book and laptop with ideas coming out of it

In addition to the content produced by or in collaboration with CCAS, our workshops and professional development offerings connect teachers with valuable resources from other academic programs, as well as governmental, non-profit, and cultural organizations. This page features a curated collection of materials we’ve found especially useful for teaching about the Middle East, including both CCAS materials designed for the general public, as well as lesson plans, multimedia content, and reference guides from external sources.

CCAS Resources

Education Outreach YouTube Channel

The CCAS YouTube channel features nearly 300 videos from our past public lectures and workshops organized by thematic playlists. Be sure to check out our Education Outreach playlist featuring videos from our past events for K-14 educators.

CCAS Newsmagazine

The flagship publication of the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies is the CCAS Newsmagazine. Each issue is themed around a timely topic related to the study of the MENA and features articles that are written by scholars and experts but geared toward general-audience readers. Print copies of the CCAS Newsmagazine are made available at teacher workshops, but digital copies and web articles for each issue can be found here.

 

Resources on Global Topics

Teach Sudan Website

The Teach Sudan website was created by MAAS students Michael Overton, Ingie Gohar, and Shauna McLean in 2024 to help educators bring Sudanese history, culture, and current events into English-language classrooms. In the teacher portal, educators will find a high-school–level lesson plan aligned with Common Core standards as well as worksheets and adaptable classroom activities. The student portal features interactive assignments leading to a capstone research project in which students explore Sudanese art, culture, or activism using curated resources. The site draws on a wide-ranging collection of Sudanese literature, poetry, music, film, and activism — including contributions from contemporary authors like Emi Mahmoud — aiming to center Sudanese voices and encourage empathy, critical thinking, and deeper engagement with global issues. The resource supports teaching about Sudan’s complex history, from its cultural richness to the humanitarian impact of the 2023 war.

Indian Ocean in World History

This interactive website is based on a series of maps on the Indian Ocean from pre-history to the present, featuring routes and trade goods, ports, technologies, objects, documents and travelers. It is designed to help teachers and students explore interactions among cultures as a topic of study, and focssing on oceanic zones of interaction. It includes a set of over 500 entries across the eras that focus on examining different types of primary sources, based on World History Matters criteria.

Our Shared Past in the Mediterranean

This is a six-part curriculum unit created by subject-matter experts and scholars that stresses the transregional circulation of ideas, intercultural connections, and commercial ties across the Mediterranean—examining connections between societies in northern Africa, western Asia, and Europe from 5000 BCE to today. Each module includes downloadable lesson plans complete with background information, handouts, classroom activities, and prompts for written assignments.

 

Resources on Islam & World Religions

American Muslim Pathways

Inspired by Unity Productions Foundation’s documentary series “The Great Muslim American Road Trip,” this website provides resources for exploring the impact of Islam and Muslims in and on the United States from the 16th century to today. CCAS Education Outreach Director Dr. Susan Douglass produced the teaching resources along with Dr. Patrick Bowen and Dr. Sylviane Diouf.

PBS Teaching Materials for The Great Muslim American Road Trip

This resource provides educators with videos and downloadable plans to create grade-level appropriate lesson plans based on Unity Productions Foundation’s documentary series “The Great Muslim American Roadtrip.” Each video/lesson combination provides information on Virginia Department of Education and National Standards for Civics and Government for grades 6-12.

“Reducing Anti-Muslim Hostility through a ‘Wise’ Socratic Activity”

“Reaching the Heart by Changing the Mind: Reducing Anti-Muslim Hostility through a ‘Wise’ Socratic Activity” by Dr. Emile Bruneau is available through the Society of Personality and Social Psychology’s blog, Character & Context. The article outlines an activity to combat “collective blame hypocrisy” which can be used in the classroom. It was included as a resource for educators at an outreach event about teaching the Crusades, but the activity is applicable to a variety of course contexts and topics.

Emergence of Renaissance: Cultural Interactions Between Christians and Muslims

This collection of teaching resources by S. Douglass & K.D. Alavi (CIE, 2000) serves as a complete unit of study on interactions between Muslim and Christian European civilizations from 600 to 1500 CE. It consists of an introduction and four segments covering the topics of “Commerce and Travel,” “Education and Scholarship,” “Science and Technology,” and “The Visual Arts.”

Beyond 1001 Nights: A Sampler of Literature from Muslim Civilization

This resource by S. Douglass (CIE, 1999) provides excerpts from literature produced by Muslims and guides for classroom discussion and activities accompanying each selection. Teaching resources are designed for history and literature courses at the secondary school level. The selections of literature are split into twelve categories based on content and style: The Sayings of the Prophet Muhammad (Hadith); Communications of the Early Khalifahs (caliphs); Biographical Writings; Historical Writings; Scientific Writings; Political Writings; Philosophical Writings; Essays; Poetry; Maqamat; Humor, Stories, and Tales; Travel Accounts.

Cities of Light: The Rise and Fall of Islamic Spain – Film and Resources

The Unity Productions Films (UPF) documentary film Cities of Light details the extended history of Islamic Spain. CCAS and the United States Institute of Peace collaborated with UPF to produce a 45-minute classroom version of the film and a website with accompanying teaching materials, including lesson plans, a glossary of key terms, and links to additional resources.

Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World – Film and discussion guide

The Unity Productions Films (UPF) documentary, Islamic Art: Mirror of the Invisible World, explores the origins of Islam through the lens of art, highlighting the written word; development and influence of Muslim architecture in Africa, Asia, and Europe; and the blending of diverse cultural and religious heritage in the creation of art in Muslim lands. The companion discussion guide, which was written by CCAS Education Outreach Director Dr. Susan Douglass in collaboration with UPF, provides teachers with discussion guides for classroom use to help students engage with the information and themes highlighted in the film. Click here for the film (requires subscription) and here for the classroom discussion guide.

 

Resources on Palestine & Israel

Middle East Report – “Palestine: Before and After October 7”

This resource, produced by Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), provides links to articles highlighting Israel’s war on Gaza and surging settler violence in the West Bank; the rise of the global solidarity movement and the reactionary crackdown in the west; and the ways in which other regional actors have responded to the war.

“Palestine and Israel–A Primer”

This resource, produced by Middle East Research and Information Project (MERIP), provides a comprehensive yet concise overview of key actors, organizations, political developments, historical events, and diplomatic initiatives that have shaped Palestine and Israel from the 19th century to the present. The primer consists of 30 topical sections that are organized chronologically.

A Critique of a Common Curriculum on the Arab-Israeli Conflict

This article was written by MAAS student Chloe Daikh and published by NJCSS, a journal on the teaching of social studies. It critiques the five-lesson curriculum series Teaching the Arab-Israeli Conflict produced by the Institute for Curriculum Services (ICS). Although first published in 2022, the curriculum has been promoted more aggressively since October 7, 2023. While it appears credible and presents itself as a primary-source–based approach to teaching about Palestine and Israel, it is misaligned with national history and geography standards and offers students and teachers insufficient context and inaccurate information. As a result, it primes students to uncritically accept Israel’s ongoing settler-colonial violence in the West Bank, genocide in Gaza, and reinforces Islamophobic tropes. In addition to its critique, the article recommends primary sources that restore Palestinian experiences and perspectives, offering educators a clearer entry point for incorporating Palestinian-authored and Palestinian-centered materials into their classrooms.