1. Essential Question: What are the similarities and differences in leadership, voting rights, and personal freedoms in Israel, Saudi Arabia, and Iran?
Standard:
SS7CG5a. Compare the parliamentary democracy of the State of Israel, the monarchy of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, and the theocracy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, distinguishing the form of leadership and the role of the citizen in terms of voting rights and personal freedoms.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should introduce the essential question and the standard that aligns to the essential question.

2. Governments of the Middle East Activator
Instructional Approach(s): The students should complete the Governments of the Middle East Activator. Students can work individually or with a partner. Partners can be determined by the students or the teacher can provide more specific directions such as turn to the person directly in front/behind you or to the right/left of you, etc. It may be necessary to have a group of three if you have an uneven number of students. Do not allow more than 1-2 minutes of discussion time. The teacher should be walking around listening and redirecting discussions as needed. The teacher can briefly discuss student responses.

3. Government Matching Pair Cards
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should facilitate the Government Matching Pair Cards activity to review the basic government standards. Students can do the activity individually or with a partner. Partners can be determined by the students or the teacher can provide more specific directions such as turn to the person directly in front/behind you or to the right/left of you, etc. It may be necessary to have a group of three if you have an uneven number of students. Do not allow more than 5-7 minutes of time for the activity. The teacher should be walking around listening and redirecting discussions as needed. The teacher can briefly discuss the correct matches when ready.

4. Form of Leadership Head of Government: Chief of State:
Leader of a country who represents the state at official and ceremonial functions, but who may not be involved with the day-to-day activities of the government.
Head of Government:
A country’s top administrative leader who is designated to manage the day-to- day activities of the government.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide. The students need to be aware of the difference between a Chief of State and the Head of Government.

5. Form of Leadership Head of Government Chief of State
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should use the examples on the slide of Chief of State and Head of Government. The bottom left images are characters from the movie The Hunger Games. If the teacher is not familiar with the movie or book, ask a student to give a 30 second summary of the movie/book. Then, ask the same student or a different student why each character might be considered a Chief of State or Head of Government.

6. Use the Middle East Government Chart
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should give each student a copy of the Governments of the Middle East Chart [linked on the resource page] to record important information during the lesson.

7. Israel is a Unitary System with a Parliamentary Democracy
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.
How is power distributed? How do citizens participate?

8. Israel
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should show the illustration from the activating strategy that best represents Israel’s form of government. The teacher may want to ask students how the diagram represents Israel’s form of government. Ask students what is meant by Israel being a unitary system with a parliamentary democracy and how the diagram helps illustrate the concept.

9. Structure of Government: Israel
Israel has a unitary system of government where the central government in Jerusalem handles most government functions.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

10. Form of Leadership: Israel
The president is the head of state.
The prime minister is the head of government.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

11. Role of the Citizen: Israel
Citizens over 18 can vote for members of the legislature [Knesset].
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

12. Other Facts: Israel Israel has three branches of government
Although it has no constitution, it has enacted a series of “Basic Laws” that detail fundamental rights.
Some of the recent human rights problems include: [
discrimination against Arabs in terms of equal education and job opportunity
discrimination against women
terrorist attacks against citizens
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

13. Saudi Arabia is a monarchy.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.
What does that mean?

14. Saudi Arabia
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should show the illustration from the activating strategy that best represents Saudi Arabia’s form of government. The teacher may want to ask students how the diagram represents Saudi Arabia’s form of government. Ask students what is meant by Saudi Arabia being a monarchy and how the diagram helps illustrate the concept.

15. Structure of Government: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia is a monarchy. The right of succession is hereditary.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

16. Form of Leadership: Saudi Arabia
The king is both chief of state and head of government. The king’s power is limited by Islamic law.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

17. Role of the Citizen: Saudi Arabia
Male citizens over 21 can vote.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

18. Other Facts: Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia does not have a constitution as Islamic law governs.
Saudi Arabia does not have a legislature or political parties. [In 2011, the country held elections on a nonparty basis for half of the seats on the municipal councils around the country, but women were not able to vote or run]
Some of the human rights problems include: [
Citizens’ lack of the right and legal means to change their government
Restrictions on universal rights such as freedom of expression, including on the internet, and freedom of assembly, association, movement, and religion
A lack of equal rights for women, children, and noncitizen workers.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

19. Iran is a theocratic republic with a presidential system.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.
What does that mean?

20. Iran
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should show the illustration from the activating strategy that best represents Iran’s form of government. The teacher may want to ask students how the diagram represents Iran’s form of government. Ask students what is meant by Iran being a theocracy and how the diagram helps illustrate the concept. Be sure students understand that America is NOT a theocracy. Ask the students why America is NOT a theocracy even though a large majority of Americans are Christians.

21. Structure of Government: Iran
Iran is a theocratic republic with a presidential system. The government of Iran is based on Islamic law.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

22. Form of Leadership: Iran
The chief of state is the Supreme Leader of Iran, who is a religious leader and has the final say on all matters.
The Supreme Leader does control some executive power such as commander- in-chief of the armed forces.
The head of government is the president, but he may be removed by the Supreme Leader at any time.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

23. Role of the Citizen: Iran
Citizens over 18 can vote.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

24. Other Facts: Iran
Iran has an elected legislative branch
The president is elected by popular vote, but the Supreme Leader who is appointed for life has more power.
Some of the human rights problems include: [
The government’s manipulation of the electoral process, which severely limited citizens’ right to change their government peacefully through free and fair elections
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

25. Other Facts: Iran
Some of the human rights problems include: [
Politically motivated violence and repression
Denial of fair public trials
Lack of an independent judiciary [courts]
Ineffective implementation of civil court procedures
Interference with privacy, family, home, and correspondence
Severe restrictions on freedoms of speech (including via the internet) and press
Severe restrictions on academic freedom
Severe restrictions on the freedoms of assembly, association, and religion
Some restrictions on freedom of movement
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide while the students record the important information on their notes.

26. Governments of the Middle East
Turn to an elbow partner and discuss the question below: In all three of the Middle East governments studied, citizens could vote. Why then aren’t all three of the countries considered democracies?
Instructional Approach(s): Have students turn to a partner and discuss the question on the slide. Partners can be determined by the students or the teacher can provide more specific directions such as turn to the person directly in front/behind you or to the right/left of you, etc. It may be necessary to have a group of three if you have an uneven number of students. Do not allow more than 30 seconds to 1 minute of discussion time. The teacher should be walking around listening and redirecting discussions as needed. The teacher can briefly discuss student responses. When ready, click to the next slide to discuss the answer.

27. Governments of the Middle East
First, who holds the supreme power in a democracy?
The people hold the supreme power in a democracy.
Instructional Approach(s): The teacher should present the information on the slide answer the question on the previous slide.
Israel is a democracy, but who holds the supreme power in Saudi Arabia? Iran?

28. Governments of the Middle East Frames
Instructional Approach(s): The students should complete the Governments of the Middle East Frames to reinforce the characteristics of each government in the Middle East.

29. Middle East Government Summarizer
Instructional Approach(s): Each student should complete the summarizer. The teacher should use the summarizer to determine the level of student mastery and if differentiation is needed.