Palestinian History
and Culture
Books, oral histories, film, folk music, and visual learning tools. These resources explore Palestinian identity and lived experience across multiple formats. Appropriate across grade levels.
Teaching ToolsLesson Plans, Archives, and Visual Learning
These resources are organized for classroom and educator use. They cover Palestinian social history, folk tradition, and documentary approaches to teaching beyond the standard Western narrative.
- Teach Palestinian StoriesA structured approach to centering Palestinian narratives in the classroom.
- Zinn Project: Palestinian Lessons and StoriesPrimary sources and student-facing lesson plans from the Zinn Education Project.
- Palestinian Oral History ArchiveOver 1,000 hours of testimonies covering social history, memory, and everyday Palestinian life. Use 10–15 minute clips in class.
- I Am From Palestine — animated shortAward-winning short animation. 8 minutes. Appropriate as a classroom opener or discussion anchor across grade levels.
- Palestine Film Institute: PFP Films ArchiveCurated Palestinian film archive. Strong for high school and community screening contexts.
- Palestinian Folk Music — Oak National AcademyAn intro learning resource covering the tradition and significance of Palestinian folk music.
- Visualizing Palestine 101A structured visual learning hub. Data visualizations and infographics that make complex history legible for students.
- Social Justice Books — Palestine TitlesRecommended titles for PreK–12 and adults. A curated list organized by age level.
BooksChildren's and Young Adult Literature
These titles center Palestinian voices and experiences in age-appropriate ways. Several have won awards for children's literature. Use them as classroom read-alouds, independent reading, or anchors for discussion.
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Baba, What Does My Name Mean?
A young Palestinian refugee learns the meaning of her name through a lyrical journey to her homeland.
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Counting Up the Olive Tree
A rhythmic number book in which Palestinian soccer players race to save an olive tree.
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Sitti's Bird: A Gaza Story
A childhood in Gaza told through visits to a grandmother's home. Raises questions about freedom and containment.
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Lana Makes Purple Pizza
2024 Palestine Book Award winner. A culinary journey connecting a young girl to Palestinian heritage.
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The Olive Tree Said to Me
A young girl learns the tradition of the olive harvest and what it means for the continuity of Palestinian community.
Dialogue and HealingFacilitation Resources for Educators
Discussing this topic in a classroom requires preparation. These guides support educators in facilitating honest, productive conversations while attending to the emotional needs of students who may have personal connections.
- IfNotNow: How to Have Hard ConversationsA guide for discussing Israel and Palestine. Useful for family engagement nights or parent communication.
- Learning for Justice: Discussing War and ConflictResources for educators, parents, and caregivers on approaching war and conflict with age-appropriate frameworks.
- Teaching While Muslim: Classroom ResourcesPractical classroom resources for Muslim educators navigating discussions of Palestine, conflict, and identity.
- The American Muslim Foundation: Trauma and Grief ResourcesCoping resources for the American Muslim community specifically addressing grief and trauma in the context of ongoing conflict.
- Zinn Education Project: Teaching About Violence in Palestine and IsraelStructured lesson frameworks for approaching the conflict with historical grounding and student-appropriate scaffolding.
Grade flexibilityAll resources apply across K–12. Books are strongest for elementary and middle. Teaching tools and dialogue guides are designed for educators at any level.
On the booksSeveral of these titles have won national children's book awards. They work as classroom read-alouds, independent reading, or anchor texts for discussion units.
Oral history noteThe Palestinian Oral History Archive has over 1,000 hours of material. Clip-based use — select 10–15 minute segments — is most effective in classroom settings.
On dialogue resourcesThe dialogue guides listed here each take a different facilitation approach. Preview before using to determine which fits your classroom culture.