11 Overlay Maps That Will Change The Way You See The World – at Business Insider by Christina Sterbenz and Mike Nudelman.
Access Islam – Funded by the US Dept. of Education, this site gives students and teachers access to Internet-based videos, lesson plans, timelines, and associated materials aimed at educating grades 4-8 about Islam.
Afropop: Hip Deep – This site contains research, analysis, and audio features about music in Africa and within the African diaspora both of which have significant Muslim populations.
Against All Odds – The United Nations High Commissioner of Refugees – (UNHCR) interactive game that allows players to experience what it might be like if they were refugees.
Calligraphy Qalam – This site has interactive tools to learn about Ottoman, Persian and Arabic calligraphy.
An Encyclopaedia of the Orient – This is an encyclopedia style collection of articles on topics related to the Arab and Muslim Worlds.
Global Voices – Global Voices is an online resource that brings together a variety of these voices, showcasing blogs from throughout the region. You can follow the struggles of musicians in Bahrain, the life of Hossein Derakhshan, an Iranian blogger who is currently in jail facing the death penalty and Samar, a Saudi Arabian girl who has been imprisoned for disobeying her father. Rather than having just one blog on a subject, they compile several blogs and comments to provide a more informed view of an event, for example on the blog about Samar, there are comments that push for her freedom, while other people have made posts that are skeptical of her and her story. These blogs are not all political; they also address social and economic concerns.
Imperial History of the Middle East – Video, no audio, with graphics showing geographical reach of various empires that have reigned in the MENA region.
Iraq Primer from InfoPlease – This Primer on Iraq includes a timeline, maps, and a great deal of historical information about the situation in Iraq.
Mideast Images – Lessons from the Past for the Future – An online archive of images from the Middle East concerning topics of religion, people, design and architecture, and historic events, this site also includes a showcase of ancient cities – Aleppo, Baghdad, Cairo, Jerusalem, Istanbul, and Palmyra, parts of which were recently destroyed (August-September 2015) by the Islamic State. Given the erosion of cultural heritage in the region, this website is especially valuable right now.
Montada Project – Funded by the European Union, this website provides fun games for kids to learn about the intricacies of North African mosaics and architecture. So far, the website is only in Catalan, French and Spanish, but Google Translate does offer the option to convert the text into the English language.
Newseum – This site allows students to search newspaper and archives from around the world. They print the front page of 800 newspapers daily. It is a great resource for research and place to go to get multiple perspectives on issues.
Peacemaker – An interactive game that challenges players to solve the Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
PBS Cheat Sheet to the Conflict in Syria
PBS Global Connections: The Middle East – This site contains a wealth of information about the Middle East including includes timelines, historical facts and photographs, and themes that can be explored.
Smithsonian Institute Slideshows and Presentations:
Caravan Kingdoms: Yemen and the Ancient Incense Trade
The Adventures of Hamza
Caliphs & Kings: Art and Influence of Islamic Spain
Haft Awrang (Seven Thrones): A Royal Persian Manuscript by Jami
Iraq and China: Ceramics, Trade, and Innovation
Style and Status: Imperial Costumes from Ottoman Turkey
Sultan Qaboos Cultural Center Indian Ocean History – This site provides an interactive tour through the history of the Indian Ocean trade routes. (The many lessons which go with it cover world history, economics, geography, and literature standards.
The University of Chicago Middle East Library Archive – The Middle East Department of the University of Chicago Library maintains an archive of early photographs of the Middle East, which have been scanned and made available online. In the second half of the nineteenth century, the spread of the art of photography and the influx of Europeans into the lands of the Middle East conjoined in the creation of a large number of photographs produced by professional photographers. Enjoy this glimpse of the past which features images of iconic sites as well as daily life in the region.
The University of Washington’s Jackson School of International Studies – A discussion on common misconceptions and stereotypes of the Middle East, its people, geography, and religions in an easy-to-navigate flyer. This is suitable for students as well as teachers who may be less familiar with the region.
The Verizon Innovative App Challenge – A nationwide contest for middle- and high-school-aged students that challenges them to develop concepts for mobile apps that solve a problem in their community. It’s a unique, hands-on learning program that teaches collaboration, critical thinking, problem solving, and entrepreneurship, as well as STEM skills and coding. Its aim is to equip students with skills needed to succeed in the jobs of the future, delivering to students the promise of a brighter future. The guidelines are broad enough that kids can incorporate topics like Islamic math and science, Middle East specific environmental issues (the use of solar power), and the availability and use of natural resources (oil, gas, water). The website offers a great resource on how to think creatively, how to make a project plan, and how to make a project video. Have some fun!
A Virtual Walking Tour of the Alhambra – A virtual walking tour of the Alhambra complex in Spain, this site allows the viewer to experience the Alhambra as if she or he were really there.
