Students learn the history of the city of Jerusalem over the last 4000 years, noting and researching significant events. In groups, they then read and research three other countries in the region—Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Next, they explore the background to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its ongoing nature. Finally, they are introduced to a youth program that brings together children from two sides of a conflict.
Students are introduced to the experience and its objectives, view an image of a walled city, and respond to a word cloud prompt by naming the city. They then post to a discussion wall explaining what purpose they think the wall around the city serves.
Teacher MovesPresent the overall lesson arc and objectives. Guide students to recognize the city as Jerusalem and explain that its walls were built, destroyed, and rebuilt for defense over many historical periods. Use student responses about the wall’s purpose to begin connecting geography, defense, and conflict in the region, then organize students into small groups for upcoming scenes.
Working in small groups, students watch Jerusalem: 4000 Years in 5 Minutes to gain an overview of Jerusalem’s long, contested history and jot down events they want to learn more about. Each group selects one event from the video, conducts brief research, and records five key facts explaining its historical importance on a shared wall. Students then review other groups’ posts and respond to at least two with questions or comments. Next, they examine a map of the Eastern Hemisphere highlighting the Middle East and, in small groups, discuss why this area has been conquered repeatedly before posting their reasoning to a discussion wall.
Teacher MovesConsider projecting and pausing the video periodically to highlight major events and answer questions. Support groups as they select events and research, prompting them to focus on causes, impacts, and connections to broader regional history. After students post their research, draw attention to strong examples and facilitate peer-to-peer questioning. When discussing the map, guide students to see the region as a strategic land bridge linking Europe, Asia, and Africa, and share insightful student explanations with the class to deepen understanding of why so many empires have sought control of this area. Prepare and assign each group one country—Jordan, Lebanon, or Syria—for the next scene.
In small groups, students read about the history of their assigned country—Jordan, Lebanon, or Syria—and may conduct additional research as needed. Each group creates a two-part presentation: (1) a timeline of significant historical events for their country, produced on a shared drawing canvas or on paper and uploaded; and (2) a written explanation describing the country’s population and how its demographic makeup connects to current regional conflicts, posted to a discussion wall. As the class views each group’s work, one group member presents their findings and classmates ask questions.
Teacher MovesEnsure each group has access to appropriate background information and research tools, and support them in selecting key events and organizing them chronologically on their timelines. Prompt students to connect population characteristics—such as religious, ethnic, or refugee groups—to present-day tensions or cooperation. Allocate sufficient time for each group to present, encourage active listening and questioning from peers, and emphasize that these presentations provide the main content about Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria. Transition students from group work to individual work for the remaining scenes.
Students read a pictorial timeline of the Arab-Israeli conflict to understand key developments and how the conflict has evolved up to 2009. They then read about youth-focused peacebuilding initiatives—Good Water Neighbors Project, West/Eastern Divan Orchestra, and PeacePlayers—to see examples of programs that bring together young people from opposing sides of a conflict. Drawing on these models, students design their own youth activity aimed at bringing together children separated by religious, ethnic, economic, or cultural divides and describe their proposed activity on a discussion wall.
Teacher MovesClarify the major turning points and perspectives represented in the Arab-Israeli conflict timeline, answering questions and correcting misconceptions. Highlight how each youth program uses shared interests or common goals to build trust across divides. Encourage students to be specific and realistic in designing their own activities, prompting them to consider logistics, inclusivity, and how their idea might foster empathy and cooperation. Share a range of student proposals with the class to showcase different approaches to peacebuilding.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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