Lesson 2 of 6 sample lessons from the Razor Wire & Olive Branches pack. This lesson uses role play and historic sources to explore Britain’s role in Palestine and what would become modern Israel during World War I. Students will practise their negotiation skills and explore power dynamics through in group work, before looking at this and place this experience in the context of Britain’s historic role as a colonial power in the Middle East. To make it simple, the initial negotiation is about whether and how to share an orange, which represents the land. The lesson then unpacks how the real diplomacy worked out during World War I and after, with Britain giving separate assurances to Arab leaders in Palestine, Jewish leaders and the French government. If you haven’t tried Lesson 1, which introduces the geography of Palestine and Israel, it’s available in our TES store.

In this lesson, learners will explore and evaluate different peacemaking efforts at the government level and by Palestinians and Israelis at the grassroots. The lesson takes a close look at the history of the Oslo peace process, but also at bottom-up peacebuilders from Palestine & Israel. This is lesson 6/6 based on the Razor Wire & Olive Branches learning pack (2019), produced by EAPPI UK & Ireland and Quakers in Britain. The resources are being released to aid online learning. Order the full pack from the Quaker bookshop.

(This is a lockdown lesson) 15 April 2020 marked the 7th anniversary of the liberation of Belsen Concentration Camp by British forces. This lesson uses Chinua Achebe’s famous poem “Vultures”, which refers to Belsen, to explore both language and the disturbing themes it brings out. The lesson explores language, imagery, story and juxtaposition. We also partnered with the Holocaust Memorial Foundation to provide a creative outlet, where young people can decorate their own stone as a contribution to the Holocaust Memorial to be built in London. See the lesson as tweeted here.