The Middle East: The Land & Its People

Once the center of civilization and the birthplace of the world's first alphabet, the wheel, and the three great monotheistic religions, Judaism, Christianity and Islam, the Middle East was first ignored and then dominated by countries of the Western world for centuries. With the discovery of oil in the Middle East, and the enormous demand for oil worldwide, this region of the world is now one of major importance. This primary source portfolio focuses upon the people of this complex area. Historical documents, songs, recipes, posters illustrating languages, mummies, ancient and modem architecture, and other cultural aspects of these countries present a picture of life in the Middle East. This portfolio includes a Study Guide with reproducible student activities. 4 Illustrated Broadsheet Essays: * The Land and the People: Historical Background * Growth and Change * People of the Arab World * Israel 11 Primary Source Documents: * Map of the Middle East * Languages of the Middle East: Arabic, Hebrew, Turkish, Persian * Songs of the Middle East: Egypt's "El-Thahlib" and Israel's "Hevenu Shalom A'Leychem" * Ancient and modern architecture * How and why mummies were made * Fabulous creatures * Whirling dervishes * Muezzins and minarets * Recipes: Middle Eastern favorites * Palestine and the creation of the State of Israel * Transcripts of letters exchanged between PLO Chairman Yasir Arafat and Prime Minsiter Yitzhak Rabin, Norway, September 1993