Some modern scholars of Zoroastrianism, a faith still practiced in Iran and India today, are convinced that the doctrines of post-exilic Judaism and Christianity concerning monotheism, righteousness, and the final judgment and resurrection have roots in this ancient religion. Beginning with Martin Haug, a 19th centurey German philologist, the…

Suggests ten themes for a course on the Middle East. The themes are that the Middle East: (1) is a western concept; (2) contains diverse cultures; (3) has seen the rise and fall of many civilizations; (4) has been the crossroads of many empires; (5) is not all "oil rich"; (6) is the scene of political conflict; (7) consists primarily of new…

Reviews the shortcomings of existing textbooks' treatments of the Middle East and suggests a more balanced approach. The areas covered are: geography, resources, people, economics, politics, colonialism, independence movements, international relations, and religions and customs. Identifies instructional resources for teachers and students. (JDH)

Described are the contributions of Arab scientists to the fields of mathematics, astronomy, chemistry, physics, medicine, and geography since the founding of Islam. (SL)

This teacher resource book provides information on ancient Egypt via short essays, photographs, maps, charts, and drawings. Egyptian social and religious life, including writing, art, architecture, and even the practice of mummification, is conveniently summarized for the teacher or other practitioner in a series of one to three page articles with…

This lesson about Islam and the Koran is intended for grade 6 or 7 core classrooms. The lesson plan uses the story of Joseph (not Joseph, the father of Jesus, but Joseph who was abandoned by his brothers in a pit) as told in the Koran. The lesson plan does not provide a translation of the story but indicates where one can be found on the Internet.…

Most elementary teachers are inadequately prepared to teach about the Middle East. The situation is exacerbated by the fact that elementary texts dehumanize Middle Eastern peoples by reducing them to mere caricatures. Needed are the involvement of Middle Eastern studies experts in writing textbooks and the improvement of teacher's manuals. (RM)

Recounts experiences of an American teacher in Afghanistan from 1973-1975. Topics discussed include culture shock, adjustment to a foreign culture, Afghan history and culture, archaeological ruins, Islamic culture, economic and educational development, and Afghanistan's role in the modern world. (DB)

Examines how economic, social, and political conditions affected the formation of educational philosophy in Palestine during the 1972 revolution and again during the 1999 establishment of an independent Palestinian entity. Identifies educational philosophy as a central and decisive factor in shaping, reproducing, and representing individual and…

States that Zionist national identity in Israel today is split between a liberal, secular, Post-Zionist civic identity and an ethnic, religious, Neo-Zionist nationalistic identity. Describes the historical underpinnings of the two mutually antagonistic identities and reflects upon how each affects the perceptions of the boundaries of the…

Reports that the educational experience of Israeli Jews from Islamic countries (Mizrahi Jews) demonstrates the struggle between egalitarian rhetoric (a critical multiculturalism with a social-democratic character) on one hand and a practice of segregation (an autonomist multiculturalism with fundamentalist features) on the other. (Contains 78 end…

In the last two decades, the Israeli educational system has transformed from a state controlled and financed bureaucratic system into a decentralized, partly locally controlled, and increasingly privately financed system. Argues that these changes cater to the educational interest of middle and upper middle classes and undermine the principle of…

Although the Shah of Iran should be admired for his efforts to use education to deal with formidable social challenges, his goal of producing a modern state in a single generation was unrealistic. Entrenched traditional values and unpredicted economic changes such as the need in 1977 to slow down Iran's rate of growth in the face of runaway…

This book contains background information and suggested discussion questions and classroom activities for the teaching of the Old Testament as literature in junior and senior high school English classes. This approach to biblical scholarship attempts to represent the general consensus of those Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars who attempt…

The lessons in the teacher's guide about the Bible's Old Testament are based on historic and scientific scholarship and, to avoid a sectarian point of view, focus on the factual data generated by academic research. The lessons are based on what is known about the nature of oral tradition, recent archaeological findings, and the academic biblical…