Download This Sample
This sample is exclusively for KidsKonnect members!
To download this worksheet, click the button below to signup for free (it only takes a minute) and you'll be brought right back to this page to start the download!
Sign Me Up
Table of Contents
The Dead Sea, Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Mayyit (“Sea of Death”), Hebrew Yam HaMelaẖ (“Salt Sea”), also called Salt Sea, is a landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia.
See the fact file below for more information on the Dead Sea or alternatively, you can download our 25-page Dead Sea worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.
Key Facts & Information
LOCATION AND GEOGRAPHY
- The Dead Sea is an endorheic lake whose eastern shore belongs to Jordan and southern half of its western shore belongs to Israel.
- The Jordan River is the major water source flowing into the Dead Sea at its northern end. There are no outlet streams.
- Heavy deposits of of shale, clay, sandstone, rock salt, and gypsum were not able to spill off the growing water bed.
- It has the lowest elevation and is the lowest body of water on the surface of Earth being about 1,300 to 1,400 feet below sea level.
- However, several million years ago, the landform was different. It was the collision of the Arabian and Asian plate upfolded structures surrounding it that allowed the Dead Sea graben to drop.
- Over the years, the sea’s size changed due to high levels of evaporation compared to its precipitation.
CLIMATE
- The Dead Sea is classified as a hot desert climate based on Köppen climate classification BWh, with year-round sunny skies and dry air.
- Rainfall is scarcely 50 mm (2 inches) to 100 mm (4 inches) per year.
- Winter temperatures go from 58 °F (14 °C) to 63 °F (17 °C) and 93 °F (34 °C) to 124 °F (51 °C) during summers. On average, there are 192 days above 30 °C (86 °F) annually.
- UVB rays are weaker in the region, so it takes longer to burn.
- Forgetting to apply sunscreen would pose no significant threat. The atmospheric humidity ranges from 45 percent in May to 62 percent in October.
SALINITY
- The waters of the Dead Sea are saline and the concentration of salt increases toward the lake’s bottom.
- This is primarily due to reduction in inflow from the Jordan River that began in the 1960s. It gradually increased the salinity of the upper-layer waters of the Dead Sea.
- At about 130 feet (40 meters), the temperature ranges from 66 to 98 °F (19 to 37 °C), the salinity is less than 300 parts per thousand. It contains sulfates and bicarbonates.
- From 130 and 330 feet (40 and 100 meters), the water’s temperature is 72 °F (22 °C) with a higher degree of salinity at 332 parts per thousand.
- It contains hydrogen sulfide, magnesium, potassium, chlorine, and bromine.
- The deepest parts are known to be saturated with sodium chloride.
- The deep water thus became fossilized.
- Since the Dead Sea has a very high volume of salinity, only microbes are able to survive the waters and its surrounding areas.
HUMAN CONTACT
- The Dead Sea was recorded in the Hebrew bible dating from the time of Abraham, the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah, of Kings David and Herod I.
- The ancient Romans also referred to the Dead Sea “Palus Asphaltites” (Asphalt Lake), while the Egyptians recognized it as major source of asphalt in the embalming process that created mummies.
- The Jewish sect that left the biblical manuscripts known as the Dead Sea Scrolls also took refuge in caves at Qumrān, northwest of the lake.
- By the beginning of the 19th century, the western countries began to explore the lake, beginning with Christopher Costigan in 1835.
- Explorers and scientists arrived in the area to analyze the minerals and research the Dead Sea.
- In 1929 a chemical factory was opened near the lake and soon other installations were later built for the production of potash, magnesium, calcium chloride, bromide, and other chemicals.
TOURISM
- The Dead Sea has been believed to help skin conditions such as psoriasis, eczema, atopic dermatitis, vitiligo and acne, as well as conditions such as respiratory diseases, rheumatic, and orthopaedic diseases.
- Treatments usually not only involve bathing in the sea, but also moisturising creams and sun exposure.
- If you want to visit the Dead Sea via Israel, major Israeli hotels are available in nearby Arad and at the Ein Bokek resort complex.
- Israel has 15 hotels along the Dead Sea shore, generating total revenues of NIS 23 billion ($6.65 billion) in 2018.
- On the Jordanian side, international franchises have opened seaside resort hotels and resort apartments are available to tourists who prefer to visit via Jordan.
- While the Palestinian Dead Sea coast of about 40 kilometers (25 miles) gives opportunity for national revenue, Palestinians are yet to develop the area.
Dead Sea Worksheets
This is a fantastic bundle which includes everything you need to know about the Dead Sea across 25 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use Dead Sea worksheets that are perfect for teaching students about the Dead Sea, Arabic Al-Baḥr Al-Mayyit (“Sea of Death”), Hebrew Yam HaMelaẖ (“Salt Sea”), also called Salt Sea, which is a landlocked salt lake between Israel and Jordan in southwestern Asia.
Complete List Of Included Worksheets
- Dead Sea Facts
- Quick Quiz
- Salty Waters
- Under the Sea
- The Pillar of Salt
- The Dead Sea Scrolls
- Finding Scrolls
- Books of the Scrolls
- An Effort to Save
- New Promotion
- Dead Sea Word Play
Link/cite this page
If you reference any of the content on this page on your own website, please use the code below to cite this page as the original source.
Link will appear as Dead Sea Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, May 4, 2020
Use With Any Curriculum
These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.