Tag: teacherspayteachers

For educators: Create an illustrated glossary of Nahuatl/English loan words

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When you’re teaching from many textbooks, it’s easy to think of native societies as “the other” – the Aztec are conquered and swept aside, if they’re mentioned at all, and they appear from the perspective of their conquerors.  They didn’t even call themselves the Aztec, for that matter – they referred to themselves as the Mexica, a name lent to the modern nation, and often excluded from your textbooks to prevent confusion between the two among students.   Continue reading “For educators: Create an illustrated glossary of Nahuatl/English loan words” →

Empathy in Action Bingo: A Different Kind of Social Studies

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Now More Than Ever: Lesson Plans on the Basics of Islam and the Modern Middle East

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Some of these girls are refugees from Syria and Iraq.  Now, through the mercy and compassion of others, they are safe, fortunate enough to attend school in Bahrain.  But there are many more just like them still hoping to escape the conflict and war that continues unabated in their homeland. 

If only the United States – self-proclaimed greatest nation on Earth  – could hold itself to the same standard as Bahrain.

The President of the United States – acting from fear, ignorance, and prejudice, in defiance of the America’s best virtues, of tolerance, inclusion, and mercy – has unilaterally decided that Islam is the enemy.

Educators, do your part! Teach the next generation of American students that Islam is not the enemy. The enemy is extremism, whether it comes from Aleppo or Washington.
 
Find time in your class for one of these lessons on the history, beliefs, culture, and humane values of Islam.

Continue reading “Now More Than Ever: Lesson Plans on the Basics of Islam and the Modern Middle East” →

The Basics of Islam

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Five Pillars to Hold Myself Up: What do Muslims Believe?

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What are the basic teachings of Islam, and what does it mean to be a Muslim? Continue reading “Five Pillars to Hold Myself Up: What do Muslims Believe?” →

Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam

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Who was Muhammad, and how did the Arab world of the seventh century shape his teachings? Continue reading “Muhammad, the Prophet of Islam” →

United Arab Emirates Case Study: How would you diversify your single resource economy?

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This lesson was reported from:

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November 14, 2016: Big Buildings and Bigger Ideas in Bahrain

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What is the purpose of education?  Is it solely for the individual’s benefit – so that he or she can get a good job and have a successful career?  Or is it to produce a socially conscious citizen, someone who is curious and compassionate about the world and the people in it? Continue reading “November 14, 2016: Big Buildings and Bigger Ideas in Bahrain” →

Open Ended Social Studies on YouTube: The Inca

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Check out the inaugural episode of the Open Ended Social Studies YouTube series on the Inca.  It’s a great supplement to our featured lesson on the Inca.  Continue reading “Open Ended Social Studies on YouTube: The Inca” →

Unrecognized Potential: Terra Preta, Ancient Orchards, and Life in the Amazon

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Until relatively recently, it was widely believed that the Amazon Rainforest was incapable of sustaining large scale human development.  New findings have challenged this view, and evidence of ancient agriculture suggests that humans once developed this fragile region in ways so subtle that – in the form of carefully managed soils and prehistoric orchards – they have been hiding in plain sight all this time, challenging the basic tenants of “agriculture” as western eyes tend to recognize it. Continue reading “Unrecognized Potential: Terra Preta, Ancient Orchards, and Life in the Amazon” →