Free teaching resources about the Israel-Hamas conflict and ceasefires

Published 14 February 2025

About this lesson

Our latest lesson puts students at the heart of the debate through interactive activities that build critical thinking and communication skills. Use this lesson to help students:

Learn about the history and context of the Israel-Hamas conflict
Discuss the challenges of negotiating ceasefires
Debate different perspectives on their effectiveness

What if I don't feel confident to teach these kinds of lessons?
We know that it might be daunting to have conversations in your classroom about race and identity. We've created a guide that gives practical tips on how to handle them with confidence, including:
- Ensuring all important perspectives are fairly represented, though some arguments might need more exploration, more time, or more challenge
- Championing facts and challenging misinformation
- Considering informing parents
- Being comfortable without an answer for everything
Read the tips here

Skills and knowledge

Every lesson has a skill and knowledge focus. Click to see this lesson's focus and some of the questions students will answer

Speaking
- Step 0: I speak clearly to someone I know
  Did you share ideas in a group?
- Step 5: I speak effectively by using appropriate language
  Did you adapt your ideas when reading each poster?
- Step 12: I speak adaptively by changing my content depending on the response of listeners
  Did you listen to other sides of the debates before sharing your ideas?
Knowledge

I know about the complexities of a ceasefire and can relate this to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Why does a ceasefire not necessarily end a war?