Before the history begins
Decide first. Then live with the rule you chose.
Two presentations that treat a conflict over land as a problem in political philosophy rather than a story with a side. Students decide, name the principle behind the decision, and then discover what that principle costs when it is applied consistently.
Slideshow One
Who Belongs?
Six thought experiments about land, rights and political power
Students work through six fictional scenarios — return, majority rule, safety, historical claims, resistance and partition — and record their decisions and justifications in their exercise books.
Begin the scenariosSlideshow Two
Now Follow the Principle
What happens when your original decision becomes reality?
The consequence of each earlier decision is revealed in turn. Students test their rules for consistency, then decide whether to keep, reject or modify each one.
Reveal the consequencesTeacher note. Complete Slideshow One before opening Slideshow Two. Students should commit to their initial decisions before seeing the consequences.
How it runs
Project the slides and work through them as a class. Students write every answer in their 2B8 exercise books. Nothing is typed, saved or graded by the site.
Controls
Arrow keys or the space bar move between slides. Press f for full screen and Esc to leave it. Refreshing keeps your place.
Neutrality
Every scenario is fictional and carries no national, ethnic or religious markers. The point is the reasoning, not the recognition.
Where it leads
The principles students write here are the ones the historical evidence in the Atlas will test — Balfour, the Mandate, partition and 1948.