Lesson Plan - What’s Up, World? United Arab Emirates

Watch a Video: Let’s Go to UAE
Discuss: What have you learned about the United Arab Emirates? What do you still want to know?

Preview Words to Know
Project the online vocabulary slideshow and introduce the Words to Know.

• producing 
• wandering

Set a Purpose for Reading
Invite students to notice how the UAE is similar to but also different from the United States.

1. What causes “singing sand” in a United Arab Emirates desert?
“Singing sand” is a noise caused by millions of grains of sand slowly sliding down dunes, or mountains of sand.
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2. What are dhows? Compare how they were used long ago with how they are used today in the UAE.
Dhows are a type of traditional boat. Long ago, Emiratis used dhows to look for pearls in the waters of the Persian Gulf. Today people use the boats in yearly dhow races.
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3. Based on the article, photos, and captions, what might people do on a visit to the UAE?
Visitors might hear singing sand, drive or surf on sand dunes, attend a falconry event, see an Arabian oryx, visit the Burj Khalifa, or watch a dhow race.
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FEATURED SKILL: Compare and Contrast
Use the skill builder “Comparing Communities” to have students compare and contrast their own communities with the United Arab Emirates. 
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