The mandate
Open the map in 1930 and find Mandatory Palestine, ruled by Britain after the First World War. Find Jerusalem, Jaffa and Haifa. Which countries are its neighbors?
Open this view on the mapMiddle East · 1947-1949
1948: Israel and the Palestinian Nakba
In 1947 the United Nations proposed to divide British Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. In May 1948 Israel declared independence, and war followed. For Israelis 1948 means independence; for Palestinians it is the Nakba, the catastrophe. Students study both stories with the map.
- Length
- 50 minutes
- Ages
- 13–16
- On the map
- 3 steps, AD 1930 to AD 1994
- Live lesson
- 7 rounds, 3 on the map
- Worksheet
- Two A4 pages, with Classroom
- You need
- A projector; phones for live
Live lesson · new in Classroom
Teach it live. The class answers on their phones.
Put the board on the projector. Students join with a six-digit code, no account needed, and tap the map: where was the frontier, where did the grain come from. Their pins drop in together when you reveal, and the closest student takes the round.
€19 per month: every lesson live, every worksheet, cancel anytime. Rome at its height runs live for free.
- 7 rounds
- 3 places to find on the map, quiz questions, a class vote and a one-line answer.
- About 15 minutes
- Run it as the map step, or to open the discussion. You move on with the space bar.
- A report
- Every answer, per student and per round, to read back or print after the lesson.
Introduction
5 minRead aloud
In 1947 the United Nations proposed to divide British Palestine into a Jewish and an Arab state. In May 1948 Israel declared independence, and war followed. For Israelis 1948 means independence; for Palestinians it is the Nakba, the catastrophe. Students study both stories with the map.
By the end of the lesson, students can
- Explain the competing claims of Jews and Palestinian Arabs to the land of the British Mandate.
- Describe the UN partition plan of 1947 and the war of 1948-1949.
- Explain why 1948 is remembered as Independence by Israelis and as the Nakba (catastrophe) by Palestinians.
Explore the map
15 minProject the map, or let students follow on their own devices. Each step opens the map at the right year and place.
The partition plan
Ask the atlas: "What did the UN partition plan of 1947 propose for Palestine and Jerusalem?" Look at the size of the land: why is it so hard to divide it into two states?
Open this view on the mapNeighbors and refugees
Zoom out to see Egypt, Jordan, Syria and Lebanon. Ask the atlas: "Where did Palestinian refugees go in 1948?" Then move to 1994: which areas does the map mark as Palestine?
Open this view on the mapClass discussion
15 minPick two or three. They run from what happened to why it mattered.
- After the Holocaust, many Jewish survivors wanted a state of their own. Why did that make the question of Palestine so urgent in 1947?
- Palestinian Arabs were the majority in the land, and their leaders rejected the partition plan. What were their reasons?
- About 700,000 Palestinian Arabs fled or were driven from their homes in 1948-1949. Why could most never return?
- In the years after 1948, hundreds of thousands of Jews left or were forced out of Arab countries, and many moved to Israel. How does this change the picture?
- Israelis celebrate Independence Day and Palestinians mark Nakba Day for the same events. How can a history book be fair to both?
Game round
10 minPlay one round of Rule History as Saladin, who ruled Jerusalem in the 12th century and faced rival claims to the city. Then compare: in 1947-1949 decisions were made by many actors at once: Britain, the UN, Jewish and Arab leaders, and neighboring states. Who held the most power?
Open Rule HistoryWorksheet
5 minThis worksheet comes with Classroom
€19 per month unlocks every worksheet, every live lesson and the class workspace. The free lesson prints without a subscription.