Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
Half the world's land and most of its population sit across these four regions. A good mental map here unlocks the news, trade and travel.
Part of your national curriculum
- Locational knowledge: Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
Lesson overview
What you'll learn in this lesson
Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
Key learning points
- • Africa's scale
- • Russia's reach
- • Asia's giants
- • Why location matters
This lesson at a glance
- 25 minutes
- 17 parts to scroll through
- 3 quick checks
- Marked quiz at the end
- Gentle pace: short sittings with pauses
Words to know
Scroll down — the lesson carries on below
Watch & discover
Part 1 of 17
Watch first
Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
Locating the world before explaining it.
In a nutshell
Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
Learning cycle
Part 2 of 17
Learning cycle 1 of 2
Part 1 · Africa's scale
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 3 of 17
Learn
Africa's scale
Africa contains 54 countries and could fit the USA, China, India and much of Europe inside its borders. The Sahara divides a mostly arid north from a more tropical, densely populated south, where Nigeria alone has over 200 million people.
Reset break
Part 4 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 1 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Explore the idea
Part 5 of 17
Learn
Russia's reach
Russia spans 11 time zones from Kaliningrad to the Bering Strait, more than any other country. Most Russians live in the western fifth, near Moscow and St Petersburg, while Siberia remains vast and sparsely populated.
Quick check
Part 6 of 17
Quick check
Which mountain range is often used to mark the boundary between Europe and Asia within Russia?
Quick check
Part 7 of 17
Reset break
Part 8 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 2 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Learning cycle
Part 9 of 17
Learning cycle 2 of 2
Part 2 · Asia's giants
A short piece of teaching, then a check to make sure it has landed.
Explore the idea
Part 10 of 17
Learn
Asia's giants
Asia holds China and India, the world's two most populous countries, alongside deserts, the Himalayas and dense archipelagos like Indonesia. The Middle East, centred on the Arabian Peninsula, links Africa, Asia and Europe and holds huge oil reserves around the Persian Gulf.
Explore the idea
Part 11 of 17
Learn
Why location matters
Knowing where the Sahel, the Tigris-Euphrates or the Ural Mountains lie helps explain conflict, migration, trade routes and climate patterns you meet across the news and in other subjects.
Reset break
Part 12 of 17
Pause
That's sitting 3 of 4 done
Stretch, get a drink, look out of the window. There is no timer and nothing is counting down — your place is saved, so you can come back in five minutes or tomorrow.
Quick check
Part 13 of 17
Challenge round
Part 14 of 17
Game · Sort it
Which of these are true?
Drag each card into the right column. Tap a card first if dragging is fiddly.
True
Not true
Challenge round
Part 15 of 17
Game · Recall cards
Rising air at the equator produces
Card 1 of 4
Mastery quiz
Part 16 of 17
Marked quiz
End of lesson quiz: Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East
4 questions, marked with the reasoning shown. No timer.
1. Rising air at the equator produces
2. Which cell links the equator and 30 degrees?
3. Why is the UK milder than places at the same latitude in Canada?
4. Sinking air is dry because
Lesson round-up
Part 17 of 17
Lesson round-up
Ready when you are
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Extend locational knowledge and deepen spatial awareness of the world's countries, focusing on Africa, Russia, Asia and the Middle East