This paper will discuss several best practices for establishing baseline understanding of Middle East history for high school students in a world history class who have little to no prior knowledge of the Middle East. It is based on the author’s own experiences while teaching, and will not encompass all possible best practices, as those very much will depend on the overall background of the school and students being taught in question. The best practices include: ensuring student knowledge of the geography of the “Middle East;” establishing a basic understanding of the origins of Islam in a historical context; understanding the difference between several key vocabulary terms including “Islam,” “Muslim,” and “Arab;” identifying student misconceptions about the Middle East, especially as relates to present day news; presenting a well rounded set of historical events for students to learn about and analyze, both in terms of geographic and temporal locations; ensuring students within the classroom who may identify as Muslim or another identity associated with the Middle East are not put in the position of acting as a spokesperson for an entire region. The paper will include an appendix with sample lessons and a unit plan.