1. CULTURES OF SOUTHWEST ASIA
SS7G8: The student will describe the diverse cultures of the people who live in Southwest Asia

2. ELEMENTS
Students will explain the differences between an ethnic group and a religious group
Explain the diversity of religions within the Arabs, Persians and Kurds 
Compare and contrast the prominent religions in Southwest Asia : Judaism, Islam and Christianity 
Explain the reasons for the division between the Sunni and Shia Muslims 
Evaluate how the literacy rate affects the standard of living

3. ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS
What is the difference between an ethnic group and a religious group?
How are the religions of the Arabs, Persians, and Kurds diverse?
What are the similarities and differences between Judaism, Islam, and Christianity?
What is the reason for the division between Sunni and Shia Muslims?
How does literacy rate affect the standard of living?

4. Ethnic Groups and Religious Groups
Southwest Asia is home to a lot of diversity and cultures.
People show their culture in many ways
A person’s culture can come in their ethnicity
Ethnic group
Identified based on race, color, national origin or customs
A person’s culture can come from their religion
Religious group
Identified based on religious beliefs and practices

5. Ethnic Groups in Southwest Asia
Kurds
Reside in Turkey, Iran, Syria, and Iraq
Started out by being semi-nomadic
Most Kurds practice Islam, some are Jewish and Christian
Share their culture with the people of Iran
Arabs
Make up most of the population of Southwest Asia
Speak their native language of Arabic
Most Arabs practice Islam
Persians
Reside in Iran and make up half of the country’s population
Speak Persian or Farsi languages
Most Persians practice Islam, small part are Jewish and Christian
Very strict laws on women in their group

7. Religions of Southwest Asia
There are three major religious groups in Southwest Asia
All three religions are based around monotheism
Means that there is only one God
Many wars are fought in this region because people take their religion very seriously

8. JUDAISM Began about 1800 years ago
Beliefs are routed in Abraham and Moses as prophets and all Jews are awaiting the Messiah, called Yahweh
The sacred book is called the Torah
The Old Testament in the Bible
Most Jews live in Israel
2% of SW Asia follows Judaism
Some of the sacred places are the Jerusalem temple, Hebron, Palestine and the burial place of Abraham

9. ISLAM
Started by the prophet Muhammad in the 7th Century
Beliefs based on Abraham and Moses as the original prophets and that Muhammad is the last prophet
Allah is the messiah and one true God
The teachings are based in the Quran (Koran)
The sacred places include Mecca and Medina and Jerusalem
90% of the population of SW Asia practices Islam

10. CHRISTIANITY Began with the birth of Christ in the 1st century
Beliefs based on Abraham and Moses as prophets
The messiah is Jesus, the son of God
The teachings are based in the Bible
Old and New Testaments
Sacred places include the Holy Land in Israel
4% of SW Asia are Christian

11. Practicing Islam and Judaism

12. SUNNI MUSLIMS vs. SHIA MUSLIMS
90% of the Muslim population is Sunni
Follow the customs of Muhammad
Belief that leadership should be based on the community of Muslims
10% of Muslim population are Shias
Follow the customs of Ali, Muhammad’s relative
Belief that Ali is the new leadership of Islam and should be followed

13. SW Asia and the Standard of Living
The area of Southwest Asia has had a very low literacy rate
Percentage of adults who can read and write
Best literacy rates reside in the countries of Saudi Arabia, Iran, Syria and Israel
Israel has the highest at 97%
Literacy rates drop due to a lack of education for children due to constant fighting between countries
Because literacy rates drop, it effects the standard of living for citizens
The financial health of a nation measured by how much that nation consumes
The better a country reads = the more successful the country