Maps are an excellent tool for taking students on meaningful adventures through geography, cultures, history, and current events.  We often think of maps as neutral documents that give us an unmediated snapshot of political borders and cities, or terrain, or resources. However, maps are human documents, and they therefore reflect their creators’ point of view. How does a mapmaker decide what is worth including on a map and what will be left out? How do these choices focus our attention on the mapmaker’s concerns? How do they reflect her intellectual, economic or political biases? Asking questions such as this will help students develop “map literacy” as they explore the fascinating history and cultures of the Middle East, as well as the significant role geography plays in the region.

Technology has revolutionized the way we look at and represent the world. Using innovative technologies like Google Earth allows students to appreciate the complexities of geography with an interactive interface rather than the two-dimensional, static perspective of “flat maps.” At a time when 85% of Americans still can’t find Israel, Iraq, Saudi Arabia and Iran on a map, letting students explore the region through this more engaging interface is more likely to allow them to make intellectually “sticky” connections between places, peoples, and events than traditional methods.

We hope that the Google Earth tours presented here will provoke questions and discussion about the complex realities of the Middle East. We, too, have made choices and followed our own inspiration in creating these interactive geographical pathways. Hopefully, the materials and lessons presented here will inspire you to create your own mental and physical maps of the Middle East, on paper or in Google Earth!