Teaching Historical Method and Thinking and as Sam Wineburg puts it “Other Unnatural Acts:” I teach both courses in Middle Eastern and Human Rights History. Teaching at least half of my courses outside the history department, I am invested in introducing the discipline of history to my students. I ask them to think historically and seek to exemplify the utility of history in understanding contemporary events. Through modeling and engaging students collectively in close readings of textual and visual primary and secondary sources, I teach students to consider the author’s argument, place the text into its historical context, evaluate the given evidence and respond responsibly with arguments based on solid evidence. The goal is to help students explore lived experiences of the past, think of the production of past and present knowledge, and the meaning of “historical truth.” I open discussions about alternative forms of historical records, what constitutes an archive, and also raise questions about the production of chronological narratives.This allows students to think about non-linear modes of history, and highlights the ambiguities of history that are often silenced in the production of knowledge. Please see the list to the right.