Entrance Ticket On your half sheet worksheet….. Write a brief (no more than 3 sentences) explaining to someone what the Middle East is. Write at least two new or interesting or important facts you have learned about the Middle East. Write down any questions you have about the Middle East.

Geography of Arabia

Objective Geographers will be able to analyze the geographic features of Arabia, and how the people there adapted to or modified their environment. Before a scholar can learn about the religion of Islam it is essential to have an understanding of what the environment of Arabia was like because it greatly impacts the people who live there.

Warm-Up With your group discuss the following analogy and individually write down what you and your group think it means. To the nomads of sixth century Arabia, cities were small patches of flowers on a barren landscape. What might the flower represent? The barren landscape?

Definitions Habitable- Capable of being lived in. (livable) Adapt- To adjust ones self to different conditions in order to better survive those conditions. Modify- To change or amend something (like the environment) to make it more suitable to your needs.

What must people do in order to be able to live in an environment like this?

Deserts Thinking Question 1: What type of clothing would be most comfortable in the desert? Fly Story from Iraq

Deserts Thinking Question 1: What type of clothing would be most comfortable in the desert? Ghutra-large square cloth worn to protect the head and neck from dust, heat, flies. Thawb-loose fitting ankle length gown. Usually light colored. As the wearer moved it created small air currents which cooled the person, acting like an air conditioner. Fly Story from Iraq

Deserts Thinking Question 2: What type of shelter would people of the desert use for protection?

Deserts Thinking Question 2: What type of shelter would people of the desert use for protection? Black Goat hair tents. They kept cool during the day and warm at night. (The color black attracts the sunlight which is trapped in the goat hair, converted into heat, which is then released into the tent at night!) The word “Arab” has been interpreted as meaning “he who dwells in a movable tent”. Some nomads believe that anyone living in a town or city should be called Arab. Why would Arabs be moving from place to place? What makes nomadic herders different from nomadic hunter-gatherers?

Deserts Thinking Question 3: What type of transportation would be best for the desert? Why?

Deserts Thinking Question 3: What type of transportation would be best for the desert? Why? Camels - They have wide feet so they won’t sink in the sand, a “third eyelid,” can go days without water, and can close their nostrils in the event of a sand storm. They can be disagreeable though where if they feel mistreated they can and will kick, bite, and spit.

Oasis Thinking Question 1: Why would a Date Palm be a good form of vegetation for the desert?

Oasis Thinking Question 1: Why would a Date Palm be a good form of vegetation for the desert? -Only needs water on it’s roots to grow. -Dates are nutritious and long lasting -Trunk of tree can be used for building and fires. Can also be used by hollowing and carrying water. -Leaves can be used for the thatch roof of the tents or dwellings. -Fibers can be used for making rope

Oasis Thinking Question 2: Why would an oasis be an important center of trade in the desert of the Middle East? -Oases are the only places to get water. -Nomads originally traveled from oasis to oasis to keep their herds alive. -Over time, many nomads and tribes would gather at these locations and started to trade goods. Towns and cities would gradually develop around oases.

Coastal Plain Thinking Question 1 Why would cities develop along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula?

Coastal Plain Thinking Question 1 Why would cities develop along the coast of the Arabian Peninsula? Being close to the water would allow for easy access to water transportation, which encouraged trade and the development of cities. The coast had slightly more rain, so crops could grow which would support more people. There is level flat land for cities to be built on.

Coastal Plain Thinking Question 2 Why would life of the coastal plain be different from that of the interior of the Arabian Peninsula? The nearness to the water increases humidity, which causes rain, which allows more farming. More trade from more distant places, so a greater diversity of resources and goods.

Mountains Thinking Question 1 How could people prevent the rainwater from running down the steep mountainside so that it could be used for agriculture?

Mountains Thinking Question 1 How could people prevent the rainwater from running down the steep mountainside so that it could be used for agriculture? By building terraces on which to farm. The terraces would collect the rain as it ran down the mountain. Terrace – an area on a mountainside that has been made flat for agricultural use.

Mountains Thinking Question 2 Why might the culture of the mountain communities remain less changed over time than the communities of the deserts, oases, or coastal plains? Because it was so difficult to travel in the mountains, the people remained isolated-detached, apart or alone, from everyone else.

Mountains Thinking Question 2 Why might the culture of the mountain communities remain less changed over time than the communities of the deserts, oases, or coastal plains? Because it was so difficult to travel in the mountains, the people remained isolated-detached, apart or alone, from everyone else.

Conclusion What advice would you give someone about traveling through the various environments of the Arabian Peninsula? What warnings would you give them about how to prepare? State Department Warning

State Department Flyer You are an official working for the state department. Create a travel warning cheat sheet for American tourists to use while they are visiting the Arabian Peninsula.