In this unit, we will be exploring the roots of modern issues in the Middle East, including the rise of ISIS.

To begin, we will look at Western perceptions of the Middle East and consider how that has affected events that have taken place in that region over the last century...

Lesson One:  What is the Middle East?

We looked at the following images (from Project Look Sharp) and discussed which ones "looked like" they were from the Middle East and which ones were actually from the Middle East...

Assignment: worksheet (TBA)

Images of the Middle East?

Lesson One:  Stereotypes of the Middle East:  Reflected in Hollywood

We viewed "Reel Bad Arabs" and discussed the stereotypes that have been reinforced through film - and other media - over the last century.

Assignment: Reel Bad Arabs Worksheet

Lesson Three:  What is Middle East culture?

We looked at perceptions that the West has of Middle East culture...

Assignment: worksheet (TBA)

Culture of the Middle East?

Lesson Four:  "Lines in the Sand": Exploring the Borders of the Middle East

Viewing a short documentary entitled "Lines in the Sand," we explored the origin of the borders of newly-created countries such as the Trans-Jordan, Iraq, Lebanon, and Syria following the First World War.  These Middle East countries, dubbed "mandates" by the League of Nations, fell under the control of Britain and France, with France overseeing Syria and Lebanon, and Britain everything else. The film also explored the numerous conflicting treaties made by the British between various groups in the Middle East in an effort to garner their support during the War, including the McMahon-Hussein Correspondence (1915), the Sykes-Picot Agreement (1916), and the Balfour Declaration (1917).

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