Presentation, Graphic Organizers, & Activities

Southwest Asia:

STANDARDS:SS7G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources, and population distribution on Southwest Asia (Middle East). a. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) impact trade and affect where people live.

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TEACHER INFO: CLOZE Notes• The next pages are handouts for the

students to use for note-taking during the presentation. (Print front to back to save paper and ink.)

• Check the answers as a class after the presentation.

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Deserts•

There are ___________________ of land in the M

iddle East, and more than

half of it is covered by large desert areas.•

The most _

__________________ in the region is desert.

•The Rub al-

Khali ___________________ is in southern Saudi A

rabia.•

The ___________________ is located betw

een Syria and Iraq.

LIV

E•

The desert areas are not a favorable place to live due to the extremely

___________________ .

•Food and _

__________________ to find; how

ever, oases provide a temporary

water source.

•___________________(desert nom

ads) have called the desert home for

thousands of years.•

They live in ___________________ and in huts.

•Since the _

__________________ , m

ost people have moved aw

ay from the

desert areas.•

Over the last 50 years, residents have been exchanging the harsh nom

adic life for _

__________________ .

•In Saudi A

rabia, only about ___________________ rem

ains as nomadic

herders.

TRA

DE•

Many B

edouins are ___________________ herders.

•They trade anim

als and ___________________ w

ith people who live in tow

ns along the desert’s edge.

•M

ost people have left the desert behind and have moved to cities to

___________________ .

TRAV

EL•

People travel across the desert in ___________________ .

•Som

e even use All Terrain V

ehicles (ATV

s) to maneuver

___________________ .

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Rivers

•The T

igris River runs through _

__________________ and joins w

ith the Euphrates to becom

e the Shatt al Arab, w

hich empties into the Persian G

ulf.•

The _

__________________ runs through Turkey, Syria, and I

raq.•

The _

__________________ form

s part of the border for Syria, Jordan, and

Israel.

LIV

E•

Cities are built near rivers to take advantage of the ___________________ in

Southwest A

sia.•

Access to w

ater for ___________________ m

ake the area much easier to live

in.•

Farmers grow

crops by rivers and in river valleys because they provide a ___________________ .

•Rivers also provide a good _

__________________ (fish).

•In countries that have a _

__________________ , the population increases

around port cities.•

Here, there are ___________________ in transportation, shipbuilding, and repair.

•Turkey has m

ajor port cities along the Aegean, B

lack, and ___________________

.•

Saudi Arabia has port cities along the Red Sea and _

__________________ .

WOR

K•

Cities and towns on rivers have becom

e major _

__________________ .

•M

ost people in these cities make a living w

orking in ___________________ .

•Rivers are also _

__________________ for people in cities to use to ship goods to

other merchants.

•___________________ are also im

portant areas of income for people w

ho live near rivers.

TRA

DERivers have alw

ays provided ___________________ for transportation.

People use boats for ___________________ along rivers.

Southwest A

sia’s waterw

ays are also important to _

__________________ because

they have helped make the region a center for shipping and trade for hundreds of

years.The region is a _

__________________ betw

een Asia, A

frica, and Europe.

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Deserts•

There are 2.8 million m

iles of land in the Middle East, and m

ore than half of it is covered by large desert areas.

•The m

ost comm

on landform in the region is desert.

•The Rub al-

Khali (or “empty quarter”) is in southern Saudi A

rabia.•

The Great Syrian Desert is located betw

een Syria and Iraq.

LIV

E•

The desert areas are not a favorable place to live due to the extremely hot and

arid climate.

•Food and w

ater is difficult to find; however, oases provide a tem

porary water

source. •

Bedouins

(desert nomads) have called the desert hom

e for thousands of years.

•They live in tent cam

ps and in huts.

•Since the discovery of oil, m

ost people have moved aw

ay from the desert

areas.•

Over the last 50 years, residents have been exchanging the harsh nom

adic life for w

ork in the cities.•

In Saudi A

rabia, only about 1%

of the population remains as nom

adic herders.

TRA

DE•

Many B

edouins are sheep, camel, and goat herders.

•They trade anim

als and hand-m

ade goods with people w

ho live in towns along

the desert’s edge.•

Most people have left the desert behind and have m

oved to cities to find work.

TRAV

EL•

People travel across the desert in camel caravans.

•Som

e even use All Terrain V

ehicles (ATV

s) to maneuver across the sand.

©B

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Rivers

•The Tigris R

iver runs through Turkey and Iraq and joins w

ith the Euphrates to becom

e the Shatt al Arab, w

hich empties into the Persian G

ulf.•

The Euphrates River runs through Turkey, Syria, and I

raq.•

The Jordan R

iver forms part of the border for Syria, J

ordan, and Israel.

LIV

E•

Cities are built near rivers to take advantage of the scarce water sources in

Southwest A

sia.•

Access to w

ater for bathing and drinking make the area m

uch easier to live in.•

Farmers grow

crops by rivers and in river valleys because they provide a source of irrigation.

•Rivers also provide a good source of food (fish).

•In countries that have a deep-

sea harbor, the population increases around port cities.

•Here, there are em

ployment opportunities in transportation, shipbuilding, and

repair.•

Turkey has major port cities along the A

egean, Black, and M

editerranean Seas.•

Saudi Arabia has port cities along the Red Sea and Persian G

ulf.

WOR

K•

Cities and towns on rivers have becom

e major hubs of industry.

•M

ost people in these cities make a living w

orking in industrial factories.•

Rivers are also im

portant trade routes for people in cities to use to ship goods to other m

erchants.•

Farming and fishing are also im

portant areas of income for people w

ho live near rivers.

TRA

DERivers have alw

ays provided important routes for transportation.

People use boats for travel and trade along rivers.Southw

est Asia’s w

aterways are also im

portant to national economies because

they have helped make the region a center for shipping and trade for hundreds

of years.The region is a trade hub betw

een Asia, A

frica, and Europe.

©B

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Southwest Asia:

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• There are 2.8 million miles of land in the Middle East, and more than half of it is covered by large desert areas.

• The most common landform in the region is desert.

• The Rub al-Khali (or “empty quarter”) is in southern Saudi Arabia.

• The Great Syrian Desert is located between Syria and Iraq.

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© Brain Wrinkles

In some places, temperatures can reach 125°F during the day.

• The desert areas are not a favorable place to live due to the extremely hot and arid climate.

• Food and water is difficult to find; however, oases provide a temporary water source.

• Bedouins (desert nomads) have called the desert home for thousands of years.• They live in tent camps and in huts.

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© Brain Wrinkles

• Since the discovery of oil, most people have moved away from the desert areas.

• Over the last 50 years, residents have been exchanging the harsh nomadic life for work in the cities.

• In Saudi Arabia, only about 1% of the population remains as nomadic herders.

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© Brain Wrinkles

• Many Bedouins are sheep, camel, and goat herders.

• They trade animals and hand-made goods with people who live in towns along the desert’s edge.

• Most people have left the desert behind and have moved to cities to find work.

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© Brain Wrinkles

• People travel across the desert in camel caravans.

• Some even use All Terrain Vehicles (ATVs) to maneuver across the sand.

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© Brain Wrinkles

© Brain Wrinkles

• The Tigris River runs through Turkey and Iraq and joins with the Euphrates to become the Shatt al Arab, which empties into the Persian Gulf.

• The Euphrates River runs through Turkey, Syria, and Iraq.

• The Jordan River forms part of the border for Syria, Jordan, and Israel.

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© Brain Wrinkles

• Cities are built near rivers to take advantage of the scarce water sources in Southwest Asia.

• Access to water for bathing and drinking make the area much easier to live in.

• Farmers grow crops by rivers and in river valleys because they provide a source of irrigation.

• Rivers also provide a good source of food (fish).

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© Brain Wrinkles

Baghdad, Iraq & the Tigris River

• In countries that have a deep-sea harbor, the population increases around port cities.

• Here, there are employment opportunities in transportation, shipbuilding, and repair.

• Turkey has major port cities along the Aegean, Black, and Mediterranean Seas.

• Saudi Arabia has port cities along the Red Sea and Persian Gulf.

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© Brain Wrinkles

Marmaris, Turkey

• Cities and towns on rivers have become major hubs of industry.• Most people in these cities make a living

working in industrial factories.

• Rivers are also important trade routes for people in cities to use to ship goods to other merchants.

• Farming and fishing are also important areas of income for people who live near rivers.

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© Brain Wrinkles

Al Aqaba, Jordan & the Jordan

River

• Rivers have always provided important routes for transportation.

• People use boats for travel and trade along rivers.

• Southwest Asia’s waterways are also important to national economies because they have helped make the region a center for shipping and trade for hundreds of years.

• The region is a trade hub between Asia, Africa, and Europe.

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© Brain Wrinkles

TEACHER INFO: Live & Trade Chart

• Print off the Where People Live, Work, & Trade graphic organizer for each student.

• Students will complete the graphic organizer after discussing the presentation. You can choose to let students work in pairs.

• Check answers as a class to be sure that all charts are completed correctly.

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Description Where People Live Where People Work How People Trade

Deserts

Rivers

Directions: Complete the chart below after discussing the presentation.

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Description Where People Live Where People Work How People Trade

Deserts Most of SW Asia is covered in desert

Many people have moved out of the deserts & into cities in the past 50 years; Some Bedouins (nomads) still live there; food and water are scarce

most people left desert life behind and moved to cities for work

Bedouins are animal herders—trade animals and hand-made goods

Rivers

Tigris River, Euphrates River, Jordan River

Most people live in cities that are built around water sources (rivers); rivers provide water for drinking and bathing, irrigation for crops, and food (fish)

Many people work in factories or shipping industry in cities along rivers; farmers grow crops in river valleys

Rivers have always provided important routes for transportation.

People use boats for travel and trade along rivers.

Directions: Complete the chart below after discussing the presentation.

TEACHER INFO: Design A Plate

• Print off the Design A Plate handout for each student.

• Have the students design a plate that could be used in a Middle Eastern restaurant.

• The design should include symbols or facts that relate to how people live, work, and trade along the rivers and deserts in Southwest Asia.

• In the textbox, they will write a description that explains the symbols used in the plate’s design.

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Directions: Design a plate that could be used in a Middle Eastern restaurant. The plate’s design should include key symbols that relate to how people live, work, and trade along the rivers and deserts in Southwest Asia. In the textbox, you will explain your plate’s design and the significance of the symbols.

Plate’s Description:

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TEACHER INFO: Postcard

• Print off the Postcard handout for each student.

• Have the students imagine they are visiting either an area near a river or the desert in SW Asia.

• They will write a short note to their family describing how people live, work, and trade here.

• On the front of the postcard, they will draw an illustration of the place and include a short greeting.

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Directions: I

magine that you are visiting either an area near a river or the desert in SW

Asia. W

rite a short note to your fam

ily describing how people live, w

ork, and trade here. On the front, draw an

illustration of the place and include a short greeting.

Sou

thwe

st Asia

Postc

ard

Front

Back

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TEACHER INFO: Comprehension Check

• Print off the Comprehension Check for each student.

• The students will complete this handout at the end of the lesson. You can count this as a quiz!

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1. W

hat is the most com

mon landform

in Southwest A

sia?

2. What is the clim

ate like in much of Southw

est Asia?

3. Who are the B

edouins?

4. How

have people living in the deserts of Southwest A

sia usually made

their living?

5. Why have m

any nomadic peoples left the deserts and m

oved to urban areas over the last 50

years?

6. What are m

any of the largest cities in Southwest A

sia located on or near?

7. What are som

e reasons why the areas around rivers are so heavily

populated:

©B

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1. W

hat is the most com

mon landform

in Southwest A

sia?Desert2. W

hat is the climate like in m

uch of Southwest A

sia?Hot and arid3. W

ho are the Bedouins?

Nom

adic peoples in Southwest A

sia who typically lived and m

oved around the deserts4. How

have people living in the deserts of Southwest A

sia usually made

their living?Trading livestock and hand-

made goods

5. Why have m

any nomadic peoples left the deserts and m

oved to urban areas over the last 50

years?Looking for jobs, especially after the discovery of oil6. W

hat are many of the largest cities in Southw

est Asia located on or

near?Rivers

7. What are som

e reasons why the areas around rivers are so heavily

populated:A

ccess to water for bathing and drinking, source of irrigation for

farming, source of food (fish), helpful for trade, lots of industry here =

lots of jobs for w

orkers

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TEACHER INFO: TICKET OUT THE DOOR

• Have the students write a short summary of the lesson.

• You can choose to let them write in “texting language”, but I will warn you, this takes longer! I have them write out the summary in long-form first, and then if there is extra time, they can change some words to “txts”.

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Summarize today’s lesson in a short text message.

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Summarize today’s lesson in a short text message.

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