This lesson plan is for teachers who want to open up a conversation with their students about the current Israeli-Palestinian conflict in a way that encourages students to explore both sides of the conflict with compassion and critical thinking. Specifically, it offers an opportunity for students to explore the power of narratives and words and how they are used as an entry point into deeper discussion.
NOTE: This resource builds on our Viewpoint Diversity Challenge and we recommend that you run that lesson before running this one. While this lesson can stand on its own, the Viewpoint Diversity Challenge lays out a set of helpful ground rules that make discussing difficult topics easier. It also provides practice for some of the thinking skills referenced here that might not be as difficult for students as the Israeli/Palestinian conflict. All the materials for the Viewpoint Diversity Challenge are available here: mill-institute.org/resource/viewpoint-diversity-challenge.
