Understanding Palestine Today (A Kid's Guide to the Middle East)
Kid'S Guide To The Middle East Series
on Goodreads (8)
What’s inside...
Understanding Palestine Today is a book by Marcia Amidon Lüsted that provides a comprehensive overview of Palestine for children. It covers history, culture, and current issues, detailing the geographical, political, and social aspects of the region. The book explores the daily lives, traditions, and struggles of the Palestinian people, and likely addresses historical events, the ongoing conflict with Israel, and various stakeholder perspectives. Its aim is to foster understanding, empathy, and critical thinking about global issues, emphasizing the importance of peace and coexistence.
Series reading
Non-Sequential
Age
8-12
Length
64 pages
Text complexity
Discussion points
What are some similarities and differences you noticed between your daily life and the lives of children in Palestine?
Why do you think understanding different places like Palestine is important?
How do you think the children in Palestine feel about the things happening around them?
What are some ways we can help or show support to people who live in different parts of the world?
Tip: Role play these questions
Start the conversation by sharing your own thoughts on the book to demonstrate open communication.
Encourage your child to express their feelings and thoughts without interruption, showing interest through nodding and maintaining eye contact.
Use the illustrations in the book as visual aids to deepen the understanding of the discussed themes.
Connect the themes of the book to real-world events or news to make the discussion relevant and engaging.
Key lessons
Example Lesson: Cultural empathy
Explanation: The book delves into the diverse cultures and daily lives of people in Palestine, helping children understand the similarities and differences in experiences compared to their own.
Real-World Application: Children can apply this understanding by showing respect and being open-minded towards classmates and neighbors from different cultural backgrounds.
Example Lesson: Historical awareness
Explanation: By exploring the history of Palestine and its people, the book provides context to current events, giving children a grounding in historical influences.
Real-World Application: This knowledge helps children comprehend news stories and discussions about the Middle East, fostering informed and thoughtful future citizens.
Example Lesson: The value of peace
Explanation: The book discusses the importance of peace efforts and the impact of conflict on communities, promoting the idea of peaceful resolutions.
Real-World Application: Children learn to solve disputes with words rather than actions, applying peaceful methods in conflicts with peers.
Example Lesson: Importance of informed opinions
Explanation: ‘Understanding Palestine Today’ encourages critical thinking about media portrayals and differing perspectives on the Middle East.
Real-World Application: This encourages children to seek out information from multiple sources and form their opinions based on knowledge rather than bias.
Example Lesson: Global interconnectedness
Explanation: The book highlights how events in one part of the world affect others, illustrating the interconnected nature of our global community.
Real-World Application: This lesson teaches children to consider how their actions impact others globally, fostering a sense of global responsibility.