Unit 2: Western Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa

We recommend that teachers new to Investigating History review the Curriculum Guidebook before preparing to teach their first unit.

Cluster 1: Geography of Western Asia, the Middle East, and North Africa (Lessons 1-5)
How do a geographer’s tools help us understand West Asian and North African life in ancient times and today?

Lesson 1: The Physical and Human Geography of West Asia and North Africa

Lesson 2: Using Geographers’ Tools to Get to Know the Region

Lesson 3:  What Maps and Mapmaking Can Show

Lesson 4: The Geography of Water in the Middle East: Using a Scarce Resource Sustainably

Lesson 5: Water in the Middle East: The Tigris and Euphrates, Past and Present

Cluster 2: First Civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia (c. 3000–1200 BCE) (Lessons 6-11)
What were the pros and cons of life in early complex societies?
Why did ancient Mesopotamian societies create government and laws?

Lesson 6: It’s About Time! Meeting the Mesopotamians

Lesson 7: City Life: Visiting a Sumerian City State

Lesson 8: The World’s First Writers

Lessons 9: Other Mesopotamian “Firsts” 

Lessons 10: Hammurabi’s Stele: Analyzing a Monument and Its Meaning

Lesson 11:The Code of Hammurabi: Law and Government in Ancient Mesopotamia

Cluster 3: First Civilizations: Ancient Egypt and Nubia (c. 3000–1200 BCE) (Lessons 12-19)
For ancient Egyptians and Nubians, how did their ways of living connect to their religion and mythology?
Were women powerful in ancient Egypt and Nubia? 

Lesson 12: Life along the Nile 

Lesson 13: Organizing a Complex Society under a Divine Ruler

Lesson 14: The Gods and Their Roles in Ancient Egypt

Lesson 15: Life as an Eternal Journey: Preparing for the Afterlife

Lesson 16: Ancient Nubia “Lost” and Found

Lesson 17: Inquiry Cycle: Were Women Powerful in Ancient Egypt and Nubia? (Day 1)

Lesson 18: Inquiry Cycle: Were Women Powerful in Ancient Egypt and Nubia? (Day 2)

Lesson 19: Inquiry Cycle: Were Women Powerful in Ancient Egypt and Nubia? (Day 3)

Cluster 4: New Models of Governing (Lessons 20-22)
How did the Phoenicians and Persians innovate in government and civic life?

Lesson 20: System Collapse: The End of the Bronze Age

Lesson 21: The Phoenicians: Maritime Traders of the Mediterranean

Lesson 22: The Persian Empire: Balancing Unity and Diversity

Cluster 5: The Abrahamic Religions (Lessons 23-33)
What ideas and beliefs were important to the followers of each Abrahamic religion?
How were Judaism, Christianity and Islam similar and different?

Lesson 23: An Introduction to the Abrahamic Religions

Lesson 24: Judaism: Religion of the Book

Lesson 25: Judaism: Religion of the Book

Lesson 26: Judaism: Religion of the Book

Lesson 27: The Origins, Beliefs and Practices of Christianity

Lesson 28: The Beliefs and Practices of Christianity

Lesson 29: The Beliefs and Practices of Christianity

Lesson 30: Islam: Roots and Revelation

Lesson 31: Islam: Roots and Revelation

Lesson 32: Islam: Roots and Revelation 

Lesson 33: Similarities and Differences among the Abrahamic Religions

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