UNIT 2 – SW ASIA The Middle East Mrs. Jones 7 th Grade Social Studies Class 7 th Grade Social Studies Class

UNIT 2 – SW ASIA The Middle East Introduction to SW Asia Standards Checklist

UNIT 2 – SW ASIA The Middle East Introduction to SW Asia “COEXIST”

Title Page – Unit 2 Southwest Asia (NB35) “COEXIST”“COEXIST”“COEXIST”“COEXIST” What does that word mean? Why is this so important in this region? What do the symbols mean?

Review We created our unit title page “COEXIST”“COEXIST”“COEXIST”“COEXIST” We considered the need for Middle Eastern countries to coexist.

The Three Monotheistic Religions See the “Unit 2 – Three Monotheistic Religions” PowerPoint for this lesson. JudaismChristianityIslam

UNIT 2 – SW ASIA The Middle East Physical Geography

Unit Overview in Textbook (pp ) Create a 4-section foldable with topics for: (NB p. 41) Land Climate Economy People As you read, fill in your foldable with facts about the region. Land Climate Economy People

The Land Mountains –Atlas Mountains – Africa’s longest range –Hindu Kush/Khyber Pass from Afghanistan to Pakistan – trade route Deserts – –Sahara – largest hot desert –Empty Quarter (Rub’ al Khali) Sahara Desert

The Land ( cont.) Rivers –Nile River – World’s longest river –Tigris and Euphrates River – Turkey, Syria, & Iraq Nile River

The Climate Water is precious! –Only rains 10 inches or less in a year in some areas Crops grow along rivers and irrigation canals. In steppe climates, it’s hot and dry but does support grasses for livestock. Areas surrounding Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, & Caspian Sea have a milder Mediterranean climate.

The Economy Resources are unevenly distributed. Abundance of oil and natural gas. –80% of World’s oil exist in these countries –These countries have high standards of living. Money from oil exports used to build skyscrapers, highways, schools, and hospitals.

The Economy (cont.) Countries that depend on agriculture and herding have a lower standard of living. Nomadic herding occurs in dry regions.

The People Oldest civilizations began here. Water dictates where people live. Arabs are the largest ethnic group. Islam is the most practiced religion. Judaism and Christianity also originated here.

Map Activity – NBp.40 Carefully follow the directions on the back of your map. Do all of your labeling FIRST. Draw in your mountains and rivers, be sure they’re labeled. The last step is coloring. Rivers = GREEN. Seas/Oceans = BLUE Countries = each a different color (neighbors can’t be the same color)

Map Activity – SW Asia CountriesTurkeySyriaIsraelJordan Saudi Arabia IraqIranAfghanistanKuwait

SW Asia (The Middle East) MAJOR PHYSICAL FEATURES Landforms: Taurus Mountains, Hindu Kush Mountains and the Khyber Pass Bodies of Water: Nile River, Tigris and Euphrates Rivers, Black Sea, Caspian Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Red Sea, Arabian Sea, Persian Gulf ** Strait of Hormuz ** Suez Canal

Review of Middle East Countries

Review of Major Physical Features Taurus Mts. Hindu Kush & Khyber Pass Click Here for Geography Games

NOTEBOOK PAGE 41 Let’s think: How does the location of this region and the natural resources affect the people who live there? Copy and answer these questions on p.41: 1.Where will people be most likely to live? Why? 2.Is fresh water a scarce resource for people in this region? 3.How are people’s lives affected by the lack of water? 4.What would happen if Turkey built a dam on the Euphrates River? Who would be negatively affected? 41 Unit Overview Questions and answers Land Climate Economy People