Arabia and Iraq: Geographic Passport

Students are introduced to the physical geography of Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula. Using maps and an article as reference, they consider important features of the region. Then they focus specifically on the water resources of this mostly-desert region. Finally, they do their own research on the Arabian camel and present their findings to the group.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

Engage

Overview

In this experience, students examine the physical geography of Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula, using maps and readings to identify major landforms, climate patterns, natural resources, and population patterns. They then investigate how rainfall and freshwater availability influence farming and settlement across the region. Finally, students research the Arabian camel to explain how its adaptations and human uses reflect life in a hot, dry environment.

Objectives:

Describe the physical features and natural resources of Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula
Explain the population patterns of Arabia and Iraq
Identify the location of fresh water in the region

The lands of Arabia and Iraq include some of the driest environments in the world, but they have also supported large cities, trade routes, farming communities, and major centers of human settlement for thousands of years.

Geography helps explain how this has been possible. Rivers, coastlines, mountains, deserts, and underground water sources have all influenced where people live and how communities develop. The region also contains major oil and natural gas resources that have shaped economic growth and the development of modern cities.

In this experience, you will examine the physical features, natural resources, population patterns, and sources of fresh water in Arabia and Iraq. As you work, consider how access to water and other geographic features help explain where people live and how they use the land.

Objectives:

Describe the physical features and natural resources of Iraq and the Arabian Peninsula
Explain the population patterns of Arabia and Iraq
Identify the location of fresh water in the region

What does a place need to support a large population? Answer with one word.

Post your answer

As the word cloud develops, ask students to notice which ideas appear most often and which appear only a few times. Do not identify a single correct answer yet. Explain that throughout the experience, students will test these ideas against the geography of Arabia and Iraq.

Use the discussion to connect student predictions to the major concepts they will study: water, landforms, natural resources, transportation, jobs, and access to trade.

Possible follow-up questions include:

Which ideas appear most often in the word cloud?
Why might water matter more in some regions than in others?
How could natural resources influence where cities grow?
Why might transportation or trade attract people to certain locations?
Which ideas in the cloud relate most directly to physical geography?
Which relate more to human activity?
As we study Arabia and Iraq, which of these ideas do you expect to be most important in explaining population patterns?

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