This curriculum unit, intended to be used with elementary school students, provides information about two neighboring Middle Eastern countries, Israel and Jordan, to allow comparisons not only between the two countries but also about the students' own neighborhood. The unit presents objectives, strategies, materials needed, background notes, evaluation methods, and assignments that fulfill National Social Studies Standards and National Geography Standards. It describes how to use the five fundamental themes of geography to discover Israel and Jordan: Location, Place, Movement, Environment, and Region. (The unit focuses mainly on Jordan; a companion unit focuses on Israel. Each fundamental theme is outlined in the unit, and activities are suggested based upon the themes. Discussion questions are provided, using writing prompts, and appropriate literature connections are also featured. Other activities use a Venn diagram to compare and contrast, and involve comparative geography and a "discovery box." Contains a 13-item bibliography of children's books, as well as a selection of 28 "National Geographic" articles on Israel and Jordan. (BT)