9th Grade Social Studies & History Guided Reading Books

Palestinian & Israeli: One question Two Perspectives

In this ebook you will find ten questions posed twice. One response is from a Palestinian & one from an Israeli. The views are moderate, but perspectives are clearly seen and can provide comparative insights into their respective perspectives. 

By asking these questions to both interviewees, we can compare the nuanced views that exist on either side of the conflict. It is important to approach these conversations with empathy and an open mind, as the answers will reflect deeply held beliefs and experiences shaped by a complex history and challenging realities.

The questions are followed by 10 potential assignments and projects aimed at a grades 9 to 12.

Here is a list of 10 questions that you can ask both a moderate Gazan Palestinian and a moderate Israeli:

1. Historical Narrative: How do you understand the history of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and how does that history inform your perspective on the current situation?
2. Personal Impact: In what ways has the conflict directly affected your life and the lives of those closest to you?
3. Security Concerns: How do you perceive the issues surrounding security and safety for your community, and what measures do you believe are necessary to improve them?
4. Political Solutions: What political solution do you envision as being the most fair and sustainable to address the issues of the conflict?
5. Land and Settlements: What is your stance on the issue of land, settlements, and the right of return for refugees?
6. International Role: How do you view the role of international actors, such as the United States or the United Nations, in resolving the conflict?
7. Daily Coexistence: Are there areas of daily life where you see successful coexistence between Israelis and Palestinians, and what can be learned from these examples?
8. Education and Misconceptions: What role do you think education plays in perpetuating or resolving the conflict, and what misconceptions might people on each side have about the other?
9. Economic Factors: How do you believe the conflict has shaped the economic situation for Palestinians and Israelis, and what economic changes would you propose to support peace efforts?
10. Vision for Peace: Can you describe your personal vision for peace and how individuals from both societies can contribute to achieving it?

These units are focused on close reading in history/social studies, primarily in the discipline of history, and using text-dependent questions to help students gain a deeper understanding of informational texts. Unit 3 will offer suggestions for how to implement FL CCSS in the other related disciplines of civics, economics, and geography. Why Close Reading Now? I wear a variety of professional hats—Department Head, Social Studies Coach, Youth In Government Advisor, Interactive Notebook Team member for the District, Chromebook Leader, tech Leader, School Based Leadership Team, AVID Tutor, and most of all Teacher. To keep myself honest (and humble), I spend a lot of time in classrooms watching kids and teachers at work. During the past few years, I've observed a transformation in the teaching of reading from an approach that measured readers' successful understanding of text through lengthy packets of comprehension questions to one that requires students to think about their thinking, activating their "good reader" strategies. The National Assessment of Educational Progress even made one of those strategies—making reader/text connections—a thinking strand within its framework (National Assessment Governing Board, 2002). For a long while, this approach looked ideal. What could be better than creating metacognitive readers? 14 Close reading files for your entire school year! Close Reading Topics Included: English Bill of Rights Mayflower Compact Montesquieu Thomas Paine- Common Sense Join or Die Declaration of Independence- Excerpt Declaration of Independence- Natural Rights Articles of Confederation Federalists Papers #51- Need Government Federalists Papers #51- Separation of Powers Alien & Sedition Act Cane Fight- Preston Brooks and Charles Sumner Analyzing Uncle Toms Cabin Emancipation Proclamation Eli Whitney Whiskey Rebellion Temperance Movement Woodrow Wilson WWI JFK Address Judicial Branch Legislative Branch Foreign Relations Paying for Government Power of Government