Social Studies 6
Mapping the Big Picture
EQ: What role has geography played
in the development of cultures?
Targeted Skills
Information Literacy

Collect/Access Information

make observations, record info in appropriate
formats
Enduring Understandings
Cultural diversity in the Middle East contributes to unique
relationships among nations.
Geography influences the development of culture.
Concepts Important to Know and Understand
geography
Broad Brush Knowledge
population distribution, physical geography, political geography
Multimedia Links
Vocabulary
patterns of populations, landlocked
TEKS
6.4A: Locate various contemporary societies on maps & globes using latitude & longitude to determine absolute location.
6.4B: Identify & explain the geographic factors responsible for patterns of population in places & regions.
6.4D: Identify & locate major physical & human geographic feature such as landforms & water bodies of various places & regions.
Learning Targets:
I can locate past and present Middle Eastern societies and create a map locating landforms,
countries, and bodies of water.
Expert Information
The Middle East is one of the major regions of the world. Its geography has impacted
patterns of population throughout history. In many ways, ancient civilizations owed their lives to
the river. The river provided the people with fertile soil, water for irrigation, and a means of
transportation. The Nile, Tigris, and Euphrates Rivers played significant roles in the development
of civilizations and continue to effect population distribution in the Middle East.
The Middle East is unusual because this region really has countries in three different
continents. Some of the Middle East is in Asia, some of it is in Africa, and some of it is in Europe.
Some Middle Eastern countries are Saudi Arabia, Iraq, and Iran. There are many other countries
in this region, too.
Several great seas line the coasts of the Middle East. Most Middle Eastern countries have
a coast on at least one of the four main bodies of water in the region. However, Afghanistan is
landlocked (countries that are surrounded by land and have no access to a sea or ocean).
Turn to the Middle East side of the desk map:
1. One of the world’s first civilizations developed around 4500 B.C., between the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers. Find these two important rivers on the main map.
a. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers meet in southern Iraq, not far from the Persian Gulf. Show
which way they flow. Draw an arrow from the place where they meet to the northern end
of the gulf.
b. Trace both the Tigris and the Euphrates northwest into Turkey as far as you can.
2. The rich land between the rivers, called Mesopotamia, supported many ancient civilizations.
Updated 06/20/10
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What country is located in that region today? _______________________
Turn to the Africa side of the desk map.
3. Another of the world’s early civilizations developed in northern Egypt. As long ago as 2500
B.C., cities flourished along the Nile River. The starting place of a river is called its source.
The mouth is the place where a river flows into another body of water.
a. Locate the mouth of the Nile River in northern Egypt. Draw an arrow there to show
which way the river flows.
b. The White Nile begins at Lake Victoria. It flows to the northern end of Lake Albert,
and then turns north to Khartoum. Trace the White Nile from its source to Khartoum.
c. Trace the White Nile north from Khartoum, Sudan, to its mouth in northern Egypt.
For questions 4 and 5 you will use maps on the right of the large map:
4. For thousand of years, rivers have been important to the people who live along their banks.
a. With your finger (not your marker), trace the course of the Nile River on the
population map. (located on the right of the desk map)
b. Find Egypt’s population density. (use the key and write density in square miles)
Along the Nile in Egypt_____________________________________
Away from the Nile in Egypt _________________________________
c. Explain why so many of Egypt’s people live near the Nile.
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________
5. Throughout the ages, farmers have used these rivers to water their crops.
a. Find the Nile, the Tigris, and the Euphrates on the land use map. (do not trace!)
b. In Egypt, how is land along the Nile used? *use the key________________________
c. In Iraq, how is land along the Tigris & Euphrates used?________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Turn back to the Middle East side of the desk map.
6. On the main map, circle the names of the Middle East’s four main bodies of water. Check them
off as you find them.
Mediterranean Sea
Persian Gulf
Red Sea
Arabian Sea
7. Find six Middle Eastern countries located along the Mediterranean Sea. One is an island.
Underline all six names and write them here. (Do not include Greece or Libya.) Only include
one country on the African continent. The rest are in Asia.
___________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________
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8. Now find the seven Middle Eastern countries located along the Persian Gulf. One of these is
an island. Underline their names. Check them off as you underline them.
Kuwait
United Arab Emirates
Iraq
Bahrain
Iran
Qatar
Saudi Arabia
9. Next, find the three Middle Eastern countries along the Arabian Sea and its gulfs. They
touch the Gulf of Oman and the Gulf of Aden. None exist in Africa. Underline their names.
Write the names as you underline them.
_____________________ ______________________ _____________________
10. Three other seas can be found at the edges of the Middle East.
a. Two main seas are along the coasts of Turkey. Underline them on the map and write their
names.
____________________________
________________________________
b. The third sea has a coast on Iran. Underline it on the map and name it here. ________
11. Look on the far eastern portion of the map and find the country at 35 N, 65 E. What
country is at this location? ______________________ What country is to the SOUTH of
of it? _________________
12. Think about the WORLD map and the different continents. What continent do you think is the
continent where most of the Middle East is located? ________________
13. Find Egypt on the map. Think about the WORLD map. What is the continent where Egypt is
located? _____________________ Egypt is located on a different continent from some of
the other countries of the Middle East. However, Egypt is still sometimes called a part of the
REGION of the Middle East.
14. Find Turkey on the map. It is also considered a part of the region of the Middle East.
However, it is on yet a third continent. Think about the WORLD map. What is the continent
where Turkey is located? (Hint: It also contains countries like France, Spain, & Italy).
______________
15. Much of the Middle East is located on two large peninsulas, large bodies of land nearly
surrounded by water. Find them on the main map.
a. The Red Sea, the Arabian Sea, and the Persian Gulf surround the Arabian Peninsula. Trace
its coastline.
b. Name the largest country on this peninsula. ______________________________
16. The other large peninsula of the Middle East is Anatolia. It is sometimes called Asia Minor
(“small Asia”). The Mediterranean, Aegean, and Black Seas surround Anatolia. Name the
country located on Anatolia at 40N, 35 E. _____________________________________
Adapted from Nystrom’s Hands-On Geography
Updated 06/20/10
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Middle East Map
Use the maps in the text atlas on pages A20-A23.
Refer to your mapping rules and follow them closely.
Neatness always counts on a map!
Label the countries of the Middle East and color each one a different color. NEVER COLOR LAND
BLUE!
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Turkey
Syria
Israel
Egypt
Yemen
United Arab Emirates
Bahrain
Iraq
9. Cyprus
10. Lebanon
11. Jordan
12. Saudi Arabia
13. Oman
14. Qatar
15. Kuwait
16. Iran
Label the following bodies of water and color them blue:
1. Mediterranean Sea
2. Aegean Sea
3. Red Sea
4. Persian Gulf
5. Arabian Sea
6. Gulf of Oman
Label: Asia, Africa, and Europe
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Updated 05/02/05
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