Whether part of the curriculum or not, current events in Iraq and the mideast are sure to come up in your class. TeachersFirst created this page as a resource to help teachers during this time. Both internationally and domestically, thoughtful people hold a wide range of opinions on the United States' course of action in this conflict. These include those who offer wholehearted support, those who, while not averse to military action, would have preferred a different diplomatic effort beforehand, and those who oppose the use of force entirely. All of these beliefs are held sincerely, and they deserve our respect. We also know that, now that America has committed its military forces, Americans will want to encourage and support them.

Any disagreement is an opportunity for thinking, teaching, and learning. The links below offer some age-appropriate resources you can use to help students understand the various points of view on this issue. Neither the answers nor the outcomes are clear at this point, but we must assume that students will have questions. We hope these resources help them find answers. We will update these resources regularly, so check back often. These links open in a new window that you can resize, then close.

Upper Elementary students may want to know little more than where Iraq is and why our soldiers are headed there. The following links offer guidance on helping young children cope with war, and also provide some answers in very basic terms.

Helping Children Cope with War and Terrorism - A very helpful article for teachers and parents, especially those who work with younger children. This article, developed in cooperation with the National Association of School Psychologists, is also part of the members' section of our TeachersAndFamilies site.

Operation Dear Abby - Here's a web site that lets users send e-mail to support service members deployed overseas. Those sending the message can pick the service branch to which they send, but not the individual service member. This is one that even younger students can use effectively.

Support Our Troops - This Department of Defense page offers a variety of ways that users can support troops overseas - from simply sending e-mail to donating a phone calling card or sending a "virtual thank you card." This is another site that some students may want to try out.

Packages for Troops - The USO will forward donations and messages of support from individuals and corporations. These packages can contain items such as prepaid international calling cards, disposable cameras, toiletries and sunscreen. This site offers details and directions on how you can support this effort.

What Do Soldiers Eat? - Here's a page from a defense supply agency that explains just what's in a "Meal Ready to Eat" (MRE). There are details of menus, contents, and how to prepare them. You can even order your own supply. Try this one to meet students' curiosity about soldiers' daily lives.

Military Family Support Information - The US Department of Defense offers this summary - for both military families and those supporting them - of resources available to members of each of the armed services. In addition, there are links to several programs that provide information or assistance across all branches of the armed services.

Weather in Iraq - Here's a map showing today's predicted high and low temperatures for the mid east region.

When a Parent is Called - When a reservist is called to active duty it places additional strains on families, relationships, finances, and more. Here are some ideas that can help children and families manage the long separations and look forward to the parent's return. From our companion TeachersAndFamilies site.

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Middle School students may want to know why much of the rest of the world disagrees with the current military effort. These links to both domestic and foreign news sources can help students appreciate the variety of viewpoints held in different parts of the world. Maps of the region will also help students understand where the war is taking place.

Seven Tips on How to Watch the News - Our own editors offer seven tips for young people on how to watch the news and get a more complete understanding of world events.

The New York Times - A link to their editorial page. Free registration required.

The Washington Post - Their start page for Iraq coverage, with various links elsewhere.

The Chicago Tribune - A link to their editorial page. Free registration required.

The Peninsula - An English language daily newspaper from Doha, Qatar. Allied forces have numerous installations in Qatar.

The Jordan Times - English language version of one of Jordan's leading papers. The U.S. has overflight rights over Jordan for strikes against Iraq.

Deutsche Welle - Iraq Crisis - The home page for Iraq coverage from Germany's Deutsche Welle news service offers a combination of reporting on German, American and global actions and reactions.

Sydney Morning Herald - War on Iraq - Here's a view of the Iraq conflict from a leading newspaper in Australia, where government support for the war contrasts with widespread public disapproval.

The Times of London - Long a mainstay of the British press, the Times' coverage of Iraq extends throughout their web site, with a strong emphasis on the impact of the crisis on British politics.

Maps of Iraq - This PDF file from the Congressional Research Service offers two printable maps of Iraq along with web links to numerous other map resources. The maps included would be suitable for use as handouts at the middle or high school level.

Military Maps from BBC - Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this BBC map collection offers surprisingly detailed information on force strengths in various mideastern nations. The page includes links to similarly detailed information on other aspects of this looming conflict.

Daily Mideast Weather Forecasts - CNN offers a weather map of the region, along with links to forecasts for cities in the region.

MSNBC Iraq Reporting - Lots of information summarized in one place, including international reactions. Scroll down to the "interactives" for a long list of in-depth explanations.

NewsHour Teaching Resources - This teacher page from the PBS Newshour site includes a daily offering of articles designed for student use, as well as a collection of lesson plans dealing with issues such as the ethics of embedded journalists. There is lots of thought provoking content here.

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Depending on their interest and sophistication, high school students may want a more comprehensive look at the current crisis and the events of the decade that led up to it. The following links offer a deeper analysis of both the current situation and the events that preceded it.

On Winning the Peace - The Center for Strategic and International Studies offers a number of white paper and expert analyses of the principles and issues that will be important in rebuiding Iraq. These are all available as PDF files. While some of the analysis will likely be beyond the scope of a high school level discussion, the principles themselves aren't that complicated. Resources include:

CSIS Iraq Features - a collection of articles written as the war progresses.

A Wiser Peace - Written before the start of the war, this report outlines the factors necessary for a lasting peace.

Report of the Commission on Post-War Reconstruction - A report created by CSIS and the Association of the US Army.

U.S. Central Command Web Site - This site offers links to a variety of information on current military operations, including many photos. There are also numerous links to family support resources.

State Department - Iraq Update - The State Department's Iraq page offers transcripts of current diplomatic activities, as well as issues summaries dealing with the major questions surrounding the ongoing efforts to achieve disarmament in Iraq. This is a good resource for full texts of American diplomatic statements and communication.

Chronology of Arms Inspections in Iraq - This page from the Arms Control Association provides both a time line and an analysis of the ebb and flow of arms inspections in Iraq in the decade since the first Gulf War.

Readings on Iraq - The Council on Foreign Relations offers this collection of background material on the Iraq crisis. Drawn from a variety of presumably credible sources, serious readers will find a wealth of information from administration and independent sources.

Choices: Crisis With Iraq - Designed for high school students, this highly detailed lesson unit from Brown University lays out a set of diplomatic and strategic options for Iraq and the Middle East, placing an emphasis on the long-term results of different strategies. The unit invites students to explore the possible effects of different strategies. This site could help guide classroom discussions in many areas.

Crisis in Iraq - The Carnegie Endowment for International Peace created this site to provide a forum for examining strategic options that might solve the Iraq crisis. It includes both a collection of key documents and a variety of analyses suggesting alternatives to military force in forcing Iraq to comply with the will of the U.N.

WMD Profiles - Iraq Watch, a program of the Wisconsin Project on Nuclear Arms Control, offers this history of Iraq's various weapons of mass destruction (WMD) programs, nuclear, biological, and otherwise. It includes chronologies and analysis.

Military Fact Files from BBC - Prepared as background material to the increasing tensions in Iraq and the rest of the mideast, this page offers summaries of military capabilities of the various nations that have troops in the area. These pages offer reams of information on capabilities, training, missions, etc.

Dictionary of Military Terms - The U.S. Department of Defense offers this on-line dictionary to help civilians better understand the technical terminology of modern warfare.

United Nations News Center - The U.N.'s news page concentrates entirely on UN related activities and events. It's a good source for UN transcripts, but it offers little of the flavor found similar sites from the member states themselves. NOTE: The UN web site has a history of slow response.

Iraq - Center for Strategic and International Studies - CSIS offers one of the more scholarly and complete examinations of Iraq's military regime and the international response to that regime. Much on this site is well beyond the scope of secondary school discussion. We include it nonetheless as an excellent "for further reading" resource.

The non-violent alternative:

U.S. Institute of Peace - This organization was chartered by the Congress to explore peaceful alternatives to conflict resolution. Much of its current activity now centers on the issue of Iraq and on "religion-based peacemaking" that can be effective in situations involving volatile mixtures of Islamic, Jewish, and Christian cultures.

Just War – The Carter Center’s Case - The concept of “a just war” has been debated for decades as a logical way to establish whether the use of force in a specific situation carries any moral weight. This page from the Carter Center reprints an Op-Ed article by former president Jimmy Carter in which he asserts that current operations in Iraq fail the “just war” test on several grounds. Lots of interesting discussion possibilities with this one.

Nonviolence.org - The site offers a variety of opinion advocating peaceful means for resolving the Iraq conflict. Those quoted range from the well-known to the unknown.

Iraq Peace Team - This is an interesting site from an international group wishing to maintain an on-the-ground presence in Iraq in the event of hostilities. The group notes that they are not "human shields" but are interested in making the world aware of the importance of preserving the Iraqi infrastructure (e.g. water systems) so as to avert a humanitarian disaster.

Electronic Iraq - This is a sort of Iraq metasite with an anti-war stance. It offers summaries of stories and news items that support its position that there is significant international interest in non-violent alternatives to open warfare in Iraq.

For Reference:

United Nations Resolution 1441 - This is the full text of resolution 1441 as found on the U.S. State Department's site.

The Geneva Convention on Treatment of Prisoners of War - Full text of the Convention, as posted on the United Nations web site.

Arab Human Development Report - Produced by the United Nations Development Program and authored by dozens of Arabs, this report - nearly 200 pages - outlines the key impediments to development and stability in the Arab world. This is dense reading, though the press kit, also available from this link, offers a more succinct summary of the findings. Serious readers will find this one rewarding.

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For Teachers and Parents - Articles that can help you help your students understand and cope with events surrounding the war.

A Parent's Guide to War Anxiety - Teachers will also find this New York Times article useful. Free registration required; it's worth it.

Teachers Grapple with Wartime - A very good article from Education Week that shows a wide variety of reactions to the war and effective approaches for dealing with those reactions. The article also includes things students can do to feel involved.