Middle East Summer Institute
The Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies is thrilled to announce its first annual Middle East Summer Institute for Educators, which will be held June 23-26, 2009 at the Levis Faculty Center at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. This intensive institute offers resources and methods for teaching about geography, religion, trade and art in the Middle East. Films, activities and discussion sessions will be incorporated into each session. The presenters will be: Barbara Petzen, the Education Director at the Middle East Policy Council, Susan Douglass, Education Consultant at the Prince Alwaleed Al Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding at Georgetown University, Audrey Shabbas, Director and Founder of the Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services, Dr. Hadi Esfahani, Director of the Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies and Professor of Economics, and Dr. Mohammad Khalil, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies at UIUC. While all are welcome, the curriculum material will be geared mainly towards high school and community college educators. Resources will also be appropriate for librarians, counselors, advisors, and administrators. Participating educators will be awarded 20-25 CPDUs of professional development credit.
Please see the institute flyer for more details.
Schedule of Events
Tuesday, June 23 – Content and Strategies for Teaching about the Middle East
| 8:15-8:45 | Registration |
| 8:45-9:00 | Welcome and opening remarks |
| 9:00-10:00 | Beginnings: Addressing Stereotypes, Realities and Diversity of the Middle East Barbara Petzen, Education Director, Middle East Policy Council |
| 10:00-10:50 | Teaching geography of the Contemporary Middle East Using Google Earth |
| 10:50-11:00 | Break |
| 11:00-12:00 | Gender Issues in the Middle East |
| 12:00-1:15 | Lunch |
| 1:15-2:15 | “Arabic in an Hour!” and Mosque Lamp Activity |
| 2:15-2:45 | Cross-cultural Proverbs Activity |
| 2:45-3:00 | Evaluations |
| 7:00 | Film screening and discussion: Children of Heaven |
Wednesday, June 24 – Connecting Cultures throughout Time and Space in the Classroom
Susan Douglass, Education Consultant, Awaleed bin Talal Center for Muslim-Christian Understanding, Georgetown University
| 9:00-9:45 | Building a Comfort Zone: Teaching about Religion in the Middle East Old and New Frameworks for Teaching about the Middle East in World History |
| 9:45-10:45 | Historical Issues for Survey Course Teachers The Arabian Peninsula as a Geographic Setting in History Historiography and the Spread of Islam Spread of Islam Map Activity |
| 10:45-11:00 | Break |
| 11:00-12:00 | The Middle East and the Indian Ocean: Connections Across the Eras Navigation Technologies and Cartography Crops and Commodities Travelers Across the Eras |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch (teachers may browse resource table) |
| 1:00-2:00 | Multidisciplinary Teaching Resources and Approaches Renaissances of Learning and Multiple Transmissions Trade and Artistic Exchange in the Middle East Lessons on Cultural Interactions for Multiple Levels and Disciplines |
| 2:00-3:00 | Approaches to Hot-Button Contemporary Issues What is Shari’ah? Women, Islam and the Middle East Islam and Terrorism Human Rights and Human Wrongs |
| 3:00-4:00 | Economic Development in the Middle East Dr. Hadi Salehi Esfahani, Director, Center for South Asian and Middle Eastern Studies; Professor of Economics, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign |
| 7:00 | Film screening and discussion: A Door to the Sky |
Thursday, June 25 – What the Arts Impart: Using Visual Arts, Literature and Poetry to Teach about the Middle East
Audrey Shabbas, Founder and Director, Arab World and Islamic Resources and School Services
| 9:00-10:50 | Understanding Islam through Visual Arts, Literature and Poetry |
| 10:50-11:00 | Break |
| 11:00-12:00 | Curricular Resources for the Classroom |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00-1:50 | Introduction to Islamic Art: Slide Program “Doorways to Islamic Art” Art Exercise: Triangle Grid Tessellation |
| 1:50-3:00 | Creating an Egyptian Tent Wall – Five Major Characteristics of Islamic Art |
| 3:00-3:15 | Evaluations |
| 6:00 | Dinner at Istanbul Restaurant |
Friday, June 26 – Islamic Celebrations and Lifestyles
Dr. Mohammad Khalil, Assistant Professor of Religious Studies, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
| 9:00-10:45 | Islamic Calendar and Celebrations |
| 10:30-10:40 | Break |
| 10:40-12:00 | From Quranic Recitations to Hip Hop: Musical Expressions of Islam |
| 12:00-1:00 | Lunch |
| 1:00-2:30 | Visit to Central Illinois Mosque and Islamic Center, Urbana, IL |
| 2:30-3:00 | Debriefing Mosque Visit |
| 3:00-3:15 | Closing Remarks and Evaluations |
View this schedule as a printable pdf.