In the Classroom

Teaching about the War
Given the horror and intensity of the war in Iraq and Lebanon, it is critical that students learn to read beyond the rhetoric about root causes and meaningful solutions.

The below resources include information on the history, politics, and economics of wars and equity-related material on the Arab World.

Online Resources
A Foot in Both Places
An interactive educational toolkit built around 25 interviews with Arab, South Asian, and Muslim community activists. It features stories, photographs, music, games and more.

Rethinking Schools: Teaching about the War
A collection of articles and resources for classroom teachers on the war in Iraq, as well as issues of armed conflict and society's priorities.

Behind the HeadlinesA website created by Teaching for Change, features teaching tools, resources, and alternative news outlets on 9/11, the war on Iraq, and related issues.

Mixed Signals
A counter-recruitment tool in comic book form. It contains specific information on the enlistment contract and proposes alternative sources of college money, job training, and non-violent forms of community service.

Resources
All of the below titles can be found in the Teaching for Change Catalog.
 

Addicted to War: Why the U.S. Can't Kick Militarism
This hard-hitting, carefully documented and heavily illustrated comic book reveals why the United States has been involved in more wars in recent years than any other country.

Arms for the Poor
This video presents an international spectrum of dignitaries and activists who share the belief of one Nobel Laureate that "the poor are crying out for schools and doctors, not guns and generals."

D.C. Poets Against the War
An urgent dispatch featuring 59 Washington, DC area poets, ages 10 to 80, who raise their voices against their government's war on Iraq.

Hidden Wars of Desert Storm
This documentary looks at the origins of the Gulf War crisis and challenges the official Western "party-line" view of a spontaneous crusade for "Freedom & Democracy."

Palestine is Still the Issue
In 1977, the award-winning journalist and filmmaker, John Pilger, made a documentary telling how almost a million Palestinians had been been forced off their land in 1948 and 1967.

Regret to Inform
This beautifully filmed documentary follows director Barbara Sonneborn as she travels to Vietnam to the site of her husband's wartime death. Regret to Inform is ideal for classes taking a critical look at the impact of war on the lives of people on all sides of the conflict.

Scarves of Many Colors: Women and the Veil
This award-winning CD and curriculum engages students in thinking critically about stereotypes of "covered" Islamic women.

Ten Excellent Reasons Not to Join the Military
Contributors with firsthand experience point out the dangers facing soldiers, describe the tricks used by recruiters, and emphasize that there really are other options, even in a sluggish economy. It’s essential reading for anyone thinking of signing up.

Who are the Arabs: The Arab World in the Classroom
History, poetry, photographs, maps, short stories and articles by and about the Arab-speaking world. (Temporarily out of print.)

Whose Wars? Teaching about the Iraq War and the War Terrorism
A Rethinking Schools publication, this is the best collection available of readings and lessons on how to teach about the war in elementary and secondary schools.