Regional Map of the Middle East and Map of Israel

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1 Regional Map of the Middle East and Map of Israel Israel 101: Pages 2-3 Rationale and Goals This unit is designed to lay the foundations for studying modern Israel. Students will learn about Israel s position geographically and demographically in the wider region and in the world as well as basic geographic and topographic facts about the country. These facts and the maps will be useful for understanding later units in Israel 101. The specific goals of this unit are to: 1. Emphasize Israel s small size in relation to other countries in the region and in the world and in relation to other countries and states in the U.S. (Students and the general public often think Israel is very large because the media attention it receives has put, in effect, a magnifying glass on the country.) 2. Emphasize Israel s geographic, demographic and political position in the region. 3. Emphasize the small number of Jews worldwide as opposed to the large numbers in other religions and that Israel is the only Jewish-majority state in the world. 4. Point out the declining population of Christians in the Middle East, except in Israel, where their numbers are growing because there is religious freedom. 5. Emphasize key aspects of Israeli geography and its major cities and its geographic relationship to the West Bank and Gaza. 6. Give students the opportunity to express their thoughts, expectations and questions about the Israel 101 curriculum. Discussion questions 1. Many people assume that Israel is very large. These maps show how small it is in size and population relative to the region, to other countries and even to states in the U.S. What do you think caused this image of its large size, and how do you think more accurate images would affect people s perceptions of the country? 2. Some historians claim geography is destiny for a nation. Look up this phrase in a search engine (such as Google) and explore the concept. To what extent do you think geography is destiny for Israel in terms of its foreign relations, economic development and options for international trade? 3. Israel is a small country located at the crossroads of three major continents: Asia, Europe, and Africa. (Ancient Israel was located between the great powers of Egypt (Africa) to the south, Babylonia and Persia to the east, and Turkey/Anatolia (Europe) to the north. It was often forced to make alliances with these great powers.) What countries border modern Israel, and what great powers surround it? What impact do you think they have had on Israel s modern history?

2 4. Most countries in the world have one religious majority and/or an official state religion. How is Israel similar to or different from these countries? How are Jews similar to or different from these other religious groups? 5. In the Middle East, which was once largely Christian, the Christian population is rapidly diminishing. In Israel, the Christian population is growing. How would you account for this difference? What government policies and cultural practices are required for religious minorities to remain stable or to grow? 6. What is your image of Israel? Is it rural or urban; desert, beachfront or agricultural; flat or hilly? How would geographic characteristics affect a country s development and economic choices? 7. How many of Israel s neighbors have made peace with Israel? How would peaceful relations with different neighbors affect Israel s economic and political choices and priorities?

3 Activities Activity 1 Introducing Israel 101 Preparation: Estimated Time: one-half class period Materials: Paper and pencil, Israel 101 booklet Background: When self-directed, the process of learning can be very effective. For this reason, it s good practice to motivate students to take an active role in their learning. This activity, which occurs before beginning the Israel 101 curriculum, invites students to ask questions that interest them about the topics that will be addressed. Activity: 1. Tell the students that you want them to ask questions that interest them about Israel. Distribute the Student Questionnaire (attached), and tell them to fill it out with the aid of the Israel 101 booklet. 2. Collect the questionnaires. Organize the student questions into categories and prepare a question board, which will be posted in the classroom. Try to address the various questions, when appropriate, during the Israel 101 curriculum. 3. During the final session of Israel 101, return the questionnaires to the students. Discuss what they feel they have learned since they filled out the questionnaire. Wrap-Up: When teachers actively engage students in their own learning (e.g., eliciting student questions and motivating them to take an interest in the topic), students often subsequently learn more and with more enthusiasm. Filling out the questionnaire not only engages students in their own learning, but it can serve as a baseline to help students appreciate what they have learned when they have finished the Israel 101 curriculum.

4 Student Questionnaire Student Name: Grade: School: Date: Name of Teacher/Leader: Instructions: The following questionnaire is meant to give you the opportunity to express your thoughts, feelings, expectations and questions about the Israel 101 curriculum. As a student, you probably have noticed that when you are engaged in what you re learning, you learn more and have more fun in the process. This questionnaire has been designed for you and your teacher to help engage you more directly in the Israel 101 curriculum. Also, the plan is for your teacher to return your completed questionnaire to you during the last session of Israel 101. It could be amusing (and informative) for you to see what your thoughts, feelings, expectations and questions were before taking the course after you have completed it. Thank you and good luck to you and your fellow students during your journey on Israel 101! 1. How often do you watch, hear and/or read world news? a. Almost every day. b. About once a week. c. About once a month. d. Never. I couldn t care less. e. Other: 2. When you do watch, hear and/or read world news, which kind of media do you use? a. Television, especially the following channels (fill in): b. Radio, especially the following channels: c. Internet, especially the following Web sites: d. Newspapers, especially: 3. When I do watch, hear and/or read world news, I notice that the topic of Israel appears: a. Very often. b. Often. c. Every once in a while. d. Rarely. e. What is Israel, anyway?! f. Other: 4.Your associations about Israel: When you think of Israel, what comes to mind? Write down your free associations.

5 5. Your questions about Israel. During the next few weeks or months, you will be able to learn more about Israel through the Israel 101 curriculum. Scan the Israel 101 booklet and write down the questions that you would like to answer during your studies. (There are no right or wrong questions to ask. Anything goes!) 6. Your goals and expectations: What are your own goals and expectations for Israel 101? What would you like to learn or know as a result of your studies with this curriculum?

6 Activities Activity 2 Preparation: Estimated Time: 1 class period Materials: Copies of the Israel and Geography Quiz Lesson Plan: Before reading Israel 101, students should take a self-graded quiz to check what they know about Israel and its geography. Then they should discuss their answers and the implications of some basic geographic facts about the country. Background: Some historians claim that geography is destiny in other words, a country s geographical location determines its fate. While this theory may overstate the case, location is a critical factor for a country s survival and development. For this reason, the Israel 101 curriculum begins by highlighting basic geographic and demographic facts about Israel and the Jewish people. Activity: Israel s Demography and Geography: What Do You Know? 1. Tell students that before learning about the history and politics of Israel, they should know some basic geographic and demographic facts. To stimulate them to learn these basics, they will take a self-graded quiz. (Make sure that the quiz is given before the students read Israel 101.) 2. Pass out the quiz to students (see following page). Ask them to fill in their own answers. This is not a test! The purpose is to motivate students to engage in the topic. 3. Review the answers with students, using Notes For Teachers (which follows the quiz). 4. Have the students review pages 2-3 of the Israel 101, which graphically summarizes the information presented in the quiz. Wrap-Up: Israel is a small country, with a small population of Jews. However, this small country is a significant source of interest to many people and countries in the world. We will take a closer look at Israel in Israel 101 and see how these demographic and geographic facts affect its modern history.

7 A Quiz on Israel and Geography: What Do You Know? Instructions: Choose answers to each of the seven questions below. When you check the correct answers, see if any of them are surprising to you. 1. Where is Israel located? a. In Asia. b. In the Middle East. c. In Africa. d. Factually, in the Asian continent, but in the media, Israel is usually referred to as being located in the Middle East. e. In southern Europe. 2. How many years has the state of Israel been in existence? b. Close to 100 years. c. Over 80 years. d. About 60 years. e. Almost 150 years. f. More than 2,000 years. 3. The actual size of the state of Israel is: a. Roughly two times larger than California. b. A bit smaller than New Jersey. c. About eight times larger than El Salvador. d. About 10 times smaller than France. e. A bit larger than Taiwan. 4. Today, there are six major religions around the world. In each country, there may be several kinds of religions practiced by different citizens of that country. However, there is usually one religious majority in each country. Rank the following religious groups in descending order according to which has the most countries with that religious majority, and estimate the number of countries that have a majority for each religious group. Religious Group Rank Number of Countries Hindu Roman Catholic Eastern Orthodox Jewish Protestant Islamic 5. What is the population of Jews in the world? a. 0.5 billion Jews. b. 100 million Jews. c. 14 million Jews. d. 6 million Jews. 6. What is the ratio of Israeli Jews to Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East? a. 1:2 (Israeli Jews: Arabs and Muslims) b. 1:4 c. 1:10 d. 1:25 e. 1:55

8 7. What has happened to the Christian population in the Middle East? a. Christians benefit from freedom of religion in the Jewish state of Israel. b. The Christian population in Israel has dwindled since the modern state of Israel was founded. c. The Christians in Israel have the same experience as Christians in other Middle Eastern countries. They practice their beliefs privately and fear persecution. d. In Israel, Christians are not persecuted, and their population is growing. e. Middle Eastern countries accept Christians, and the number of Christians has remained stable throughout the Middle East. f. (a) and (d) above. g. (b) and (c) above.

9 A Quiz on Israel and Geography Notes For Teachers To the Teacher: When the students have finished filling in their quizzes, go over the correct answers with them in class. Read each question aloud and encourage students to raise their hands to indicate their answers so you can gauge the answer of the majority of the class. Reveal the correct answer and add any additional information that may be of interest. Some of the additional information appears below. Question Answer Additional Information d c b c Note that because it is surrounded by many Arab states, the media typically refers to Israel as being located in the Middle East. However, Israel is actually located between two continents Africa and Asia. This is indicated in the map on page 2-3. The modern state of Israel was established in May So the modern state of Israel has been in existence for about 60 years. Basically, it was founded in the students grandparents (or even parents ) generation. It is a very young country, but it has accomplished a great deal, as students will see in the booklet. The State of Israel is located on a very small piece of land. This may surprise many people, since Israel is mentioned so often in the media, and maps are shown without any other countries around it so it appears large. 1. Islamic 2. Roman Catholic 3. Protestant 4. Eastern Orthodox 5. Hindu 6. Jewish There are 56 countries with an Islamic majority; 49 Roman Catholic; 20 Protestant; 12 Eastern Orthodox; four Hindu and only one Jewish country. Prior to Israel s establishment, Jews were a small minority in every country they lived in. In Israel, there are about 5.7 million Jews. The rest are dispersed in different countries around the world. There are a total of 14 million Jews worldwide. There are 143 times fewer Jews than Christians in the world. The 6 million in answer d is the number of Jews murdered in the Holocaust during WWII. 6 e There are 55 times more Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East than there are Israeli Jews. The Jewish population in Israel is about 5.7 million, while there are 300 million Arabs and Muslims in the Middle East. 7 e Both a and d are correct (hence e is the overall correct answer). See Israel 101 for more details.

10 Activities Activity 3 Getting to Know Basic Geographic Facts about Israel Preparation: Estimated Time: 1 class period Materials: Question sheet and blank map of Israel (see following page) from Lesson Plan: Students will answer questions about Israel s geography and demography (see following page) and fill in the blank map of Israel. Students can get the information from an atlas, encyclopedia or the Internet. Students will fill in the blank map with basic facts they learn about Israel s size, topography, population distribution, water resources and land use. Background: So much media focus is on the Palestinian-Israel conflict that the general public often is unaware of the fact that Israel is a thriving country with enormous geographic, economic and cultural diversity. The activity is designed to familiarize students with this diversity and its impact on Israel s economic and security concerns. Activity: 1. Have students work in pairs. Pass out the blank map and question sheet, and tell students to use different resources to find the answers. (Suggested resources are listed below.) 2. Have students fill in the blank map with the answers they have researched. 3. Discuss with students the implications of their findings in terms of Israel s economy, culture, security, and development. Wrap-Up: Israel is a small country with great topographic diversity and limited natural resources. These features have posed special challenges to Israel s economic development and security needs. These facts are critical for understanding Israeli policies and priorities.

11 Questions about Israel s Geography and Demography Instructions: Use the blank outline of the map of Israel to fill in the following information. You can find answers to these questions by searching the Internet or using an up-to-date encyclopedia. 1. How long is Israel in miles? How wide is it at its narrowest point and at its widest point? How long would it take to drive the length of Israel? How long would it take to drive the width of Israel? 2. Where is most of Israel s population concentrated? What are its major cities, and what is their population? 3. What are Israel s four main geographic regions, and where are they located? 4. Where are the highest and lowest points in Israel? 5. Locate Israel s water and other natural resources. 6. Locate the mountain ranges in Israel and their relationship to Israel s population centers. 7. What features of Israel s geography have led to the statement that though very small, Israel has the geographic diversity of a continent?

12 Teacher Answer Sheet for Israel s Geography and Demography 1. Long and narrow, Israel is 290 miles long from its northern point at Metulla to its southern point at Eilat. Israel is 85 miles across at its widest point from the Mediterranean to the Dead Sea, and nine miles across from Netanya on the coast to Tulkarm in the West Bank. It takes approximately six hours to drive the length of Israel, about 90 minutes to drive across at its widest point, and only a few minutes at its narrowest point. 2. Over half of Israel s population is concentrated along its coastal plain which includes major urban centers, deep-water harbors, most of the country s industry and a large part of its agriculture and tourist facilities. Ninety two percent of Israelis live in 200 cities and towns. Five percent live in rural cooperative communities called kibbutzim or moshavim. Cities Population Jerusalem 729,000 Tel Aviv-Yafo 371,400 Haifa 268,250 Rishon Lezion 217,400 Ashdod 196,900 Be er Sheva 184,500 Netanya 169, Israel s four main geographic regions include three parallel strips running north to south and a large, mostly arid zone in the southern half. The three parallel strips are: Coastal plain: A sandy shoreline that runs parallel to the Mediterranean and is bordered by fertile farmland that extends up to 25 miles inland. Jezreel Valley: Israel s richest agricultural area, which is cultivated by many cooperative communities (kibbutzim and moshavim). Mountain ranges: Several ranges run the length of the country, including the Golan Heights and the Galilee Hills, which have perennial streams and relatively ample rainfall. The southern region is the Negev, which comprises about half of Israel s land area. Its northern section includes agriculture and industry, but further south the Negev becomes an arid zone that gives way to an area of bare craggy peaks, craters and rock-strewn plateaus. Arava: The savannah region, which begins south of the Dead Sea and extends down to Eilat, located at Israel s entry to the Red Sea. 4. Israel s highest point is Mount Hermon in the Golan Heights at 7,330 feet. Israel s lowest point is the Dead Sea, which is 1,300 feet below sea level. It is the lowest point on earth.

13 5. Water is a scarce commodity in the Middle East. Israel s water sources consist of the Jordan River, Lake Kinneret and a few small river systems. The lack of abundant sources of fresh water and its location on the edge of a desert belt both contribute to Israel s continued scarcity of water. The total annual renewable water resources amount to some 60 billion cubic feet (1.7 billion cu. m.), of which about 65 percent is used for irrigation and the balance for urban and industrial purposes. Natural springs and underground water tables, tapped in controlled quantities to prevent depletion and salination, are also utilized. Israel built its National Water Carrier in 1964 to carry water from the north to the arid south. Israel has few natural resources. They include: potash, copper ore, phosphate rock, magnesium bromide and clays. Other resources for Israel are sand, natural gas and timber. 6. Israel s mountain ranges run the length of the country, and include the Golan Heights on the border with Syria, and the range in the Galilee. A spine runs north and south down the center of the region, which includes the Samaria hills in the north and the Judean hills in the south. The West Bank is located along these ridges, which look down on Israel s central population areas. 7. Israel has been described as having the geographic diversity of a continent because, despite its small size, it has a wide variety of terrains within short distances of each other deserts, beaches, mountains, fertile valleys and savannahs. Sources for this exercise: See the Land Use map of Israel at geography.about.com/gi/dynamic/offsite.htm?site= edu/maps/israel.html. The MFA website has some good material for this with maps at Land/THE+LAND-+Geography+and+Climate.htm and at

14 Resources Internet Israel compared to other countries and some locations in the U.S. Map of Israel (2002) with cities clearly delineated Map of distribution of religions in the Middle East Jewish Population of the World (2006) Christians in the Middle East (2003) Muslim Population Figures Books Bard, Mitchell. Myths and Facts: A Guide to the Arab-Israeli Conflict. (American-Israeli Cooperative Enterprise; new ed. 2002). Ben-Haim, Ruth. Facts about Israel. (Jerusalem, Ahva Press: 2004). Eban, Abba. Heritage: Civilization and the Jews. (New York, Summit Books: 1984). Note: This is the book that accompanied a landmark PBS television series of the same title. The complete TV series and an interactive DVD-ROM are now available as a boxed set, one of the greatest multimedia resources available about Jewish history and civilization. See: (Lower cost versions may be available through amazon.com.) Lesson plans for middle and high schools based on this series and DVD are available online at: Encylopedia Judaica (now also available on CD-ROM) at Historical Fiction Halter, Marek (1986). The Book of Abraham. Michener, James A. (1964) The Source. Uris, Leon (1958). Exodus. Video Abba Eban s Heritage: Civilization and the Jews (DVD and DVD-ROM Interactive).