Teaching Gaza (2023-2024):
A Multiple Narratives Approach
By Samia Shoman
Overview
This curriculum, centered on student analysis of text sets, is based on a framework for teaching about Palestine that aligns with districts’ policies on teaching controversial issues and stays true to the discipline of social sciences. It is often assumed that teaching about Palestine—and what is happening in Gaza—is too difficult and/or controversial. There are often attempts at silencing or encouraging teachers NOT to incorporate Palestine into their curriculum. Nevertheless, this framework has been used by many educators to teach Palestine and other historical events/times in history as student-centered units with the teacher as facilitator. The multiple narratives approach asks students to analyze historical facts through a critical lens by honoring the idea that historical facts, combined with the way humans experience them, lead to historical narratives. Some of these narratives are told and retold, while others may be hidden or suppressed. It is the goal of this approach to be inclusive of as many narratives as possible and to encourage students to bring in their own knowledge.
Supporting Materials
Pedagogical Approach
The pedagogy challenges students to learn content and apply critical thinking skills to synthesize what they are learning, and to come to their own conclusions. It allows teachers to facilitate the learning of content and skills; specifically document analysis, critical media literacy, and summary writing. This framework is an attempt to balance the idea of history as a discipline based on facts with history as a collection of human experiences based on peoples’ memories and perspectives.
Students are asked to analyze documents through a specific framework: facts, perspectives, narratives, and truth. It specifically asks students to consider facts and truths to be distinct. The premise is that facts are often layered with perspectives, which underlie a narrative that then is passed along as truth. This truth often does not equate to fact. These concepts can be introduced to students through non-historical or historical content so students have a clear idea of each concept before they apply. This framework was developed to be applied to any historical unit of study guided by essential questions, but can be used in other subjects as well. It is best complemented by teaching or reviewing critical literacy and media skills.
The events that have unfolded in Gaza since October 7th, 2023 are part of the longer history of Palestine/Israel and should be contextualized as such to give students the best understanding; even if that context is summarized. Hamas’ actions on October 7th should not be the starting point. It is important to anchor this unit in essential questions. It is also important to keep students open to outcome; this can be a challenge for students with close ties to the region and issues, but if they feel safe, they will be open to learning more.
This curriculum includes document sets for two possible essential questions:
Guiding Question One
Should what is happening in Gaza be considered a global humanitarian crisis? And to what extent do we have a responsibility to do something about it? What is your responsibility?
Guiding Question Two
Do current events in Gaza meet the definition of genocide based on the UN Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide?
Other possible essential questions to explore
- How has the meaning of home changed for people who live in Gaza?
- Should the United States government be demanding a ceasefire in Gaza?
- How effective has the global response to what is happening in Gaza been?
- Stances in support of Israel
- Worldwide protests
- Actions of different groups (Grand Central Station, Statue of Liberty, blocking arms shipments, focus on elected officials, etc.)
- Expelling or bringing home ambassadors (i.e Columbia, Chile, Spain, Honduras, South Africa)
- What strategies could the Israeli government be using to secure the release of their hostages in Gaza?
- What is the current cost of the situation in Gaza?
- Monetary
- Politically
- Militarily
- Human Life
- Infrastructure
- Homes
- Hospitals
- Schools
- Offices (news, human rights organizations)
- Psychological Toll