Mr. Johnson
World Geography
Unit 6- The Middle East
(North Africa, Southwest Asia, Central Asia)
Unit Overview:
For this unit, students will continue their study of the various geographic regions of the world by examining the region known as the
Middle East. The unit will cover the two major categories of geography; Physical and Human. The unit will also include a section of
regional economics which will tie back in to the physical and human elements of the discipline. This unit will rely heavily on the use
of maps. Political, economic, physical, and cultural maps will be examined and compared. There will also be an emphasis on
discussion based activities over the duration of the unit. These activities will coincide with a research project aimed at promoting
effective deliberative skills.
Unit Rational:
The unit will be split up into three elements of geography; physical, human, and economic. By separating the content into these three
areas of study, the content can be easily aligned with the Virginia Standards of Learning. The first section the unit covers is physical
geography. This will provide the overall context for the region and the unit as a whole. Students will then be able to examine the
cultural and economic elements of the region.
Essential Questions:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Why is it important to study this region today?
Where is the Middle East? How can it be defined (Shared cultures/physical features)?
What Landforms dominate the areas of this region?
How has regional/cultural/political conflict shaped the region?
What importance does the environment have in the cultures of this region?
How have the natural resources of this region affected the development of culture in this region?
In what ways do physical, economic, and cultural characteristics influence regional development?
What are some ways that human interaction with the environment affects the development of a region?
What are some criteria that may be used to determine a country’s relative importance?
What impact do elements of the physical environment, such as major bodies of water and mountains, have on countries in a region?
Unit SOL Objectives:
WG.1 The student will use maps, globes, satellite images, photographs, or diagrams to
a) obtain geographical information about the world’s countries, cities, and environments;
b) apply the concepts of location, scale, map projection, or orientation;
c) develop and refine mental maps of world regions;
d) create and compare political, physical, and thematic maps
WG.2 The student will analyze how selected physical and ecological processes shape the Earth’s surface by
b) describing how humans influence the environment and are influenced by it;
c) explaining how technology affects one’s ability to modify the environment and adapt to it.
WG.3 The student will apply the concept of a region by
b) explaining how regional landscapes reflect the physical environment and the cultural characteristics of their inhabitants;
c) analyzing how cultural characteristics, including the world’s major languages, ethnicities, and religions, link or divide regions.
WG.4 The student will locate and analyze physical, economic, and cultural characteristics of world regions: Latin America and the Caribbean,
Europe, United States and Canada, North Africa and Southwest Asia, Sub-Saharan Africa, Russia and Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia,
East Asia, Australia and the Pacific Islands, and Antarctica
(Rational for the entire unit)
WG.5 The student will compare and contrast the distribution, growth rates, and characteristics of human population in terms of settlement patterns
and the location of natural and capital resources.
WG.7 The student will identify types of natural, human, and capital resources and explain their significance by
a) showing their influence on patterns of economic activity and land use;
b) evaluating perspectives and consequences regarding the use of resources. (Links back to WG2 b, c.)
WG.8 The student will distinguish between developed and developing countries and relate the level of economic development to the standard of
living and quality of life.
WG.9 The student will analyze the global patterns and networks of economic interdependence by
a) identifying factors, including comparative advantage, that influence economic activities and trade; (Trade choke points: Suez Canal…)
WG.10 The student will analyze how the forces of conflict and cooperation affect the division and control of the Earth’s surface by
a) explaining and analyzing reasons for the creation of different political divisions;
b) analyzing ways cooperation among political jurisdictions is used to solve problems and settle disputes.
WG.11 The student will analyze the patterns of urban development by
a) applying the concepts of site and situation to major cities in each region; (Site: Istanbul; Situation: Baghdad)
Specific Objectives
 Identify the major landforms of the region- Mountains; Water systems; Natural Resources
 Identify the climate types that make up the region- Desert climate; Steppe climate; Mediterranean.
 Identify the Middle Eastern countries on a political map.
 Identify Economic features of the region.
 Examine the influence of OPEC on the economy of the region.
 Identify and examine the various natural resources of the region (Oil and Water).
 Discuss the importance of the Suez Canal and other choke points.
 Examine the human environmental interactions (Aswan High Dam, Desalinization of Persian Gulf)
 Examine several examples of Site and Situation.
 Examine the three monotheistic religions that proliferate throughout the region.
 Discuss how religious conflict has shaped the political, economic, and cultural characteristics of the region (Israel/ Palestine; ISIS in Iraq
and Syria)
Assessments and Evaluations:
This unit will incorporate the two types of assessment; Formative and Summative. Throughout the unit formative assessment will be administered
in the form of observation (during any class discussions or activities). Also, quasi-formative assessments will be made by collecting and evaluating
in-class and homework assignments. Although these assessments are in some ways summative (due to the fact that they will be scored and
recorded for a grade) their main purpose will be to guide my instruction as a formative assessment would. As for the summative, there will be two
quizzes and one unit test. The first quiz will cover the physical characteristics of the region and the second will cover the physical and cultural
elements. The unit test will be constructed from these unit quizzes.
Da
y
Day
1
4/17
Activities
Unit Test: Russia 30-45 minutes
Create Physical and Political maps of the Middle East- (Students
pick up maps once they have completed their tests)
 Label and color Physical maps
 Label and color Political maps
Assessment
Formative:
 Help students during
the map construction
process
Video Visit: Egypt- students will create a list of facts from the
video and classify them as cultural, economic, or physical.
Day
2
4/20
Middle east opener: (See Opener)
Middle East NotesI.
Physical Geography
A. Mountains- Zagros; Atlas; Taurus
B. Seas and Lakes- Mediterranean Sea; Arabian Sea;
Red Sea; Black Sea; Persian Gulf
C. Rivers- Nile; Euphrates; Tigris; Jordan
(WG.1a,b,d; WG.4)


Day
3
4/21
Materials
Blank copies of
region maps.
 Middle
East
 North
Africa
Opener
Unit Test
(Russia)
Student
Geography notes
(Fill in the Blank
Notes)

Gage their
comprehension of the
region’s physical
features during the
review session.
Student
Geography notes
(Fill in the Blank
Notes)
“What do we
know activity”
Blank copies of
physical maps.
Map Quiz
What is the
Middle East?
Is it a land
mass, or can it
have other
definitions?
Landforms of North Africa
Camel activity. Camel racing video.
Closing Activity: Map review- Ask questions that require the
students to use the maps they have created.
Opener: Map Quiz
Middle East NotesD. “Choke Points” Straits and Canals- Suez Canal;
Bosporus & Dardanelles; Strait of Hormuz
a. Create a Physical map including Choke
Formative:
 Help students during
the map construction
process
SAC activity
materials.
points and climate regions. Pg. 416
E. Climate Regions- Desert; Semi-arid;
Mediterranean (WG.1a,b,d; WG.4)
Aswan High Dam SAC; Students work in pairs to analyze the
pros and cons of the Aswan High dam on the Nile River. (WG.2b)
Pass out quiz review for Physical Geography. (Go over if time)
http://sitemaker.umich.edu/sec004_gp5/the_aswan_high_dam_be
nefits
http://www.history.com/videos/the-aswan-high-dam#engineeringan-empire-egypt

Gage their
comprehension of the
region’s physical
features during the
review session.
 Work with the students
during the SAC
activity to ensure
comprehension and
participation.
Summative:
 Collect and score the
SAC worksheets

Resources
for pair
work
Day
4
4/23
Opener: (See Opener)
Formative: Students turn in
Economic Geography:
their lists and explanations.
Middle East NotesII.
Economic Geography
A. Economic Characteristics- Nomadic herders
(Bedouins); Pastoralism;
B. Resources (Water)
C. Resources (Oil)
 Level of Importance Activity: Students study maps that
display information such as GDP, land size, population oil
production and oil reserves. Students then create a list of
importance. Students then defend their lists to the class.
Make a list on the board. Why is it important to know?
Level of
Importance
Activity: Sets of
sources the
students work
from.
Have students
work in pairs
to name as
many Middle
Eastern
countries as
possible.
Work as a
class to label a
map with their
responses; fill
in what they
missed.
Day
5
4/24
Opener: (See Opener)
Economic Geography:
Middle East NotesD. Agriculture
E. Tourism and Conflict
F. Trade
Formative: Collect worksheets.
Graded for completion.
Video- UAE: Oil
and Water.
Question during discussion and
during review session.
Video worksheets.
Quiz
#1(Physical
Geography of
the Middle
East)
Quiz review

Day
6
4/25
Diversification in Dubai (Watch video on Dubai) Students
will fill out a worksheet while they watch.
 Distribute Quiz Review Guides (Go Over if time)
Opener: Cartograms
Cultural Geography:
Middle East NotesIII.
Cultural Geography
A. Languages
B. Rapid Urbanization
C. Population characteristics
D. Population distribution
 Review a map of population distribution and
discuss some of the potential reasons for these
distributions.


Discussion- Site and Situation
Video Visit Israel (If there is extra time)
Summative: Collect and grade
the quizzes.
guides
Formative:
Site and situation
handout.
Summative:

Gage student
understanding
by asking
questions and
giving
feedback.

Collect and
score the Level
of importance
activity and
cartograms.
Using the
information
gathered
during the
Level of
Importance
activity,
students will
create a
cartogram that
displays
information
about the
middle east oil
reserves.
Review for physical/economic geo quiz.
Day
7
4/28
Opener: Pass back Physical Geography Quiz
Pass out Cultural Geography Review Guide
Cultural Geography:
Middle East NotesE. Art
F. Monotheistic religions
 Monotheistic Religions Chart
Notes addendum: Cultural landscape


Conflict between Sunni and Shias in Iraq Discussion pg.
490
Conflict between the Israelites and Palestinians
Cultural
Landscape
Handout
Test review and
study guide
Jerusalem Map
Activity
Pass back
Physical
Geography
Quiz
 Economic Geography Quiz Review (Quiz on 4/29)
If there is extra time: Jerusalem Map Activity
Day
8
4/29
Opener: Economic Geography Quiz
Cultural Geography:
.
 View video “Secrets of Jerusalem” Students fill out a
worksheet,

Day
9
4/30
Formative:
 Test review
Summative:
 Collect and grade
Economic Geography
Quizzes.
Cultural Geography (Added to Test) Review, Fill out with
students in class
Unit Test
Unit test
Culture Day presentations
Culture Day
Test review and
study guide
Economic
Geography
Quiz
Video- Secrets of
Jerusalem’s Holy
Sites.
Video worksheets.
Prepare for
test. Cell
phones away
Post teaching reflection:
The unit plan, as detailed above, was created for two 10th grade world geography classes. Because both of these classes were vastly
different in terms of overall cognitive level and behavior, the unit I designed needed to be flexible. For example, on April 23rd, I had
scheduled for both classes a Structured Academic Controversy based on the Aswan High Dam in Egypt. The lesson required students
to construct arguments supporting a certain position on the Aswan dam controversy. Although the lesson was ambitious in terms of
administration and classroom management, I taught the lesson to my 3rd block geography class. Overall, the lesson did not go well.
Student’s seemed disinterested and needed constant supervision to remain on task. Despite a slightly redeeming lesson wrap-up, I
determined that my abilities as a teacher were not up to the task of teaching this lesson to my 4th block class due to its unruly and
disruptive nature. Instead of the SAC, I opted for a short discussion on the benefits and consequences of the Aswan dam as well as a
work sheet on the effects of the dam on the Nile River.
Another aspect of this unit was the four assessments I required the students to take. At the beginning of the year, we were required to
construct a valid and reliable assessment for our Assessment of student learning class. At the time, I had not completed my unit plan;
in fact, I only knew what geographical region I would be teaching, and had no idea what lessons I would include. Needless to say, the
test I created had to be thrown out. However, once my unit began to materialize and I had learned how my cooperating teacher sets up
her assessment throughout a regional unit, I set out to create my assessments. The alignment of my curriculum, instruction and
assessment was critical in creating a reliable and valid assessment. I accomplished this by using the SOL blueprint to guide my unit
instruction. From these blueprints I created the student notes, study guides and eventually the unit assessments. As I progressed
through the unit, it was great to see how my planned unit and its assessment fell into place, and even better to see proof of student
learning through my own assessments.
Overall, the unit progressed without incident. I was able to accomplish all of my objectives and assess the quantity and quality of
student understanding through my assessments. Furthermore, because most of the lessons and all of the assessments were created by
me, it allowed for more reflective practice. This differed when I was teaching my CT’s units, as I assumed everything about them was
correct, perfect and represented the pinnacle of student understanding. I know that this is not true, but because it was not my material,
it was difficult to actively reflect on the unit’s effectiveness. However, when it came to my material, lessons and assessment, there was
plenty to reflect on. In this way, I believe the teaching of my own unit, creating my own assessments and reflecting on my own
planning and instructional practices, was the most beneficial aspect of my entire student teaching experience.