I have been teaching my 7th graders about Mesopotamia and the Middle East. This week, President Obama visited with Mahmoud Abbas, and met with Benjamin Netanyahu a few weeks ago. We did some research about the history between the Palestinians and Israelis (this map is a good discussion starter). Peace talks are scheduled between the two, but appear to be at an impasse. Each year this is in the news and it is important to link the history (beginnings of Judaism and Islam, creation of Israel, etc.) with the current issues going on there.
Linking the two gives students a way to see that events are connected to past events, and the past history people have with one another effects how they relate to each other now. They don't care much about the history if they don't think it has any impact on something going on in the world today (and I don't blame them for feeling that way). They are also more interested in current events when they know some things that led up to the event and know some of the history. They go hand in hand and compliment each other. It makes it more interesting to teach, and for the kids to learn.
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