Download Middle East Unit-updated-2

Social Studies Unit Structure
Section 1
Unit Title
Middle East
Grade
Level/Audience/Class
context e.g. Honors…
Rationale / Abstract
A) What is the focus
of the unit and
the over-riding
question(s) to be
explored?
B) How does this
unit fit in with
what has been
taught before
and will be
taught?
C) Why is the unit
significant/relev
ant?
D) How does the
unit meet state
and national
standards
World Geography
8th Grade: Mixed and differently-abled
students. Students are predominately White
(89/103), there are 9 Black students and 3
Hispanic students.
A.) Focus: Students will investigate how physical
geography, economics, and culture interconnect
in the Middle East and how each factor play a role
in the development of a region.
 Overriding Questions to be explored:
o Why does place matter?
o How does land size, GDP, Population
size and resources impact each
country’s relative importance in this
region?
o How does physical and economic
characteristics impact the
development of the Middle East?
o How do land and water features
impact the region?
o How does physical geography shape
this economic and cultural
development of the Middle East?
B.) This unit will come after the unit on Sub-Saharan
Africa and before the unit on Europe. Students
will have considerable background knowledge on
modern-day issues facing the Middle East (as
much of our “Current Events” analysis focuses on
changes in this region. Prior to this unit, students
will have read Facing the Lion: Growing Up Maasai
on the African Savanna to contextualize SubSaharan Africa and to allow them to “cross the
sahel” into North Africa and Southwestern Asia
(“Middle East”).
C.) This unit will help to give students a context to
the world they live in and better understand the
Middle East: it’s history, culture, economy, and
importance. The Middle East maintains to be a
symbolic center of conflict, misunderstanding,
and clashing of fundamentally different
worldviews: stereotypes that are largely untrue
but grounded in historical context. Students
should understand the legacy of colonialism, war,
religious significances, and control over resources
in this region and recognize that it is not the place
that many Americans deem “impossible to
understand”.
D.) This unit meets the following Virginia state
standard as outlined in the Standards of
Learning:
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze the
physical, economic, and cultural characteristics of the
Middle East
This unit meets the following NCSS Standards:
I. Culture- The study of culture examines the
socially transmitted beliefs, values, institutions,
behaviors, traditions and way of life of a group of
people; it also encompasses other cultural
attributes and products, such as language,
literature, music, arts and artifacts, and
foods. Students will also learn that culture is
dynamic and changes over time. The study of
culture prepares students to ask and answer
questions such as: What is culture? What roles
does culture play in human and societal
development? What are the common
characteristics across cultures? How is unity
developed within and among cultures? What is
the role of diversity and how is it maintained
within a culture? How do various aspects of
culture such as belief systems, religious faith, or
political ideals, influence other parts of a culture
such as its institutions or literature, music, and
art? How does culture change over time to
accommodate different ideas, and beliefs? How
does cultural diffusion occur within and across
communities, regions, and nations?
III. People, Places, and Environments- The
study of people, places, and environments enables
us to understand the relationship between human
populations and the physical world. Students
learn where people and places are located and
why they are there. They examine the influence of
physical systems, such as climate, weather and
seasons, and natural resources, such as land and
water, on human populations. They study the
causes, patterns and effects of human settlement
and migration, learn of the roles of different kinds
of population centers in a society, and investigate
the impact of human activities on the
environment. This enables them to acquire a
useful basis of knowledge for informed decisionmaking on issues arising from humanenvironmental relationships.
IX: Global Connections: Global connections have
intensified and accelerated the changes faced at
the local, national, and international levels. The
effects are evident in rapidly changing social,
economic, and political institutions and systems.
World trade has expanded and technology has
removed or lowered many barriers, bringing farflung cultures, institutions, and systems together.
Connections among nations and regions of the
world provide opportunities as well as
uncertainties. The realities of global
interdependence require deeper understanding of
the increasing and diverse global connections
among world societies and regions.
Focus questions for the
Unit (4 -6 maximum).
1. How does environment influence humans?
2. How do humans influence their environment?
3. How does land size, GDP, Population size and
resources impact each country’s relative
importance in this region?
4. How does physical and economic characteristics
impact the development of the Middle East?
5. How do land and water features impact the region?
6. How does physical geography shape this economic
and cultural development of the Middle East?
Section 2
Unit Goals
SWBAT:
(larger learnings
from the focus
questions and vice
versa)
Locate key countries, physical features, water features,
cities, and places of North Africa/Southwestern Asia
(Middle East).
a) What will
students
understand as
a result of this
unit (Wiggins
and McTighe
levels of
understanding
).
From these larger
goals and questions
you will then develop
an understanding of
what concepts need
to be taught and also
this will let you build
more specific
objectives for each
lesson
Key concepts w/
definitions (min- 6)
Analyze the physical, economic, and cultural
characteristics of the North Africa/Southwestern Asia
(Middle East).
Steppe: a large area of flat unforested grassland in
southeastern Europe or Siberia
Sahel: A semiarid region of north-central Africa south of
the Sahara Desert.
Alluvial soils: a fine-grained fertile soil deposited by
water flowing over flood plains or in river beds
Delta: is a landform that forms at the mouth of a river,
where the river flows into anocean, sea, estuary, lake,
or reservoir. Deltas form
from deposition of sediment carried by a river as the flow
leaves its mouth.
Arid: having little or no rain; too dry or barren to support
vegetation.
Semi-arid: characterized by very little annual rainfall,
usually from 10 to 20 inches (25 to 50 cm)
Oasis: a small fertile or green area in a desert region,
usually having a spring or well
Wadis: a valley, ravine, or channel that is dry except in the
rainy season.
1. Monotheism: the doctrine or belief that there is only one
God.
Calligraphy: is a visual art related to writing
Mosaics: is the art of creating images with an assemblage
of small pieces of colored glass, stone, or other materials
Ka’aba: is a cuboid building at the center of Islam's most
sacred mosque, Al-Masjid al-Haram, in Mecca, Saudi
Arabia. It is the most sacred point within this most sacred
mosque, making it the most sacred location in Islam.
Aswan High Dam: is an embankment dam situated
across the Nile River in Aswan, Egypt.
Dome of the Rock: Islamic shrine located on the Temple
Mount in the Old City of Jerusalem
Western Wall: Jewish holy site as last remains of
Solomon’s Temple.
Hagia Sophia: a former Greek Orthodox patriarchal basilica
(church), later an imperial mosque, and now a museum
(Ayasofya Müzesi) in Istanbul, Turkey.
Mosque: Islamic house of worship.
1. Minaret: a tall slender tower, typically part of a mosque,
with a balcony from which a muezzin calls Muslims to
prayer.
Bazaar/Suq: a market: a permanent enclosed
merchandising area, marketplace, or street of shops where
goods and services are exchanged or sold.
Urbanization: is a population shift from rural to urban
areas, and the ways in which society adapts to the change.
Modernization: the transformation from a traditional,
rural, agrarian society to a secular, urban, industrial
society
Nomadic: A nomad is a person with no settled home, who
moves from place to place as a way of obtaining food,
finding pasture for livestock, or otherwise making a living.
OPEC: Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries
(Algeria, Angola, Ecuador, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,
Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates,
Venezuela)
Pastoralism: is the branch of agriculture concerned with
the raising of livestock. It is animal husbandry: the care,
tending and use of animals such as camels, goats, cattle,
yaks, llamas, and sheep.
Chokepoints: a geographical feature on land such as a
valley, defile or a bridge, or at sea such as a strait which an
armed force is forced to pass, sometimes on a
substantially narrower front, and therefore greatly
decreasing its combat power, in order to reach its
objective, also used with oil control. Examples are: Suez
Canal, Strait of Hormuz, Bab el Mandeb, Turkish straits,
Strait of Gibraltar
Section 3- Connecting Instruction /UBD (input your UBD
template)
Stage 1 – Desired Results
Established Goals: Students will be able to locate and analyze the physical, economic, and
cultural characteristics of the Middle East

How does physical geography shape this economic and cultural development of the Middle
East?
Understandings:
U
(begin with SOL curriculum frameworks)
Students will understand that…
The development of a region is influenced by
many factors, including physical, economic, and
cultural characteristics.
The interaction of humans with their environment
affects the development of a region.
Different criteria may be used to determine a
country’s relative importance.
Elements of the physical environment, such as
major bodies of water and mountains, influence
the economic and cultural characteristics of
regions.
Essential Questions:
Q
(Curriculum framework-but you own slant)
In what ways do physical, economic, and cultural
characteristics influence regional development?
What are some ways that human interaction
with the environment affects the development of
a region?
What are some criteria that may be used to
determine a country’s relative importance?
What impact do elements of the physical
environment, such as major bodies of water and
mountains, have on countries in a region?
How does place matter?
Students will know…
K
(begin with SOL curriculum frameworks)
Location of countries with particular
emphasis on:
 GDP
o Kuwait
o United Arab Emirates
o Qatar
o Israel
 Land Size
o Algeria
o Saudi Arabia
o Libya
 Population
o Iran
o Turkey
o Egypt
Physical characteristics
 Crossroads of Europe, Africa, and
Asia
 Desert and semiarid climates:
Sahara, sahel, steppes
 Mountains: Atlas, Taurus, Zagros
 Water features: Mediterranean
Sea, Red Sea, Black Sea, Arabian
Sea, Persian/Arabian Gulf, Strait of
Hormuz, Bosporus Strait,
Dardanelles Strait, Nile River,
Tigris River, Euphrates River,
Jordan River
 Seasonal flooding, alluvial soils,
delta regions, oases, wadis.
Economic characteristics
 Heavy reliance on primary
economic activity (oil drilling,
agriculture, pastoralism)
 Major producer of world’s oil
 Oil revenues: positive and negative
effects
 Water: the region’s most precious
resource
 Great variation in standards of
living, ranging from very high to
Students will be able to…
S (D)
(begin with SOL curriculum frameworks)
From SOL Curriculum Framework:
WG.4:
Explain charts comparing two or more
concepts.
Identify primary ideas expressed in
graphic data.
Gather, classify, and interpret
information.
Draw conclusions and make inferences
about data.
Explain cause-and-effect relationships.
Identify and locate regions, continents,
oceans, and major features on maps and
globes.








poverty-stricken.
Regional conflict, political unrest
that affects tourism
Aswan High Dam: Positive and
negative effects
Suez Canal: enhanced shipping
routes in the region
Guest workers
Trade important to the region
from earliest time
Wide range of per capita incomes
and levels of development
Contemporary trade routes (sea
lanes)
Organization of Petroleum
Exporting Countries (OPEC)
Cultural characteristics
 Rapid urbanization
 Modernization center in urban
areas while traditional life
continues in rural areas
 Large percentage of population
under age 15
 Population unevenly distributed
 Arab countries and the Arabic
languages
 Non-Arab countries: Turkey, Iran,
Israel
 Birthplace of three major
monotheistic religions: Judaism,
Christianity, and Islam
 Conflict over Palestine
 Nomadic lifestyles
 Art that reflects the diversity of the
religions (stained glass, geometric
tiles, calligraphy, mosaics, prayer
rugs)
 Cultural landscape:
o Mosques, minarets,
o Church of the Holy
Sepulcher
o Hagia Sophia
o Bazaars, suqs
o Western Wall

o Dome of the Rock
o Kaaba
o Pyramids
o Oil rigs
o Walled cities
Cities as centers of culture and
trade
o Baghdad
o Cairo
o Istanbul
o Jerusalem
o Mecca
o Tehran
Stage 2 – Assessment Evidence
Performance Tasks:
Students will take a comprehensive unit
assessment on the physical, economic, and
cultural characteristics of the Middle East.
T
Other Evidence:
OE
Students will take “map quizzes” on cities,
physical features, and water features in addition
to a PowerPoint research project and
entrance/exit tickets.
Stage 3 – Learning Plan
Learning Activities:
L
What sequence of teaching and learning will equip students to engage with, develop and
demonstrate the desired understandings? List the key teaching and learning activities in
sequence. Can you identify/code each entry with the appropriate initials of the WHERETO:
WHERETO
W = Where is the unit or lesson headed, and why?
H = Hook the students’ interest and hold it.
E = Experience learning activities that foster attainment of the performance objectives.
R = Reflect, rethink, revise.
E = Evaluate progress through self-assessment.
T = Tailor instruction to meet student needs.
O = Organize instruction to optimize understanding.
What sequence of teaching and learning will equip students to engage with, develop and demonstrate
the desired understandings? Use the following page to list the key teaching and learning
activities in sequence. Code each entry with the appropriate initials of the WHERETO as best
you can. (Also think about how you will order these strategies to support your chronology of
instruction)
1. Lesson 1: Introduction to the Middle East
Why is the Middle East the “Middle East”? It is middle of what? East of what? How
do preconceived notions about the Middle East effect how we study it? Where is the
Middle East and why does that matter?
o Students will utilize interactive map activities to fill out graphic organizers
investigating the Middle East.
2. Lesson 2: Introduction to the Middle East
What major geographic features do we need to address when we study the Middle
East? What mountain ranges, climates, resources, water access, chokepoints, and
city development should we keep in mind?
o Students will intersect how physical geography gives rise to cultural
variation and how religion and society impact the environment.
o Students will come up and use mnemonic devices to help them remember the
countries of this region.
3. Lesson 3: Map work on the Middle East
What key places and cities are we studying when we look at the Middle East? Why
did these places develop here? Why are they significant?
o Students will look at how location effects economic and political activity and
why certain places are “naturally” wealthier.
o Students will practice their research skills and make their own powerpoint
presentations with a partner on a certain location.
4. Lesson 4: Continuing map work on the Middle East – tying it all together
Students will need to practice all water features, mountains, choke points and key
places in preparation for their quiz and finish their power point presentations (and
present to the class).
o Students will also expand on economic and cultural characteristics
5. Lesson 5: Quiz on physical features of the Middle East and Current Events.
After the quiz (labeling all features on the map), students will engage in current
events (found at http://www.cnn.com/studentnews). This lesson will vary
depending on what is happening in the region at the time of study.
6. Lesson 6: Cultural Characteristics of the Middle East
What religions, beliefs, and social structures exist in the Middle East? What lifestyles
are represented? What is the demography of the region?
o Students will delve deeper into the people and populations of the region and
investigate how humans impact their environment and how the environment
impacts people.
7. Lesson 7: History of the Middle East
How did boundaries change over time? Why are certain conflicts hot and others
cold? How does its history as a crossroads of culture impact its development? Why
do names matter? How does colonialism impact its development? What are the key
sites of conflict?
o Students will take notes and study in different stations in a jigsaw activity to
understand the complicated history of the Middle East, particularly within
the last 70 years.
8. Lesson 8: Economic characteristics of the Middle East
What role does oil play in the development of the Middle East? How does access to
water impact the region? What are chokepoints and why do they matter? What are
the primary economic activities of the region? What are the standards of living and
quality of life?
o Students will look at how economics and culture change over time and how
trade and globalization impact development.
9. Lesson 9: Tying it all together
How do cultural, economic, and physical characteristics of the Middle East
intertwine? How do we understand the Middle East? What are the most important
things to walk away with?
10. Lesson 10: Further review and clarifications
o Final reviews before the Unit Assessment. Emphasis on physical, economic,
and cultural characteristics.
Stage 1
Alignment: The logic of Backward Design
(What do the desired results imply?)
Stage 2
Stage 3
If the desired results
is
For learners to …
Understand that…
Then, you need
evidence of the
students’ ability
to…
Then, the learning
activities need to …
U
the Middle East is a
complex and dynamic
region in the world and
offers significant cultural
and economic capital to
the world and has
developed in a certain way
based on its long history
and physical location.
L
Locate specific features,
countries, and significance of
the Middle East as a region
and analyze each element as
it constructs to form the
whole.
And thoughtfully consider
the questions…
Q
How does physical location
impact the development of a
region?
Then, the tasks to be
assessed need to include
some things like…
T
Students will take a quiz on
the physical features and a
unit test based on the unit
organizer.
OE
Build on each idea, explore
each concept presented in
the unit plan, and be used as
stepping stones to help them
understand the significance
of the place.
Section 4- Resources
Resources (link to specific activity)
Maps and Images:
Web based resources
Political maps of the Middle East:
http://www.sheppardsoftware.com/middleeast_G0_Click.html (keeping in mind that this
is not all of the Middle East)
Students will use this as practice for the
political boundaries of the Middle East.
CNN Student News: Will vary depending on the
leading stories of the day, but will be used
weekly when discussing the Middle East
Primary Images (students will add
their own)
Section 5- Moving onto individual lesson planning (first a
lesson catalogue for each lesson – followed by detailed lesson
plan for each lesson)
Lesson #1 Overview
Why is the Middle
East the “Middle
East”?
/WG.4: Students
will be able to
locate and analyze
physical, economic,
and cultural
characteristics of
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
Why is the Middle East the “Middle East”?
Big Question for
lesson
(from teaching
thesis)
Specific lesson
Objectives
(transfer from
above).
How do we (as people living in the United States) understand
the Middle East and what shapes those ideas?
Content
focused/action
verbs
Assessment of
Objective(s)
e.g. Obj 1=
Obj 2=
(you do not need to
formally assess all
objectives
individually – can
do them as a group
if appropriate)
Brief explanation
of scope of lesson
(explanation of
tasks, and
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze physical,
economic, and cultural characteristics of North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East).
NCSS Standards I (Culture) and III (People, Places, and
Environment).
The student will locate and analyze physical, economic, and
cultural characteristics of North Africa and Southwest Asia
(Middle East)
Content focused action verbs: locate and analyze
Students will use creative writing techniques to make a
critical hypothesis on an image that characterizes part of the
Middle East.
Students will be able to locate physical features and political
boundaries of North Africa and Southwest Asia (Middle East)
through an interactive map activity.
Students will utilize a graphic organizer to analyze the
specific economic, cultural, and physical characteristics of
certain cities in the Middle East.
Critical thinking and writing practice: students will analyze
an image with no context and use creative thinking tools to
tell a story. They must ground their ideas on what they see in
the picture and use whatever imagination they have to
assessments)
embellish and explore. They should not worry about “being
right”.
How are you trying
to motivate
students in your
opener? What is
your closure?
Students should question what they understand of a place.
How we understand something can seem fixed and objective,
but it is always much more complicated than that.
The closure asks students to think, on their own, what
certain economic, cultural, and physical features of the
Middle East have impacted its development and how we
study this place today.
Section 6. Middle East Lesson Plan 1
Title: Why is the Middle East the “Middle East”?
Grade and Subject: 8th Grade World Geography
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
SOL #:
WG.4
What is the guiding
question for this lesson?
Must be presented in the
lesson to students
How will student
understanding be
assessed?
-include assessments.
NCSS Theme:
I and III
What makes the Middle East the “Middle East”?
Students will be formally assessed in a SMART
goals rubric in a writing activity.
Students will also be formally assessed in their exit
ticket.
Students will be informally assessed on their
powerpoint presentations they give to the class.
Key Concepts (no definition necessary):
Middle East, Arab/Non-Arab, Islam
SWBAT (as many as required by lesson):
#1 Students will be able to interpret and analyze images through a creative writing
activity.
#2 Students will be able analyze the importance of certain places in the region
through graphic organizers.
Just Do It (hook): The teacher will hand out a blank world map and a sheet cover with
an Expo marker. Students will be asked to color on their map where the “Middle East” is.
Students will then share their maps with their neighbors and see how similar/different
their maps are. Why the differences? Why the similarities?
Obj #1
Description of Lesson Procedure
Check for Evidence of
Understanding
Students will be able to interpret and analyze
Grade based on a rubric for
images through a creative writing activity.
writing style, prose, and
 Powerpoint presentation:
evidentiary support.
o Where is the Middle East? (show
map) This is what Virginia
considers the Middle East? Who’s
map looked different? Which
places are maybe missing? What
supports our idea of what the
Middle East looks like?
o Why is the Middle East the
“Middle East”?
 Morocco is very west of
Western Europe! What is
the East of?
 We name the world based
on Western ideas. How we
study the Middle East
through that lens. There is
a powerful political
decision in naming a
region, but keep in mind,
many individuals in the
region have owned that
label for themselves.
Names are powerful.
o As we’ve discussed in previous
classes, history, economics,
lifestyle, religion, and conflict
have shaped much of how we
understand that place. Keep in
mind how you look at something
may be based on what others have
decided for you. My job is to give
you as much balanced information
as I can and you can more deeply
understand this region (because we
are super involved in this place)
 Students will receive one of eleven
images. If they already know what the
image is (or what a neighbor’s image is!),
they will keep it to themselves.
 Individually, they will write a story. What
happened here? What context clues do
you see in the image to help explain what
happened here (be creative! It can be
anything! As long as you use the image to
support your story!)
Transition: Share your story and make predictions about why I chose those images!
Students will be able analyze the importance of Informal assessment of
Obj 2
certain places in the region through graphic
student participation in notes.
organizers.
 Intro to the geography of the Middle
East with powerpoint with each image
represented and a brief overview of
certain important places in the region.
 When your image comes up, tell us the
story you came up with and why you
thought of that!
Transition: Turning the stories in
Closure Exit Ticket: How did we come to name the
Middle East the Middle East?
Closure (How does this come back to the guiding question): It directly lines
up with the guiding question.
Modifications/Differentiation:
All IEPS and 504s will be recognized and instruction will be adapted accordingly. In certain
circumstances, with an aid or other instructor, the materials could be replaced or modified
for more verbal, more visual, or some video materials.
Materials Used:
Material A:
Material B:
Material C:
(Cairo)
Material D:
(Jerusalem)
Material E:
(Tehran)
Material F:
(Istanbul)
Material G:
(Damascus)
Material H:
(Baghdad)
Material I:
(Aswan High Dam – Egypt)
Material J:
(Ka’aba)
Material K:
(Western Wall- Jerusalem)
Material L:
(Dome of the Rock- Jerusalem)
Material M:
(Hagia Sophia)
Material N Unit Organizer:
Material N continued:
Material O:
Slip Cover and Expo markers to use to practice.
Material P:
Middle East Graphic Organizer
Fill out this graphic organizer while we go through each place on the powerpoint presentation.
Name:____________________________________
Block:______________
Cities:
Cairo
Economic Characteristics
Cultural Characteristics
Physical Characteristics
(Where is it?)
Why should we study this
place?
Istanbul
Jerusalem
Tehran
Damascus
Economic
Characteristics
Cultural
Characteristics
Physical
Characteristics
Why should we
study this place?
Baghdad
Mecca
Siwa
Section 6. Middle East Lesson Plan 2
Title: Physical Geography of the Middle East
Grade and Subject: 8th Grade World Geography
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
SOL #:
WG.4
NCSS Theme:
What is the guiding
question for this lesson?
Must be presented in the
lesson to students
How will student
understanding be
assessed?
-include assessments.
I and III
How does the physical environment shape the
culture and economy of a region?
Students will use maps to locate important physical
features of the Middle East.
Students will be able to locate physical features and
political boundaries of North Africa and Southwest
Asia (Middle East) through an interactive map
activity.
Key Concepts (no definition necessary):
Chokepoint, Jordan River, Euphrates River, Tigris River, Nile River, Strait of Dardanelles,
Strait of Hormuz, Persian Gulf, Black Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Bab el Mandeb, Strait
of Gibraltar
SWBAT (as many as required by lesson):
#1 Students will be able to locate specific physical characteristics of the Middle East.
#2 Students will create mnemonic devices to help them remember political
boundaries in the Middle East.
Just Do It (hook): Take out your Middle East maps from last class and with a
partner, try to go over the places we went over in class. Which ones do you
remember? Where do they fit on our maps?
Lesson #2 Overview
Physical
Characteristics of
the Middle East
/ WG.4: Students
will be able to
locate and analyze
physical, economic,
and cultural
characteristics of
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
Physical Characteristics of the Middle East
Big Question for
lesson
(from teaching
thesis)
Specific lesson
Objectives
(transfer from
above).
How does the physical environment shape the culture and
economy of a region?
Content
focused/action
verbs
Assessment of
Objective(s)
e.g. Obj 1=
Obj 2=
(you do not need to
formally assess all
objectives
individually – can
do them as a group
if appropriate)
Brief explanation
of scope of lesson
(explanation of
tasks, and
assessments)
How are you trying
to motivate
students in your
opener? What is
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze physical,
economic, and cultural characteristics of North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East).
NCSS Standards I (Culture) and III (People, Places, and
Environment).
The student will locate and analyze physical, economic, and
cultural characteristics of North Africa and Southwest Asia
(Middle East)
Locate and analyze
Students will use maps to locate important physical features
of the Middle East.
Students will locate important political boundaries of the Middle
East through the creation of mnemonic devices.
Students will study the specific physical characteristics of the
region (water features and mountains) and come up with
mnemonic devices to remember the political map of the
region.
Students should question what they understand of a place.
How we understand something can seem fixed and objective,
but it is always much more complicated than that.
your closure?
Obj #1
The closure asks students to think, on their own, what
certain economic, cultural, and physical features of the
Middle East have impacted its development and how we
study this place today.
Description of Lesson Procedure:
What major geographic features
do we need to address when we
study the Middle East? What
mountain ranges, climates,
resources, water access,
chokepoints, and city
development should we keep in
mind?
o Students will look at how
location effects economic
and political activity and
why certain places are
“naturally” wealthier.
o Students will come up and
use mnemonic devices to
help them remember the
countries of this region.
Students will be able to locate and
analyze physical geography of the Middle
East
 Students will receive the physical
maps of the Middle East with the
mountain ranges, rivers, and choke
points labeled.
 There will be a word bank and
students will color-code and label
their key and research where each
physical feature is located.
Check for Evidence of
Understanding
In their small groups, students
will remember Algeria, Libya,
and Egypt in North Africa.
They will also remember Syria,
Israel, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran,
Yemen, and Turkey.
Informal assessment of where
and how students are labeling
and following along.
Transition: Students will take out their maps and move their desks into groups of 2.
They may take out their wireless devices to help them.
Students will be able to locate and
Obj 2
analyze the physical geography of the
Middle East
 Students will create mnemonic
devices with a partner to remember
specific countries in the Middle
East.
Transition: Students will read off their favorites to the class
Closure Students will write their mnemonic
devices into an exit ticket and give them
to the teacher on the way out.
Closure (How does this come back to the guiding question): It should help
them remember what critical geographic features compose the Middle East.
Modifications/Differentiation:
All IEPS and 504s will be recognized and instruction will be adapted accordingly. In certain
circumstances, with an aid or other instructor, the materials could be replaced or modified
for more verbal, more visual, or some video materials.
Materials Used:
Material A: Choke points map
Material B: Atlas, Taurus, Zagros mountain ranges
Material C: Water features (marked bodies of water and unmarked river ways- Nile, Jordan,
Tigris and Euphrates)
Material D: Blank Middle East Map (see previous lesson)
Section 6. Middle East Lesson Plan 3
Title: Economic Characteristics of the Middle East
Grade and Subject: 8th Grade World Geography
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
SOL #:
WG.4
What is the guiding
question for this lesson?
Must be presented in the
lesson to students
How will student
understanding be
assessed?
-include assessments.
NCSS Theme:
I and III
How do natural and man-made resources impact
the cultural development of a region?
Students will be informally assessed on their
graphic organizers.
Students will be formally assessed on their
PowerPoint presentations based on a rubric.
Key Concepts (no definition necessary):
Cairo, Istanbul, Mecca, Jerusalem, Great Pyramids, Siwa, Hagia Sophia, Western Wall, Dome
of the Rock, Damascus, Baghdad.
SWBAT (as many as required by lesson):
#1 Students will identify the impact of OPEC and oil as it relates to the overall
development of the region through a graphic organizer.
#2 Students will be able to analyze the economic and cultural characteristics of
certain cities/places in North Africa and Southwest Asia (Middle East) through an
individual research activity using in-classroom technology.
Just Do It (hook): On the front table, grab a notecard and create a postcard
for one of the places we learned in the Middle East! Be creative!
Lesson #3 Overview
Economic
Characteristics of
the Middle East
/ WG.4: Students
will be able to
locate and analyze
physical, economic,
and cultural
characteristics of
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
Economic Characteristics of the Middle East
Big Question for
lesson
(from teaching
thesis)
Specific lesson
Objectives
(transfer from
above).
How do natural and man-made resources impact the cultural
development of a region?
Content
focused/action
verbs
Assessment of
Objective(s)
e.g. Obj 1=
Obj 2=
(you do not need to
formally assess all
objectives
individually – can
do them as a group
if appropriate)
Brief explanation
of scope of lesson
(explanation of
tasks, and
assessments)
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze physical,
economic, and cultural characteristics of North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East).
NCSS Standards I (Culture) and III (People, Places, and
Environment).
Students will identify the impact of OPEC and oil as it relates
to the overall development of the region through a graphic
organizer.
Students will be able to analyze the economic and cultural
characteristics of certain cities/places in North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East) through an individual research
activity using in-classroom technology.
Students will identify the impact of OPEC and oil as it relates
to the overall development of the region through a graphic
organizer.
Students will be able to analyze the economic and cultural
characteristics of certain cities/places in North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East) through an individual research
activity using in-classroom technology.
Students will look at a map of oil exports and how certain
countries gain wealth to better associate how natural
resources can make a country naturally wealthier than
another.
Students will use research tools and critical thinking to
research each image and place. Students must address the
economic, cultural, and physical geography of each place,
How are you trying
to motivate
students in your
opener? What is
your closure?
Obj #1
where it is located, and what the significance of that place is.
Students should question what they understand of a place.
How we understand something can seem fixed and objective,
but it is always much more complicated than that.
The closure asks students to think, on their own, what
certain economic, cultural, and physical features of the
Middle East have impacted its development and how we
study this place today.
Description of Lesson Procedure
Students will investigate the intersection
of how physical geography gives rise to
cultural variation and how religion and
society impact the environment.
 Students will take out their Middle
East Map and label all countries,
water features and mountains.
 Group review activity: students
will work in groups of 4 while the
teacher facilitates to remind
students about specific countries.
 Students will study the power of
OPEC and oil in the economic
building of the region.
Check for Evidence of
Understanding
Informal assessment of how
well students remember
certain places/features (so as
to know what to focus on with
review before the quiz)
Transition: Students will put their notes and practice materials away and take out a
computer from the Computer Lab cart.
Students will locate and analyze physical, Students must include:
Obj 2
cultural, and economic characteristics of
 Physical features
the Middle East through a PowerPoint
 Cultural features
research activity.
 Economic features
 Students will practice their
 Location (in the world
research skills and make their
and in the region)
own powerpoint presentations
 Why this place matters
with a partner on a certain
location.
List of places:
 Students will work in their groups
 Cairo
of 2 with a computer to study a
 Damascus
specific location/city. The teacher
 Istanbul
will determine with place/city
 Baghdad
each group will be assigned (so as
 Jerusalem
to not have too many groups
 Western Wall
working on one location)









Dome of the Rock
Church of the Holy
Sepulcher
Great Pyramids
Ka’aba
Mecca
Aswan High Dam
Hagia Sophia
Siwa
Tehran
Transition: Students will turn in computers
Closure Write down one fact you learned about
the place you’ve decided to research and
turn it in on the way out!
Closure (How does this come back to the guiding question): Choose 1 of the
places/cities that you learned about today (it cannot be the one you were assigned). How
do these places help you understand the physical geography, economics, and culture of this
place? How does the economic characteristics of a place impact the culture and physical
geography of the place (humans interacting with environment)
Modifications/Differentiation:
All IEPS and 504s will be recognized and instruction will be adapted accordingly. In certain
circumstances, with an aid or other instructor, the materials could be replaced or modified
for more verbal, more visual, or some video materials.
Materials Used:
Material A: Powerpoint presentation on the instructions for the assignment
Section 6. Middle East Lesson Plan 4
Title: People and Places in the Middle East
Grade and Subject: 8th Grade World Geography
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
SOL #:
WG.4
What is the guiding
question for this lesson?
Must be presented in the
lesson to students
How will student
understanding be
assessed?
-include assessments.
NCSS Theme:
I and III
What are the most important places and cities in
the Middle East and why do they matter?
Students will be able to interpret the significance of
certain locations in the Middle East with an
emphasis in culture, physical geography, and
economics.
Key Concepts (no definition necessary):
SWBAT (as many as required by lesson):
#1 Students will be able to locate and analyze major cities and places of the “Middle East”
through a research activity.
Just Do It (hook): Take out the notecard you started on last class and finish
it. Make sure to put colored pencils back when you are finished!
Lesson #4 Overview
Review of the
People and Places
in the Middle East/
WG.4: Students will
be able to locate
and analyze
physical, economic,
and cultural
characteristics of
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
People and Places in the Middle East
Big Question for
lesson
(from teaching
thesis)
Specific lesson
Objectives
(transfer from
above).
What are the most important places and cities in the Middle
East and why do they matter?
Content
focused/action
verbs
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze physical,
economic, and cultural characteristics of North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East).
NCSS Standards I (Culture) and III (People, Places, and
Environment).
Students will be able to locate and analyze major cities and
places of the “Middle East” through a research activity.
Students will identify crucial cities/places/economic
situations that help shape the development of the region
through map-based note-taking to guide location and place.
Assessment of
Objective(s)
e.g. Obj 1=
Obj 2=
(you do not need to
formally assess all
objectives
individually – can
do them as a group
if appropriate)
Brief explanation
of scope of lesson
(explanation of
tasks, and
assessments)
Students will be able to interpret the significance of
certain locations in the Middle East with an emphasis in
culture, physical geography, and economics.
How are you trying
Students should question what they understand of a place.
Students will analyze significance of major locations in
the Middle East as it relates to economics, culture, and
physical geography through an in-class research activity
(this research activity will not be completed this class
and will extend into later classes).
to motivate
students in your
opener? What is
your closure?
Obj #1
How we understand something can seem fixed and objective,
but it is always much more complicated than that.
The closure asks students to think, on their own, what
certain economic, cultural, and physical features of the
Middle East have impacted its development and how we
study this place today.
Description of Lesson Procedure
Students will identify crucial
cities/places/economic situations that help
shape the development of the region
through map-based note-taking to guide
location and place.
 This lesson will focus mostly on the
importance of oil in the region (a
concept they are already relatively
familiar with)
 Current events stories that feature oil
and OPEC
 Students will use their maps of the
Middle East with wider margins to
take notes on the specific influence
of oil and other natural resources in
the region.
Check for Evidence of
Understanding
Informal assessment of
whether students are engaged
with material and keeping pace
with note-taking
Transition: Students will put their new oil maps away and work with their partners on
finishing their presentations.
Students will be able to locate and
Students will be formally
Obj 2
analyze major cities and places of the
graded on their projects with
“Middle East” through a research
the entire class grading
activity.
whether or not the presenting
 Students will finish their
groups included
presentations and give their
presentations to the class as an
1) cultural characteristics
assessment grade within the next 2
2) Physical characteristics
classes.
3) Economic
 Make a powerpoint slide about your
characteristics
place and why it is important. (How
4) Physical location

does this picture help us understand
what the Middle East is like?)
You must include:
o Where this place is (which
country, which area, where it
is located in the region)
o What the significance of the
place is
o Major historical
events/people/ideas that
existed at this place
5) Why this location
matters
Transition: Pack up and put the computers (presentations) away
Closure Exit Ticket: How does oil impact the
development of the Middle East?
Closure (How does this come back to the guiding question): This will tie
directly into the overarching question which asks how economic systems interact with
physical geography which may shape culture.
Modifications/Differentiation:
All IEPS and 504s will be recognized and instruction will be adapted accordingly. In certain
circumstances, with an aid or other instructor, the materials could be replaced or modified
for more verbal, more visual, or some video materials.
Materials Used:
Material A:
Material B
Material C:
Section 6. Middle East Lesson Plan 5
Title: Current Events and the Middle East
Grade and Subject: 8th Grade World Geography
Time Allotted: 50 minutes
SOL #:
WG.4
What is the guiding
question for this lesson?
Must be presented in the
lesson to students
How will student
understanding be
assessed?
-include assessments.
NCSS Theme:
I and III
What issues are facing the Middle East today?
Quiz of Physical Locations of the Middle East
Exit Ticket on current events.
Key Concepts (no definition necessary):
Will vary depending on the current events.
SWBAT (as many as required by lesson):
#1 Quiz on the physical features and cities of the Middle East – Students will finish and
present their PowerPoint presentations the following week.
#2 Current events activity (already established as weekly routine) with a particular
emphasis on the Middle East.
Just Do It (hook): Review your notes and prepare to clear your desk for the
quiz!
Lesson #5 Overview
Current Events in
the Middle East
/ WG.4: Students
will be able to
locate and analyze
physical, economic,
and cultural
characteristics of
North Africa and
Southwest Asia
(Middle East).
Current Events in the Middle East
Big Question for
lesson
(from teaching
thesis)
Specific lesson
Objectives
(transfer from
above).
How do we (as people living in the United States) understand
the Middle East and what shapes those ideas?
Content
focused/action
verbs
Assessment of
Objective(s)
e.g. Obj 1=
Obj 2=
(you do not need to
formally assess all
objectives
individually – can
do them as a group
if appropriate)
Brief explanation
of scope of lesson
(explanation of
tasks, and
assessments)
How are you trying
to motivate
WG.4: Students will be able to locate and analyze physical,
economic, and cultural characteristics of North Africa and
Southwest Asia (Middle East).
NCSS Standards I (Culture) and III (People, Places, and
Environment).
Students will be able to utilize research strategies and skills to
interpret critical current events with a particular emphasis on the
Middle East.
Utilize and interpret
Students will use critical thinking and media literacy skills to
interpret important current events of the day and make
rational and informed opinions about what is happening in
specific regions around the world.
Students will use research tools and critical thinking to
research each image and place. Students must address the
economic, cultural, and physical geography of each place,
where it is located, and what the significance of that place is.
Students should question what they understand of a place.
How we understand something can seem fixed and objective,
students in your
opener? What is
your closure?
Obj #1
but it is always much more complicated than that.
The closure asks students to think, on their own, what
certain economic, cultural, and physical features of the
Middle East have impacted its development and how we
study this place today.
Description of Lesson Procedure
Check for Evidence of
Understanding
Quiz on the physical features and cities of Formal assessment of the quiz.
the Middle East – Students will finish and
present their PowerPoint presentations
the following week.
Transition: When students finish the quiz, students will review their unit organizers
and write down things they still haven’t learned yet (history and culture should be still
missing) and write down all questions they still have about those things.
Students will be able to utilize research
Student participation in asking
Obj 2
strategies and skills to interpret critical
questions or breaking down
current events with a particular emphasis on arguments
the Middle East.
Transition: Students will move back to their desks.
Informal assessment of how
Closure Students will write one important
current event and why it is 1) either
student understood current
unique to the Middle East and why or 2) a events of the day.
global problem and why
Closure (How does this come back to the guiding question): Students must
take away what the current events broke down and synthesize what they’ve learned into
chunks of useable information.
Modifications/Differentiation:
All IEPS and 504s will be recognized and instruction will be adapted accordingly. In certain
circumstances, with an aid or other instructor, the materials could be replaced or modified
for more verbal, more visual, or some video materials.
Materials Used:
http://www.cnn.com/studentnews
SECTION 7 – Unit Guide or Syllabi for Students
COURSE World Geography
Unit: Regional Studies- Middle East
NCSS THEMES I, III, IX
Chapters:
VA SOL: WG.4
Essential Understandings Overarching Goals: Students will locate and analyze the physical, cultural,
and economic characteristics of the Middle East.
Day
M
T
W
R
F
M
T
W
R
F
M
T
W
R
F
M
T
W
R
F
M
T
W
R
F
Topic Schedule/ Guiding
Question
Why is the Middle East the Middle
East?
Physical Geography
Physical Geography- Economics
Economics – Culture- Research
Research
Current Events- Physical
Geography
Research
Research Presentations- Jigsaw
Culture and History
Culture and History
Current Events- Conflict
Religion and Lifestyle
Tying it all together
Unit Test
VA Sol
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
Assessments
T and OE (quizzes and test)
Physical Features Quiz
Activities
Political Boundaries Quiz
Research Presentations
Unit Assessment
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
WG.4
Performance Task and Due Dates
Physical Features Quiz Political Boundaries QuizResearch Presentations
Unit Assessment
Next Unit: Europe
You can adjust this syllabus as you need.- This syllabus is for students. Keep the items that
are already in but you can structure this as you like. E.g. You could also add in other
columns if you like. For example if this is for students then it would be good to have a
section where they can tally assignment grades. We will also provide you with a SIM-that if
you prefer can replace this syllabus. But this is the last thing you need to do for the unit.