Exploros | The Gulf Wars

The Gulf Wars

Students reflect on a map of the Persian Gulf to activate prior knowledge about the Gulf War. Then, they learn about the events leading to the Gulf War. Next, they analyze the effects of the war. Finally, students examine the effects the Gulf War had on soldiers’ health.

This learning experience is designed for device-enabled classrooms. The teacher guides the lesson, and students use embedded resources, social media skills, and critical thinking skills to actively participate. To get access to a free version of the complete lesson, sign up for an exploros account.

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Overview

In this experience, students reflect on a map of the Persian Gulf to activate prior knowledge about the Gulf War. Then, they learn about the events leading to the Gulf War. Next, they analyze the effects of the war. Finally, students examine the effects the Gulf War had on soldiers’ health.

Objectives

Describe the context of the Persian Gulf War.
Analyze the causes and effects of the Persian Gulf War.

The Persian Gulf is an area that has seen more than its share of wars and crises. The Persian Gulf War, which lasted from August 2, 1990 to February 28, 1991, had a heavy toll in both lives and money, and set the stage for even more costly conflicts in the 2000s. In this experience, you’ll learn about the Gulf War of 1990–1991, sometimes called the First Persian Gulf War.

Objectives

Describe the context of the Persian Gulf War.
Analyze the causes and effects of the Persian Gulf War.

The Persian Gulf Region

First, make sure you know which part of the world you’re studying! Look at the map of the Persian Gulf region.

Essential facts to know about the region are:

The Persian Gulf is located in the heart of the Middle East.
The Gulf is an extension of the Arabian Sea, which is part of the Indian Ocean.
The countries bordering the Gulf supply much of the world’s gas and oil, making this one of the most important bodies of water on Earth.
Because of its strategic and economic importance, the Gulf has been the scene of disputes and wars for centuries.

Use your prior knowledge to try to answer the following questions. Don’t worry if you don’t know the answers yet—you can make a prediction.

The Gulf War arose when the nation of _________ invaded the nation of _________.

A) Saudi Arabia; United Arab Emirates
B) Iran; Afghanistan
C) Egypt; Israel
D) Iraq; Kuwait

What was the purpose of the invasion?

A) to gain territory
B) to acquire oil fields
C) to suppress an enemy
D) to oppose U.S. interests

The questions are lead-ins to engage students in learning about the Gulf War. They are not expected to know the answers until they work through the experience.

Tell students they will learn the facts and controversies about the war as they work through this experience.

When everyone is ready to continue, unlock the next scene.