Notes- Lesson 1
Name ____________________________
Period _________
Ancient Mesopotamia- Geography of the
Fertile Crescent
The Big Picture


Around 4000 BC Egyptian farming communities were growing along the Nile River.
 Another civilization was also developing in ______________________________.
▪ This area was later called the _______________________________ because it
looks like a quarter moon.
The Fertile Crescent covers the present-day countries of _____________, ____________,
___________________, and ________________.
The Big Picture
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
Much of the land was either rocky _______________________ or desert.
The 2 rivers, the _____________ and the ____________________, made life in these
areas possible.
Between 2 Rivers

The region between the Tigris and the Euphrates is known as ______________________.
 In Greek it means “_____________________________________________.”
 This area is now known as ______________.
Notes- Lesson 1
Name ____________________________
Period _________
Between 2 RiversFrom Mountains to the Sea


Both the Tigris and the Euphrates begin in the Taurus Mountains, located in
________________.
The rivers rush down and then reach the ________________, located in present-day
northern Iraq.
 A plateau is an _______________ of elevated _______________________.
 In southern Iraq the rivers flow to lower land and empty into the
____________________________.
Between 2 RiversFlood
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
Early communities in Mesopotamia depended on river deposits of _______________.
 It made the region a good place for ______________________.
Mesopotamia’s yearly _________________ did NOT come as regularly as those in Egypt.
 They often came at the _______________ time for farmers.
 The rivers did not flood during ________________________ season when dry fields
needed to be softened and prepared for new growth.
 Instead, floods came just as crops were ready to be _______________________.
Between 2 RiversFlood


Farmers had to _________________ their fields from flood damage.
 They also had to keep them __________________ in the hot, dry climate.
Southern Mesopotamia rarely received ________________.
 Droughts, or long periods of ___________weather, were a constant threat to
farmers and their ________________.
Between 2 RiversFlood


Northern Mesopotamia usually had enough _____________, but the rocky earth had
only pockets of _______________ soil.
 The flooding _____________ did NOT leave behind as much silt in the north.
Which area (Northern or Southern Mesopotamia) had more fertile land? Explain.
 _____________________Mesopotamia b/c there was _____________________ in
the south.
Notes- Lesson 1
Name ____________________________
Period _________
From River to Field

In the _____________ farmers of southern Mesopotamia needed water to plant and
raise __________ crops.
 Unfortunately, Fall was the time when the Tigris and Euphrates rivers were at their
________________.
From River to Field



_________________ was harvest time; however, it was also the
time the rivers ____________________.
The time the rivers flooded was such a ________________
because it happened during the _________________.
 The ___________________ time would be the ___________ since this is when they
were ___________________ the crops and the fields were______________.
To solve these difficulties, ancient farmers learned to build water-control and
___________________ systems.
From River to FieldFarming in Ancient Mesopotamia

Early farmers grew many different crops.
 The areas MOST important crops were _______________ and ________________.
 Other crops included: ________________, onions, __________________,
_______________________, spice plants, date palm, apple and pomegranate trees.
From River to FieldFarming in Ancient Mesopotamia


Mesopotamian farmers planted their crops and trees along
_________________________________.
On the edges of village farmland, you might see shepherds caring for
___________________ and __________________.
 Sheep were especially prized for their ______________ and _________________.
Notes- Lesson 1
Name ____________________________
Period _________
From River to FieldFarming in Ancient Mesopotamia

Ancient Mesopotamians also valued cattle because they were good ______________
animals and were used for _____________, ___________________, and
______________.
Why it Matters?



________________ and _____________ brought by the Tigris and Euphrates helped to
make this civilization possible.
The farmers figured out how to use the two rivers to make the land more
______________.
As in some early cultures, the farmers of Mesopotamia produced ________________
crops.
 These surpluses allowed for ________________________, which in turn led to the
________________of towns and cities.
Main Ideas


Mesopotamia is the region _________________the Tigris and Euphrates
___________________.
 It is divided into a rugged __________________ to the north and fertile
_________________ to the south.
Like the Nile River, the Tigris and Euphrates _____________ each year.
 These floods brought ______________ and _____________ to Mesopotamia.
Main Ideas


Unlike those in Egypt, floods in Mesopotamia were often _______________________
and _____________________________ for farmers.
Mesopotamian farmers used _______________________________ to control dangerous
flooding, making their land _______________________.