Indus River Valley
Big Ideas
1. River begins in the ___________. The culture of India has
its beginnings on the banks of this great river.
2. In ______, archaeologists find the remains of a 4,5000
year old culture.
3. ____________ blends Harappan religious beliefs with
those of the _________ who migrated to the subcontinent
about 3,500 years ago.
4. About 2,500 years ago Siddhartha Gautama set out to find
answers to the world’s problems. The answers he found are
the beginning of __________.
5. A powerful ruler creates a large empire in northern India
around 300 BC. His grandson, Asoka, spreads Buddhism.
Lesson 1 – The Indus River Valley
High in the Mountains
A ______________ is a large landmass that is geographically
separated from the rest of a continent. The land of ________ is
a subcontinent of _________.
A towering mountain range separates the Indian subcontinent
from the rest of Asia. These mountains are the
______________. Its highest peak is called Mount Everest. It
stands ______________ feet high. The Indus River begins as
an icy _________ high in the Himalaya.
The River’s Gift
In the spring the Indus fills with melting mountain
________. It flows from the Himalaya south to the
___________ Sea, a 1,800-mile journey through what are today
________, ___________ and ___________. The Indus flows
swiftly through mountain passes, joined by other rivers before
finally slowing down on the flat, dry _______________.
During the spring flood season, the swollen river spills
across the plain, spreading fertile __________. The Indus
actually caries __________ as much silt as the might Nile in
Egypt. Like the Nile, the Indus branches into a huge
__________ before it reaches the Arabian Sea.
The people of the Indus River valley lived like the people of
other river valley cultures in many ways. Like the people of
Egypt, they counted on __________ to bring rich silt to their
fields. Like Mesopotamians, they built cities with
____________ and _____________.
Indus Valley Agriculture
Around 6000 BC people learned to _________ the rich soil
of the Indus Valley. This was some 1,000 years before Egyptians
began planting crops. Indus Valley farmers grew _______,
________, _______ and __________. Sesame seeds are used
for flavor and to make ________. Indus farmers were also
among the first to plant ______, bananas, black pepper, mustard
and cotton plants.
Crops grew quickly in the hot climate. Using _________
______, farmers were able to plant and harvest crops _______
each year. Wheat and barley were planted in the _______ and
harvested just before the melting snow caused spring floods.
Then, farmers planted fields with cotton and sesame. ______
_______ protected these crops from the Indus floods. By the
following fall, the second crops were ready for harvest.
Working with the Environment
Harvests were not __________ in the Indus River valley.
_______ ______ did not always hold the river waters. When
the walls collapsed, fields and entire _________ could be
flooded.
______________ in the valley could also bring problems.
Tigers, jackals, and wild pigs threatened the _________ of
farmers. Deer and birds often ate farmers’ __________. To
have a successful harvest, Indus Valley farmers had to be alert
to many dangers.
Putting it together
The Indus River enabled farmers to ___________ and
_________ their fields, just as other rivers helped farmers in
Egypt and Mesopotamia. Indus Valley farmers were able to plant
_________ crops throughout the year. However, the river could
also be cruel. Floodwaters could topple the earth walls and flood
the countryside, ruining the farmers’ fields. Around 3,000 BC
farmers villages and towns had spread across the Indus Valley.
The region was about to see great changes with the birth of a
rich and varied civilization.