Middle East Complexities: Culture and Conflict

This instructional kit, from Project Look Sharp, includes teacher guides, student handouts, and assessments. Through these materials, students "will learn core information...about...historical and contemporary Middle East issues that challenge stereotypical, simplistic and uninformed thinking, and political and ethical issues involving the role of media in constructing knowledge..." The goal of Project Look Sharp, from Ithaca College, is to provide instructional materials which integrate media literacy and critical thinking in the classroom. NOTE: You will need to register to receive Project Look Sharp's materials (all free).

Includes links to lesson plans from Global Connections: Middle East, which aggregates and contextualizes the rich resources available throughout public broadcasting, including material from Frontline, Online NewsHour, NOW with Bill Moyers, Morning Edition, Talk of the Nation, and many others. Designed with educators in mind, the site is also useful for those curious to better understand the Middle East and its relationship with the West.

What caused the conflict in Syria, and how should the international community respond? The Syrian Civil War explores how Syrian social movements and resistance have shaped the country’s history, highlighting the experiences and perspectives of Syrians from the past to the present.

IAmSyria.org is a non-profit organization whose mission is to educate the world about the Syrian Conflict through video, pictures, and media attention. The website includes a "Syria for Educators" section, which features a teacher's guide, along with a variety of materials for classroom use.