Summary
This interactive workshop introduces secondary geography educators to graphic novels as powerful pedagogical tools for teaching spatial concepts related to human migration, geopolitical borders, and transnational movement. Drawing on GW’s Middle East Studies research collection curated by Dr. Amal Cavender, participants will explore how graphic narratives can transform complex geographic theories into accessible spatial stories. Dr. Cavender will highlight works like “Baddawi,” “Hakim’s Odyssey,” “The Arab of the Future,” “Persepolis,” and “Arab in America” that effectively visualize human mobility, cultural landscapes, and territorial conflict. These narratives provide geography teachers with compelling resources to illustrate concepts of place, space, and human-environment interaction through the lens of Middle Eastern experiences. Participants will receive a comprehensive research guide for integrating graphic novels into geography curricula, with attention to migration patterns, boarder politics and spatial perspectives.
Through guided activities, geography teachers will develop lesson plans that enhance students’ spatial thinking while fostering cross-cultural understanding, helping students recognize geographic patterns in human movement and develop nuanced perspectives on how geopolitical forces shape migration experiences locally and globally.
Session Focus
Secondary/High School | World/International | Human Migration, Geopolitical Borders, Graphic Novels in Education
Conference Room
Clark
Meet the Presenter
Dr. Amal Cavender, is a Middle East Studies research librarian in the Global Resource Center at George Washington University’s Gelman Library. Amal has a background in Arabic and Turkish languages, Islamic Art and architecture, and Middle East and North Africa research. She earned her Ph.D. in Global History from Purdue University and has worked in the US and abroad, teaching global history, religious studies, and Arabic and Turkish languages. Amal is fluent in five languages and focuses on collection development for Arabic, Turkish, and Persian languages, as well as literature, history, and religion. As a Middle East and North Africa area studies specialist with an academic teaching background, she is dedicated to enriching educational resources and promoting global understanding through her scholarly work and community engagement.
