The Sands of Arabia

Submitted by: Mary H. Harris   School:  Hopkins Middle School

Grade Level: 6     Subject: Social Studies

Right click here to download a Microsoft Word document of this lesson plan!

The Simple Guide to Customs and Etiquette in Arabia and the Gulf States, Ingham, Bruce, Folkestone, Kent, England: Global Books, 1994. 

Arabian Peninsula, editors of Time-Life Books, Amsterdam: Time-Life Books; Morristown, NJ 1985. 

Map of the Arabian Peninsula
Modeling clay
Tempera paint with brushes
Heavy cardboard
Overhead projector
Collection of books and materials on Middle East Culture
Tan butcher paper 
Response slips
Desktop maps of Middle East
Class set of atlases

Internet Sites:
http://lexicorient.com/e.o/arabia.htm
http://www.ancientsites.com/

Culminating Assessment: This lesson contains a variety of assessments. Students will be assessed daily via a response slip which may be counted as a participation grade or as points toward a quiz grade. A rubric has been provided for each of the products that may be used for evaluation. Sample questions have been provided that may be used in the questioning activity. 

Instructional Activities:

ACTIVITY ONE 
The caravan was an important way of life to many early Muslims. In this activity groups will simulate caravan travel to key Islamic cities and discover key things about the Islamic culture as they travel.

1. Teacher will present important vocabulary for this lesson to the class. (See Vocabulary section)
2. Teacher will introduce the geography of the Arabian Peninsula.
3. The students will be placed in collaborative groups of 4 or 5 to work for the remainder of the lesson. Each group will be named according to six key cities. (Medina, Cairo Damascus, Baghdad, Cordova, and Jerusalem)
4. Students may select individual Arabic name to be called during this lesson. The teacher should provide sample names.
   Map Skills: Using the overhead, the students will trace the template from a map of the Arabian Peninsula onto a heavy cardboard base.
5. The students will roll modeling clay onto the template and form a flat surface map of the Arabian Peninsula.
6. The students should use a different color modeling clay to create the major physical features of the peninsula. Using a map as a guide and a dull pencil as a tool, students should carve out the major bodies of water. Tempera paint may be used to paint the Red Sea, Mediterranean Sea, Persian Gulf, Arabian Sea, Tigris River, Euphrates River.
7. The students should label ancient and modern places on the peninsula. (Egypt, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Israel, Iran, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, Oman, Yemen, Sudan, Turkey, Medina, Cairo, Damascus, Baghdad, Cordova and Jerusalem)
8. Students will be given a rubric of the criteria for the map. 
9. Teacher should monitor student work and provide feedback.
   

Daily Assessment: Students will be given a response slip to write at least three things they have learned from the day's activity.


Game/Questioning Skills: Each group should imagine that they will begin a pilgrimage at Cordova and travel to Mecca. Groups will be given twelve dirhams. Each team is to prepare academic questions about the Middle East that may be used to challenge opposing teams while students are working on the map skills activity.
Each group may direct four questions to one of the other groups, or it may ask a single question of any four groups. Four questions per group, per day is the limit. The number of questions may vary if you have more groups. Have each team to write its daily questions on the attached form. (Attachment A) Teams that successfully answer questions will be given dirhams from the opposing team. Teams who successfully complete each assignment during the lesson will be awarded dirhams. The goal of each group is to collect the most dirham thus winning the race to Mecca. Prior to this lesson, students should read papers 262-265 in the World: Adventures in Time and Place textbook and/or other teacher selected materials about the geography and culture of the Arabian people. Sample books are provided in the reference section. The teacher will model sample questions and questioning skills. (See sample questions) 


(SAMPLE QUESTIONS)

1. How has geography been important in the history of the Middle East?
2. What countries make up the modern Middle East?
3. Describe the area included by the name "Fertile Crescent."
4. What was the center of the Muslim world community?
5. Upon what rivers did settlement occur in the Middle East?
6. On which continent is Baghdad located?
7. Where is Isfahan located in relation to the Arabian peninsula?
8. Describe the physical features of Medina.
9. Into which body of water do the Tigris River and the Euphrates River flow?
10. Where on this peninsula would you expect most of the population to live?
    Why?
    

VOCABULARY

1. OASIS
2. CARAVAN
3. ISLAM
4. FIVE PILLARS
5. PILGRIMAGE
6. CALIPH
7. MOSQUE
8. ALGEBRA
9. KAABA
10. KORAN
11. HEGIRA
12. JIHADS
13. DIRHAMS
    
    
    
    

SANDS OF ARABIA CHALLENGE
DIRECTIONS: Fill in the blanks with your daily challenge question information and distribute the question to the opposing team, as directed by your teacher.

Team Name:____________________________________________________

Date:__________________________

Challenge Question(s):

1._____________________________________________________________




2._______________________________________________________________

Team Name:____________________________________________________

Date:__________________________

Challenge Question(s):

1._____________________________________________________________




2._______________________________________________________________