sponsored by theForeign Policy Research Institute here in Philly.
FREE copy of the PBS documentary Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet. Click here to order.
Gift of the Indus Beautiful, informative and interactive website on the arts and culture of Pakistan for teens. Includes a moderated forum for American and Pakistani students to engage in cross-cultural conversation.
Al Hakawati Website designed in both English and Arabic that introduces the rich heritage of Arab lands and culture.
Harvard University - Middle East Lesson Plans Lesson plans on Ottoman history, women in the Middle East, music in the Arab world, diversity in Israel, and much more from Harvard University's Center for Middle East Studies.
HistoryTeacher.net Great website with links to original documents, maps, articles, analysis and much more from both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Also good link to similar sources on Afghanistan and the war on terrorism.
Horace Mann - Medieval Islamic Cultures Colorful, informative, and comprehensive web-based curriculum for grades 7-9 on Medieval Islamic cultures created by middle school teacher. Includes teacher guides and student activities pages.
International Crisis Group In-depth and well-researched reports on ethnic and civil conflict, political reform, diplomacy, and WMD proliferation in the Middle East and North Africa.
The Islam Project Lesson plans on Muslim immigration to America, religious and ethnic diversity, and stereotypes. The accompanying video, "American Muslim Teens Talk," can be borrowed from the Middle East Center.
Islamic Art Resources Great portal for resources on Islamic art put together by the Historians of Islamic Art association.
Islamic Spain Great resource on Andalusian Spain, including lesson plans, slideshow on architecture, time lines, interactive grid on the material culture of Al-Andalus, and
informative but accessible articles on everything from women to cooking to pharmacology to religious practices.
Israel.com Comprehensive portal for news and other information about Israel.
Israel21c The latest technological and scientific developments in Israel.
K-12 Lesson Plans A collection of lesson plans on "Islam Across the Continents: Africa, Asia and the Middle East" and "The Arts of Africa, Asia and the Middle East" from Penn's annual summer institute for K-12 teachers.
Library of Congress - Country Studies Middle East country profiles, including links to electronic resources selected by Library of Congress subject experts.
Media Construction of the Middle East Project Look Sharp, a media literacy project based at Ithaca College, has released an interactive digital media literacy curriculum on controversial issues in the Middle East. A CD/DVD version can also be requested at no charge. In addition to learning core content, students learn to analyze and decode media messages in a variety of forms including web pages, film clips, TV news, magazines, newspapers, and school textbooks.
MERIP - Primer Concise and well-written primer for high schoolers and up on the Arab-Israeli conflict from a pro-Palestinian perspective.
MERIP - Timeline A very useful timeline on the Arab-Israeli conflict.
MSN Encarta - Middle East Very accessible "encyclopedia" on the Middle East, with dynamic map and annotated photos.
Middle East Economic and Political Analysis Company Comprehensive economic and political analysis website that covers 16 countries in the region. Available by suscription only; students get a 6-month free subscription by e-mailing subscription@meepas.com
Middle East Network Library Click on a country and get the latest news, links to embassies, newsites and political parties, visa information, currency converter and even current weather conditions.
Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet You can borrow from the Middle East Center the DVD, "Muhammad: Legacy of a Prophet," to accompany the extensive lesson plans and resources on this link on the life and legacy of the Prophet Muhammad, all the way up to the events of 9/11 in terms of the values discussed in the life of Muhammad. The Middle East Center also has the PBS documentary, "Frontline: Muslims," for loan. Lesson plans for this DVD also available here.
Muslim, Christian & Jewish Relations A comprehensive catalog of UPenn Library resources on this topic.
Muslim Heritage Attractive and interactive website on Muslim contributions to civilization. Great for advanced middle school students to adults.
New York Times Lesson plans designed especially for high school teachers on Iraq and the Middle East using the New York Times.
NGOs Gateway Project Clearinghouse for Middle East Civil Society Organizations. Select a country on this website for interesting links to NGOs working for social, political, and economic change in the Arab world.
Oxfam's Cool Planet for Teachers Good resources, links, and curriculum on Sudan and the ongoing humanitarian crisis there.
Outreach World Over 65 lesson plans and resources on the Middle East for K-12 teachers covering all topics, regions, and historical periods.
PBS Frontline: Muslims The Middle East Center has the DVD for free rental to accompany this globally comprehensive and interactive website.
PBS Global Connections Designed especially for high school educators and students. Includes interactive timeline, links to activities and resources appropriate for the classroom, and lesson plans on terrorism, the role of women, natural resources, U.S. foreign policy, and more.
PBS Islam: Empire of Faith The Middle East Center has the DVD for free rental to accompany these interactive and interesting lesson plans. Grades 6-12.
PBS Wide Angle Detailed lesson plans for teachers based on the PBS international documentary series (purchase of videos not necessary). Lesson plans on the Western Sahara, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Islam, as well as other lessons on human rights, globalization, North Korea, Rwanda, and more.
Penn Middle East Center Lesson Plans Short, informational pages on a variety of Middle East topics.
Professional Cartoonists' Index Fun site on how to use cartoons to teach current events, including the Middle East, in the classroom.
RethinkingSchools.org - Middle East Map Game How fast can you play this cool geography game?
Salon.com - A is for Arab An alphabetical reminder of historical Middle Eastern contributions to world civilization. Informative and accessible for everyone.
Stanford University - Iranian Cultural and Information Center A wealth of information on Iranian culture, history, cuisine, and even sport
Timeline for Iraq War A good timeline of the run-up and aftermath of the Iraq War. Download the PDF, print on both sides, and you'll have a convenient hand-out.
The Travels of Ibn Battuta - A Virtual Tour with the 14th Century Traveler A cool "virtual tour" lesson plan on the famous 14th century Arab Traveller, Ibn Battuta, designed by a middle school teacher for grades 7-9. Includes teacher notes and student activities pages.
Turath.org Great link on Arabic music, with complete audio streams from past NPR programs, scholarly articles, and an excellent resource page with lots of free audio clips on diverse and country-specific songs and musical traditions, from Morocco to Iraq.
Turkish Cultural Foundation Excellent website for all things Turkish - from virtual tours of museums to recipes to lifestyles. Includes a great music portal where you can download clips.
United Nations - Cyber School Bus, Countries at a Glance Informative thumbnail profiles of Middle Eastern and other countries designed for students grades 6-12.
UC - Berkeley: Current Conflicts: Case Studies in the Middle East "Current Conflict: Case Studies in the Muslim World (Kashmir, Iraq and Israel/Palestine)." Lesson plans, maps, articles, primary sources, and useful links for high school classrooms.
University of Texas at Austin - Middle East Countries and Regions Concise summaries for educators and the public.
University of Texas at Austin - The Middle East Network Information Center (MENIC) Useful lesson plans and much more on the countries, religions, and ancient histories of the Middle East. Upper-elementary to Grade 12. Links to lesson plans on ancient Egypt are particularly good.
University of Texas at Austin - Middle East Map Collection All kinds of Mideast maps - great for printing out for classes and discussion groups.
US Dept. of State - Muslim Life in America Excellent overview of Muslims in America. Includes profiles on everything from Muslim rap music to a portrait of a Muslim teacher in a public school. Great for high school students or anyone wanting to learn more on Islam in America.
United States Institute of Peace Interesting simulations and teaching guides on terrorism, the Arab-Israeli conflict, and international peace-keeping.
The Washington Post: The Middle East - Making Space for Democracy Concise, well-done audio-visual streams on democratic developments in Syria, Lebanon, and Afghanistan. Good for classroom discussion.
Who Are The Turks? Free download of a very rich, comprehensive curriculum manual for K-12 teachers on history and related social disciplines, and art and literature. Includes lesson plans, work sheets, and homework readings.
The World Bank Group - Middle East and North Africa Includes all World Bank reports on the Middle East, plus audio and video streams from World Bank conferences on Middle East issues. Covers everything from women in Iraq to Arab street children to HIV/AIDS in the Middle East.
World History for Us All This is an excellent comprehensive model curriculum for teaching world history, culture, and geography using an integrative approach in middle and high schools. It offers a treasury of teaching units, lesson plans, activities, and resources, and
helps educators to meet state and national standards.

Language Links

Visit this portal which will take you down the language path of your choice (Arabic, Hebrew, Kurdish, Persian or Turkish).

Arabic:

Marhaba! Click here to learn Arabic through our user-friendly lesson plans designed especially for the Middle East Center at Penn.

Arabic Language Resources:

This website of the National Capital Language Resource Center provides teachers of Arabic in K-12 schools with teaching materials, resources, and professional development opportunities.

Syrian Arabic:

A free site where you can download both text and audio and learn Syrian Arabic on your own.

Hebrew:

A wonderful portal to numerous Hebrew language practice sites (and other languages as well).

Turkish:

Learn Turkish through this interactive site developed by the Center for Near Eastern Studies at UCLA.
Another free interactive site for beginning-level students of Turkish (includes flashcards).

Persian:

Practice lessons courtesy of Princeton University.
A gateway to a variety of free Persian lessons to fit your needs, from grammar to traveling.

Public Opinion and Attitudes in the Middle East and Islamic World

Pen Pals, High School Study Abroad Programs, and Much More!

PBS Pen Pal Exchange
Council on Standards for International Educational Travel Lots of links to different study abroad programs for high school students, but some also offer programs for college-age students.
AYUSA - Global Youth Exchange Study abroad opportunities for high school students in Lebanon and Tunisia. Full scholarships from the U.S. State Department for 16 students who apply!
Friendship Through Education A consortium of organizations (with good links to them) that helps to facilitate interactions between youth worldwide.
iEarn The largest non-profit global network that enables young people to engage in collaborative educational projects using the internet and other new technologies.
Global Schoolhouse A huge virtual meetinghouse where K-12 educators, students, parents, and the community can get together and collaborate, interact, develop, publish, and discover learning resources on international education. Great opportunities for scholarships, class trips, participation in global cyberconferences and cyberfairs, and much more.
Kids Space A very cute site for, by, and about K-6 students from around the world, who share their stories, art, and music.
National Council on US-Arab Relations offers programs for high school students in Kuwait, Jordan, Cairo, and Morocco.
Oranim Educational Initiatives International study trips for Jewish teens ages 15-18.

Disclaimer: These websites were chosen because of the information, interactive lesson plans, audiovisual educational resources, and other useful links they provide on the peoples, cultures, politics, economies, and general history of the Middle East. Some contain political opinions and analyses and represent diverse viewpoints. We do not endorse any one perspective, but aim to provide educators with some constructive tools to enhance their teaching of the Middle East, as well as increase interest, awareness, and knowledge of the region in the wider community. Have a website to recommend for our page? Click here and let us know.

Want to borrow a film or need a recommendation for your class, community group or place of worship? Contact the Middle East Center at 215-898-6335 . To see a listing of our films, click here.

See our K-12 Teaching Resources Lending Library here.

Get free resources for your classroom, discussion group, organization, or just for yourself by clicking here!

The Middle East Center (MEC)