LESSON 5: THE WEST BANK Unit 6.I: Conflict and the Middle East

DO NOW What would you do if your brother, sister, or other family member who used to share a room with you came into the room later today and said that you have to make room for them and their stuff or find another place to sleep? Who should get the room? Suppose you got pressured? How could you solve the problem peaceably?

THE WEST BANK The West Bank is part of the Palestinian Territories. It is a strip of land that lies between Israel and Jordan. After World War I the land became part of the British Mandate of Palestine. However, since the 1948 Arab-Israeli War the border of the West Bank has changed.

THE WEST BANK During the Six Day War in 1967, Israel took control of the West Bank and it has been administered by Israel ever since. There are around 500,000 Israelis living in the West Bank today. The land is an area of dispute between Israel and the rest of the Arab nations.

NOTES For Palestinians, their human rights have been violated because of the Israeli occupation. Their quality of life is low, and they do not have access to many things that are necessary for life (food and water are challenges). What are Human Rights? Why do you think the Palestinians are having such a hard time on the West Bank?

NOTES For Israelis, there are not any human rights violations. They also have never had a place to live and they deserve to have a refuge. Why are the Israelis living well in the West Bank?

NOTES There are three main groups who live on the West Bank: Bedouin Arabs, Jews, and Palestinian refugees. What is a refugee?

GALLERY WALK We will break into small groups for this gallery walk. There are TWO (2) sets of the same information, so you will only visit one group of posters. Use the information at each station to explain the different experiences for living in the West Bank.

GROUP WORK Answer the questions with your table group or elbow buddy. 1. What worries do you think these children have as a result of the instability and conflict in the area where they live? 2. What kinds of things have these young people probably seen going on around them? 3. What do you have in common with these young people? (Consider thoughts, goals, fears, joys, etc.) 4. What are some ways in which these young people’s sleeping arrangements differ from yours? 5. What are some ways in which war and violence affect children over the course of their lives?

INDEPENDENT WORK Use the passages and what you learned today to answer the questions.

EXIT TICKET From the perspective of either a Jew or a Palestinian, explain your side of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. How do you feel about it? How do you feel about the opposite group of people? What do you think should be done? (5-7 sentences)