Problem of the Day
• Replace the first letter of each of the words on
each line in order to form two new words. (The
letter will be different for each line.) Place the
new letter on the line between the words. The
letters will form a new word. Can you find it?
Balm_____Thin
Aver_____Elder
Band_____Goose
Camp_____Late
Problem of the Day
Calm_____Chin
Over_____Older
Land_____Loose
Damp____Date
Early Civilization:
The Fertile Crescent
On your desk…
• Each of you has a piece of paper folded in half.
• When I tell you, I would like to you read the
directions on the paper and do exactly what it
says. Please remain QUIET!
– Group B will go first
– Group A will go second
• Why…because I like to do things backwards
• When I say STOP, you must STOP!
Hmmmm…
• What happened on the left side of the room?
• What happened on the right side of the
room?
• What was your reaction of the group that you
were NOT a part of?
Chaos
Order
vs. Civilization
• Why do civilizations emerge?
• What is the key component of a civilization
based on your observations?
Chaos
• Order – It is the rule of law or proper
authority.
• Chaos – It is a state of utter confusion.
Think on it…
• Come up with your own definition of a
civilization…write it down!
Our Definition
Civilization Defined:
• The stage of cultural development
marked by urbanization, advanced
techniques of agriculture and
technology, material, scientific and
artistic progress, expanded population,
and complex social organization that
have developed to manage problems of
order, security and efficiency.
The First Civilizations
• 6000BC – Bronze Age results in the
development of durable, long lasting
tools
– Weapons, helmets, shields, etc.
• 3500BC – development of the wheel and
axle allows trade to expand from
seafaring vessels to land as well
– Result: spread of culture and prosperity
Civilization over Chaos
• Hunting-gathering
eclipsed by agriculture
– No more nomadic
existence
– Farming = harder work,
but with higher yield and
no food shortages
– Need for irrigation
– Family size increases
• Emergence of:
– Artisans & craftsmen
– Cities
– Trade
– Social Classes
Social Classes
King
Priests, nobles,
military
Artisans, small traders,
merchants
Farmers
Slaves
Story Time!
1. What does
“Mesopotamia” mean?
2. What rivers flow
through this region?
The Land Between the
Rivers
The Tigris & Euphrates
Rivers
3. In what modern day
country was Mesopotamia
located?
Iraq (as well as NE Syria,
SE Turkey and SW Iran.
4. What were the three
most important empires of
Mesopotamia?
The Sumerians, the
Babylonians and the Assyrians
5. What script was used by
the civilizations of
Mesopotamia?
Cuneiform
6. What Babylonian wrote
the first law book in the
world?
Hammurabi
7. What is the name of the science that
says that the stars influenced the
destinies of men and could predict the
future?
Astrology
8. What did the
Mesopotamians build to get
nearer to the stars?
Temples called ziggurats