CH 3.

1 GEOGRAPHY AND LIFE IN ARABIA

A DESERT LAND Arabian Peninsula is mostly a hot and dry desert land.

Name: Dorothea Brewer Date: 11/29/12 Per: 2

Scorching temperatures and a lack of water make life difficult. Arabias location, physical features, and climate have shaped life in the region. A Crossroads Location
The Arabian Peninsula is located in the southwest corner of Asia. It lies near the intersection of 3 continents, Africa, Asia, and Europe. Geographers call Arabia a crossroad location. Merchants brought goods like, spices, silks, and gold. These trade routes were water routes along the coast or across the seas. These trades brought many different people to Arabia. Those people who came through Arabia introduced new products and new ideas from around the world, influence Arabian culture and society.

Physical Features
Arabias location lies in a region with hot and dry air. The climate has created a band of desert across Arabia and northern Africa. Arabia is mostly covered in huge sandy deserts. Sand dunes, or hill of sand shaped by the wind, can rise up to 800 feet high and stretch for hundreds of miles! The worlds largest sand desert, the Rub al-Kahali, covers much of south Arabia. The desert have so little life so its called Empty Quarter.

Desert Climate
Arabia is one of the hottest, driest places in the world. With blazing hot sun and clear skies the temperatures, in the summers reach up to 100F daily. This climate makes it hard for plants and animals to survive. There are desert plants that live in areas that get little rain. Many of the plants have roots that can stretch deep or spread out far enough to collect as much as water as possible.

TWO WAYS OF LIFE Some people lived a nomadic life, moving from place to place. Others lived a sedentary, or settled, life in towns. Nomads Nomads live in tents and raise herds of sheep, goats, and camels. The animals provide milk, meat, and skin for the nomads tents. Nomads traveled across the desert, moving along regular routes as seasons changed, to get food and water for their animals. They depended on camels for transportation and milk. The nomads tents and camels belonged to individuals but water and grazing land belonged to the tribes. Townspeople While nomads traveled around the desert, other people settled in oases where they could farm. Most people in Arabia lived in towns. Merchants and craftspeople lived there and worked with people in the caravan trade. A caravan is a group of traders that travel together.

Trade Centers (p. 56-58!) Towns in Arabia became trading centers for nomads and townspeople. Many towns had a souk market or bazaar. In the markets, the nomads traded animal products and desert herbs for goods such as cooking supplies and clothing. The Merchants sold spices, gold, leather, and other goods brought by caravans.

NAME ____________________

GEOGRAPHY AND LIFE IN ARABIA POSTCARD ASSIGNMENT

Pretend you live in Arabia. Write a letter/postcard to a friend or relative describing your life in that challenging environment. Content Requirements: Steps: 1. Highlight/circle 4-5 facts on your Ch 3.1 handout you want to use (Hint: Choose significant information something that connects to a Big Idea, or something that really affects daily life.) 2. Determine a persona (trader, nomad, townsperson...). 3. Determine who you are writing to ... 4. Think about how the facts you chose could be communicated creatively in describing events or circumstances in your life. 5. Write the letter (about 2-3 paragraphs), and draw the picture! Use at least 4-5 facts from your Ch 3.1 Geography and Life in Arabia handout. Include a picture that relates to a piece of information from the worksheet.

NAME ____________________

GEOGRAPHY AND LIFE IN ARABIA POSTCARD ASSIGNMENT

Pretend you live in Arabia. Write a letter/postcard to a friend or relative describing your life in that challenging environment. Content Requirements: Steps: 1. Highlight/circle 4-5 facts on your Ch 3.1 handout you want to use (Hint: choose significant information something that connects to a Big Idea, or something that really affects daily life.) 2. Determine a persona (trader, nomad, townsperson...). 3. Determine who you are writing to ... 4. Think about how the facts you chose could be communicated creatively in describing events or circumstances in your life. 5. Write the letter (about 2-3 paragraphs), and draw the picture! Use at least 4-5 facts from your Ch 3.1 Geography and Life in Arabia handout. Include a picture that relates to a piece of information from the worksheet.