Teaching Humanity

Learning about Iranian history and culture is a gap in the American curriculum. Last year’s National Book Award winner, The Teacher of Nomad Land: A World War II Story, by Daniel Nayeri, is a beautiful step toward filling that gap. It follows orphans during World War II who discover how invaluable friendship can be in diffusing even the most tense conflicts. This book is so well written and would make a fantastic read-aloud to deepen students’ understanding of these important parts of the world.

Today, I am especially touched by this line from the Author’s Note: “It feels unfamiliar to us, due to recent history, but there was a time when the nations of Iran and Israel had more friendly relations. And perhaps it might offer a guiding influence for future resolutions as well.”

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He asked if there were any books about the environment in our classroom library and I put this treasure in his hands.