Islamic Republic of Iran

Unit Study

Iran

God has been stirring within me to do this Unit of Study, to delve deeply into with my children. I recognize this is highly unusual to teach to children, yet this will help to prepare them for the future and understand what is happening in the world today. I feel that to have acquire understanding of this country, it's origins, plus the current events we see in the news today all is vital for our children to know. The elections (in Iran), the arresting of Pastors, the nuclear threat and so on, has drawn me to this particular country.

Join with me now as we better understand another powerful country in the Middle East known as the Islamic Republic of Iran.

Where To Begin- A country in Southwestern Asia (in the Middle East).
Location Location Location...in retrospect from where I am located.
1- Get the World Globe Out -- (and or world atlas) Have student (or self) locate your country/state/city and then turn the globe to find Iran.
a.) Draw a basic world map; using the simple black ink or black colored pencil.
b.) Color your state...a certain color. Color Iran a certain color. High light your country in yellow (helps to emphasize location plus help with geography).
2- LINK: {Click on highlighted words for link.} World Map (click) [Map of the World - Click on any Country for its Map & Information]
a.) Iran Map -- detailed pretty good + Fill In Map for students; include border nations and waters. Excellent map on KIDS OF COURAGE - IRAN activity book (click on this link for a great resource).
b.) Provinces of Iran: 31 Provinces LABEL ALL PROVINCES WITH THEIR CAPITAL
Largest with the most counties--
23 counties: Fars (Shiraz is the capital) Original home of the Persian people. [Old Persia]
19 Counties: Azerbajjan: (Tabriz is the capital)
22 Counties: Isfahan : (same name)
19 Counties: Razavi Khorasan (Mashhad capital)
Each province if filled with vast differences from landscapes to people groups.
c.) Iran: Map Quiz Worksheet (click)

Caspian Sea

d.) Capital of Iran: Tehran [Note-click on highlighted links.]
1.) COOL!! Interactive map of Tehran: it is fun and very interesting!
2.)Population: 8,244,535-29th in the world
3.) In Tehran Province.
4.) It's the 32nd capital of Iran & been the capital for over 220 years.

5.) Tehran Municipality Web site

e.) Label & Include the Rivers, Lakes, Gulfs & Seas {Rivers of the Middle East} Try to label at least the largest and most industrious rivers.
1.) List of Rivers
2.) 22 Rivers Flow into the Persian Gulf ---list & locate them: Haffar / Shatt al-Arab / Kārun
[ Iran's most effluent, and the only navigable,river.] / Marun River in the province of Khuzestan / Dez River - the site of the Dez Dam / Kuhrang - 'in the Zagros mountains of western Iran' / Karkheh one of the four rivers of Eden/Paradise (also near Susa-think Esther) Continue to search on the main site; the list goes rather long.
3.) 4 Rivers Flow into the Gulf of Oman; Dozdan River / Jagin River / Gabrik River / Bahu Kalat River
4.) Persian Gulf / Gulf of Oman These two are rich in history; with wars and civilizations. Studying this area could lead to a long independent study involving the ancient civilizations. Over 20 yrs. ago many of us recall the Persian Gulf War; all of a sudden the world's eyes were focused on a region where we believe the creation began.
5.) Caspian Sea The largest lake on the planet.

Mt. Damavand

d.) Mountains: Label the mountain ranges and the top few largest mountains.

1.) Middle Alborz Mountains: 15 Mountains - It holds the tallest 5,610 Meters (which is 18,405.5 ft. - Mount Damāvand is an active volcano ).
2.) West Alborz Mountains: 5 Mountains
3.) Takht-e Suleyman Mountains : 20 Mountains
4.) Zagros Mountains: 6 Mountains
5.) Azarbaijan Mountains: 2 Mountains

e.) Deserts {Make sure the students understands here are some helps.} Label the larger deserts and industrious.
1. ) Desert (according to dictionary.com): "A region so arid because of little rainfall that it supports only sparse and widely spaced vegetation orno vegetation at all"
2.) Deserts of Iran little overview of each and an explanation of a desert. Nice job teaching the 'beginner' who is not knowledgeable of this region.
Specifications of a Desert according to this web site and author-Fereidoun Forghani
"A: Rain- The amount of yearly rain is low in deserts, most times less than 250ml. Some deserts in Africa pass years without rain!
B: temperature- Days are very hot(up to 60 centigrades) and night can be as cold as zero. This huge difference between day and night temperature makes desert life so hard.
C: Humidity and Evaporation- Humidity rarely becomes more than 60% while evaporation is very high.
D: Wind- Great difference between the temperature of the surface and layers of the air and lack of flora makes desert winds very powerful sometimes.
E: Native Flora- In many parts of deserts there is no flora and in the rest its mostly not jammed."
3.) Maranjab / Semnan desert / Rig-e Jenn / Jandagh /  Haj Ali Gholi / Miandash / The Great Desert-Central Desert/ Kavir-e loot

f.) Parks [Remember to click on highlight link.] Label at least one park per province and 2 or the largest National Parks.
1.) Beautiful Photos of some parks...worth looking at!
2.) Divided up into:
Protected Areas--- 15 total
Natural Natural Monuments---5 total
National Parks--23 total / Bamou / Golestan largest- in Caspian region and the steppes of Khorasan province of Northern Iran /Khar Turan 2nd largest reserve in Iran.
Wildlife Refuges--10 total

g.) Climate:   In the Northwest; winters are cold with heavy snowfall and subfreezing temperatures during December and January. Spring and fall are relatively mild, while summers are dry and hot. In the south, winters are mild and the summers are very hot, having average daily temperatures in July exceeding 100 degrees.
Overall Iran has an arid climate with exceptions in the Caspian and Zagros regions. 19-39.4 inches of precipitation a ear.

WILDLIFE & DOMESTICATED ANIMALS

'Animals in Islam' [click]
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PEOPLE GROUPS Map their locations if detailed.
From the '30 Days Prayer Network' [click link] "There are over 65 different people groups in Iran..."
--- "The largest group is the Persians, numbering about 30 million.
--- Eleven million people are from an Azeri background; they live mostly south and west of the Caspian Sea.
--- Then there are the closely related Turkic Azeri
--- Turks of Khorasan
--- Turkmen of the north,
--- 3 million Mazanderanis.
---Kurds in the northwest (5 million)
--- Baluch in the southeast (623,000)
Partly nomadic tribes who live in the Zagros Mountains of southwestern Iran:
---  Luri (5 million)
--- Bakhtiari (1.15 million)
--- Qashqa’i (960,000)
  Two-thirds of Iran’s 70 million people today are under 30 years of age, and half are under 20 years." [Info. from 30 Days of Prayer]
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IRAN'S GOVERNMENT

Flag of Iran (click highlighted link)

Color & Explanation : on Kids of Courage Activity Download
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MUSIC OF IRAN
- Traditional music of Iran - Luri (on youtube)
- Persian Classical Music (on youtube)
- Christian Worship (on youtube --Gilbert Hovsepian )
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RELIGIONS IN IRAN
* Islam
Takbir/ Allāhu Akbar - God Is Great
* Ramadan: 2013 = July 8 - Aug. 7th
* Heather Mercer discusses Ramadan (click)

* Facts, History, Dates, Greeting And Rules Of The Muslim Fast by Huff Post Religion [In this link there is also photos of Ramadan celebrated.]
   * Zoroastrianism: Persian religion founded by Zoroaster in ancient Iran; taught that humans had the freedom to choose between right and wrong, and that goodness would triumph in the end.
    "Zoroastrianism worships Ahura Mazda and his Holy Forces, the Ameshaspands and Yazatas (concept), and these include the elements created by God such as the Holy Fire, Wind, Water, Earth, and so on. This is not the God of the Jews or Christians."
--Youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MzklBWNIjyM
- For Biblical apologetics: http://biblebasedchristianity.blogspot.com/2008/07/zoroastrianism.html
NOTE- King Darius Daniel 6 recognized the God of Daniel.


WHO CAN TRAVEL INTO IRAN
Requirements to travel into Iran

PLANE ROUTE TO IRAN FROM...
From Chicago to Tehran - 7,243 miles which is 3 days.

WHAT TO PACK TO TRAVEL TO IRAN

Woman Dress
Men Dress

IRAN IN THE NEWS

BIBLE HISTORY OF IRAN

Plain History of Iran: Persia until 1935
Islamic republic in 1979

IRAN & THE UNITED STATES
"Iranian-US relations have been strained since a group of Iranian students seized the US Embassy in Tehran on 4 November 1979 and held it until 20 January 1981. During, Iran fought a bloody, indecisive war with Iraq that eventually expanded into the Persian Gulf and led to clashes between US Navy and Iranian military forces between." [http://www.30-days.net/muslims/muslims-in/mid-near-east/iran-insights/]

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HANGING GARDEN OF BABYLON
Ancient Wonder of the World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-m4wJxWB2w4
FAMOUS PEOPLE OF IRAN

CHRISTIANS IN IRAN
1.) Iran is listed as a 'Restricted Nation' : "This includes countries where government policy or practice prevents Christians from obtaining Bibles or other Christian literature. Also included are countries where government-sanctioned circumstances or anti-Christian laws lead to Christians being harassed, imprisoned, killed or deprived of possessions or liberties because of their witness." [VOM web site]

2.) .5% of the population is Chrisitan

3.) Info about the factor under the Restricted Nation page on VOM website quite informative...

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    Haik Hovsepian-Mehr (click his name here for mini article) :
  * Face Book Iranian Pastor & Assemblies of God Supt.

that was improsoned & martyred in Iran.
Hovsepian Ministries - the family of this brother that started this powerful ministry that streams out God's Word to Iran.

"Evin Prison in Tehran is one of the world's darkest and most dangerous places. Prisoners are routinely tortured, abused, and violated. Executions are frequent and sudden. But for two women imprisoned for their Christian faith—Maryam Rostampour and Marziyeh Amirizadeh—this hell on earth was a place of unlikely grace as they reflected God's love and compassion to their fellow prisoners and guards. Against all odds, Evin would become the only church many of them had ever known."

For more visit http://www.billygraham.org

American Pastor Saeed Transferred to Brutal Iranian Prison - Life is in Danger -

President Obama Must Step In (click link)

Beautiful Scenic Photos of Iran; Parks, rivers, deserts, etc. From Amazing Facts.com

Use for Provinces etc..: http://www.iran.farsfoundation.net/en/iran-knowing/tourism-in-iran/iranian-tourist-attractions/673-ilam10/5802-seimare-river.html

Iran Flash Cards of Terms-- from pointed religions, people, places, religion & history. [click highlighted link] Has a test/ practice and so much more.

KIDS OF COURAGE-IRAN / Kids Of Courage Iran Download [click highlighted link] The later is an activity book --consumable.
-This activity book is impressive. Good for ages 6-13 years. The author bounces around from interesting country facts to stories about children who serve Jesus in Iran. There are pages to color as well. Little quizzes, maps and well documented historical features in the colorful little book. Worthy to download or purchase from KOC.

Assemblies of God Links/Articles About Iran

NEWS ALERTS:

IRAN: FARSI CHURCH CLOSED: [Voice of the Martyrs]

https://www.persecution.com/public/newsroom.aspx?story_ID=NTgx

http://news.farsfoundation.net/
Using news/media/ corporations and science to BRIDGE the gap.
Fars Foundation stands for: Fars: Fars Administration, Research and Solutions-Foundation

Other Side of Iran Ministries / Hovsepian ministry
http://www.youtube.com/user/OtherSideOfIran?feature=watch

Iranian Worship Music -Barane akhar - Haik Hovsepian

I Am Your Voice by Mousa Rasaei

(Dedicated to all those who are in prison for their faith in Jesus Christ)
When the stars, leave the shadows of dark clouds
God's light will shine, the moon will appear again
When deserts are invaded by the howling voices
The whispers of your prayer are louder than any cries
The master key of your prison cell, is in the hand of your master, Jesus;
Your shepherd, that will not delay [for your rescue].
Always battling against [evil] spirits and sharp swords
God of the hosts is with us
If for your faith, you are in prison still,
Our thought are with you, united in heart and mind
The eyes of your innocent child, is still fixed on the door awaiting you
God's eyes see all this persecution, just as you and I
I am your voice, my prayers are for you
My brother, do not get weary, Christ is your King
I am your voice, my prayers are for you
My sister, do not get weary, Christ is your King