Lesson Objective: By the end of the lesson, year 5 students should be able to answer questions about the location, political significance and importance of Bagdad.

Introduction (10 minutes):

Start by introducing students to the fundamentals of geography, explaining how understanding the physical and political space of a place is important to understanding its history and influence. Say to them:

“Today, we are going to specifically focus on Bagdad, the capital city of Iraq. Who knows what country Iraq is located in?

Allow a few students to explain, then move onto an explanation of why the geographical location of a place is important. You could use a map to show them the location both within the Middle East and globally, point out any water bodies or other geographical features Iraq shares a border with, and show them how these influence the value of the area.

Lesson Body (25 minutes):

Explain in more detail the location of Baghdad, showing the students a physical map of Iraq on the board. Encourage discussion in the class, such as why is the Tigris and Euphrates River so important? Why is its close proximities to Jordan, Syria, Kurdistan etc impactful?

Emphasize the importance of the area in terms of politics, culture and economy and encourage students to think of the benefits of being in this part of the world.

Practice (10 minutes):

Students then work in pairs to answer the following questions and discuss with the class: 1. What are the geographical features surrounding Bagdad? 2. What is the importance of Bagdad’s location in terms of international politics? 3. What countries does Bagdad share a border with? 4. What are the economic benefits of being located close to so many other nations?

Conclusion (5 minutes):

Discuss their conclusions as a class, with the teacher summarizing the main points throughout the lesson. Enhance their knowledge and understanding of the importance of Bagdad by encouraging the class to research the topic further.

End by asking the students if they have any questions, and ensure they know what they can do if they need help understanding the material they have studied today.