Workshops are also routinely held for prestigious national social studies and curriculum development associations. Workshop content and the materials used are highly regarded. Teachers throughout the country receive continuing-education credit for attending. 6,000 educators have attended 150 Council workshops in 38 states since 1985 Workshops last a full day but two-day workshops can be arranged to allow more time for instruction. Workshops examine in detail cultural geography, history, family and women in addition to recommending books and materials that are especially helpful when teaching about the modern period.
Special attention is paid to techniques on how to effectively communicate the new knowledge.
Attendees participate in hands-on activities and practice quizzes they can take directly back to their students. The principal reference is the 540-page Arab World Studies Notebook , edited by Ms. Shabbas. During the workshop, participants often discuss A Medieval Banquet in the Alhambra Palace, a cross-curriculum activity in which students take on the roles of notable figures in medieval life gathered for a banquet in 15th century Spain. An Alhambra Banquet is a fascinating event for an entire community which portrays the music, decorative arts, costumes, poetry, intellectual conversation and food of the period. In 1995 The Sidwell Friends School in Washington, DC staged an Alhambra Banquet in which Chelsea Clinton participated and President and Mrs. Clinton attended.