Middle East Lesson Plans

Students explore the cities of Cairo, Istanbul, Jerusalem, Mecca and Tehran.  In this Middle East lesson plan, students complete a map, research one of the five the cities and prepare a presentation that includes details about the city.  Students also create a musical instrument that these five cities are known for.

Students examine basic facts about the Middle East by exploring maps of the region. They conduct Internet research on National Geographic's Hot Spot: Iraq website, draw and label a map, and compare and contrast the geographic features of the U.S. and the Middle East.

Students explore many of the countries in the Middle East, developing research-based posters and a spider web illustrating the relationships among the countries. They write letters to fictional peers in Middle Eastern countries.

This is an excellent multidisciplinary lesson designed by Scientific American. It provides three creative activities--designing a garden, studying hieroglyphics, and writing poetry--relevant to the ancient peoples of the Middle East. Students will enjoy

Fourth graders study the geography, people, history, governments, and economies of the Middle East. They develop a basic vocabulary of Arabic terms and work with various materials in creating an aesthetically pleasing, easy-to-understand board game for their own use (and for use by their peers).

Seventh graders explore the cultural aspects of the Middle East. Using the internet, 7th graders research an issue within a Middle East country. Students develop a PowerPoint presentation and a newscast to deliver to the class.

Students examine how the countries of the Middle East were created. They explore the influence of various political and geographic factors in their creation. They list the things they should consider in deciding how to draw new borders in the Middle East.

Students learn basic facts about the Middle East by exploring maps of the region. They learn basic information about the countries on their maps, comparing what they have learned about the Middle East with the United States.

Young scholars compare maps of the Middle East using National Geographic's Hot Spot: Iraq, and a map of their own region, looking for similar features. They fill in and label their own blank outline maps of the Middle East and the United States.

Sixth graders read "Seven Daughters and Seven Sons" and examine aspects of Middle East culture and geography. They define vocabulary from the book and map locations described in the book.