Southwest Asia

SS7G5 Locate selected features in Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Euphrates River, Jordan River, Tigris River, Suez Canal, Persian Gulf, Strait of Hormuz, Arabian Sea, and Red Sea.

b. Locate on a world and regional political-physical map: Afghanistan, Iran, Iraq, Israel, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, Syria, Turkey, Gaza Strip, and West Bank.

SS7G6 Explain the impact of environmental issues across Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Explain how water pollution and the unequal access to water impacts irrigation and drinking water.

BrainPop Videos

• Water Pollution

• Water Supply

SS7G7 Explain the impact of location, climate, physical characteristics, distribution of natural resources, and population distribution on Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Describe how the deserts and rivers of Southwest Asia (Middle East) impact trade and affect where people live.

SS7G8 Analyze the diverse cultural characteristics of the people who live in Southwest Asia.

a. Explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group.

b. Describe the diversity of religions within Southwest Asian (Middle Eastern) ethnic groups (e.g., Arabs, Persians, and Kurds).

c. Compare and contrast the prominent religions in Southwest Asia (Middle East): Judaism, Islam, and Christianity.

BrainPop Videos

• Religion

• Ramadan (Islam)

SS7H2 Analyze continuity and change in Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Explain how European partitioning in the Middle East following WWI led to regional conflict.

b. Explain the historical factors contributing to the establishment of the modern State of Israel in 1948; include the Jewish religious connection to the land, antisemitism, the development of Zionism in Europe, and the aftermath of the Holocaust.

c. Describe how land and religion plays a role in continuing conflicts in the Middle East (i.e. the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims, and Kurdish nationalism).

d. Explain U.S. presence and interest in Southwest Asia, including the Persian Gulf conflict and invasions of Afghanistan and Iraq.

SS7CG3 Compare and contrast various forms of government.

a. Explain citizen participation in autocratic and democratic governments [i.e., the role of citizens in choosing the leaders of Israel (parliamentary democracy), Saudi Arabia (autocratic monarchy), and Turkey (parliamentary democracy)].

b. Describe the two predominant forms of democratic governments: parliamentary and presidential.

SS7E4 Analyze different economic systems.

a. Compare how traditional, command, and market economies answer the economic questions of 1-what to produce, 2-how to produce, and 3-for whom to produce.

b. Explain that countries have a mixed economic system located on a continuum between pure market and pure command.

c. Compare and contrast the economic systems in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

SS7E5 Explain how voluntary trade benefits buyers and sellers in Southwest Asia (Middle East).

a. Explain how specialization encourages trade between countries.

b. Compare and contrast different types of trade barriers, such as tariffs, quotas, and embargoes.

c. Explain why international trade requires a system for exchanging currencies between nations.

d. Explain the primary function of the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC).

BrainPop Videos

• Gas & Oil

SS7E6 Describe factors that influence economic growth and examine their presence or absence in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey.

a. Evaluate how literacy rates affect the standard of living.

b. Explain the relationship between investment in human capital (education and training) and gross domestic product (GDP per capita).

c. Explain the relationship between investment in capital goods (factories, machinery, and technology) and gross domestic product (GDP per capita).

d. Explain how the distribution of oil has affected the development of Southwest Asia (Middle East).

e. Describe the role of entrepreneurship.