Minding the gap: Approaches to addressing the Middle East within the social science standards

In this article the author argues that the current academic standards for social science instruction in California are largely devoid of Middle East concepts and examination. While the standards are a guide for instruction, quality lessons can be inserted into the tenth-grade World History survey course as a start to move towards a more balanced global education. Through the use of primary sources and enrichment activities, students are exposed to major events such as the role of the Middle East in World War I, the creation of the state of Israel and the foundation of current world events. This article does not attempt to cover all major events in Middle East history for the past 500 years, but does offer solutions for teaching more enhanced Middle East content in the secondary classroom over the course of one academic year.