World History
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Today’s Date
Mesopotamia,
the beginning of civilization
Page # (Your next available page)
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Given instructional resources, the student will
demonstrate understanding of ancient
Mesopotamia by creating drawings of key
elements of this early civilization
See this island? Plenty of fruit,
all the fish you can eat, no taxes,
no nosy neighbors, the whole
island is your backyard
How about this? Average
temperature is 130 degrees in
the shade. No water, no trees,
no stone, no metals, just
scorpions, dust and scorching
heat
Heading: Mesopotamia-
geography
Key Words:
Main Ideas:
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Civilization depends on large permanent
settlements – fertile river valleys that can
support large populations are ideal locations
The valley between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers is known as Mesopotamia – the land
between two rivers
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Mesopotamia was at the eastern end of the
Fertile Crescent – an arc of land from the
Mediterranean to the Persian Gulf
Rich soil and abundant crops allowed the land
to sustain an early civilization
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Mesopotamia gets very little rain but over the years
the soil had been enriched by silt deposited by the
two rivers
Every year in late spring, the two rivers swelled from
snowmelt in the highlands and overflowed their
banks, depositing the rich soil
The flooding was not unpredictable – they didn’t
know when or how much
Consequently, the Mesopotamians learned to control
the flow of the rivers
By using irrigation, reservoirs, dams and canals, they
were able to grow crops regularly
The abundance of food allowed many people to live
together in cities and civilization emerged
Copy this design then create a drawing that defines what each of these
words mean under each label.
empire
polytheistic
Use pages 27 –
33 of your text
patriarchal
Do not include
this box in your
design.
theocracy
Begin a new page
titled:
Civilization Begins in Mesopotamia”
(the video)
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As you watch the video “Civilization begins in
Mesopotamia” respond to these prompts:
Five/5 things I learned:
Three/3 things the video left me wondering
about are:
Three/3 things that you saw in the video that
reminded you of something you learned in
the past
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On a half-slip of paper, answer the following
question:
What advantage from the Neolithic Revolution did the
people of Mesopotamia likely have that allowed them
to develop a civilization?
Heading: The Growth of Religion
Key Words:
Main Ideas:
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The physical environment affected how Mesopotamians
viewed the world
A harsh climate and frequent famines convinced them that
unreliable supernatural forces controlled the world – they
felt helpless
People looked to religion to answer their questions about
life
To them, powerful spiritual beings permeated all aspects
of the universe
The Mesopotamians identified 3,000 gods and goddesses
– their religion was therefore polytheistic
According to their beliefs, humans were supposed to obey
and serve the gods, they were inferior to the gods
They could never be sure what the gods might do to them
or for them
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The most prominent building in a Sumerian city was the temple
dedicated to the chief god or goddess of the city
This temple was often atop an enormous stepped tower called a
ziggurat
The Sumerians believed that the gods owned the city and as such
they spent a great deal of time and treasure to build suitable
temples and houses for the priests
The temples served as centers of the city physically, economically
and politically – excess product was stored there for trade or use
Priests and priestesses held a great deal of power as the links to the
gods, who really ruled the cities.
Even when power passed to the kings, Sumerians believed the kings
derived their power from the gods and were agents of the gods
Still, kings wielded great power as commanders of the army,
supervisor of public works, organizer of irrigation projects upon
which survival depended
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Who wrote this document?
What is the author’s point of view?
Why was it written?
When was it written?
Is this source believable?
Need how-to-analyze a visual
What else was document
going oninstructions
at the time
herethis was written?
What was it like to be alive at this time?
What would it be like to see this event through the
eyes of someone who lived back then?
What do other sources say?
Am I finding the same information everywhere?
Am I finding different versions of the story?
Where else could I look to find out about this?
On a new page,
answer the
questions below.
Why do you think priests were the only people
permitted to enter the temples?
Why do you suppose Sumerians built temples on
top of ziggurats?
What does the position and function of the ziggurat
tell us about the relationship of religion to the citystate?
PP. 28, 29
Heading: Economics
Key Words:
Main Ideas:
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Although the Sumerian city-states had a traditional
economy based on farming-- trade and industry became
important as well.
They made woolen textiles and pottery but they were
particularly well-known for their metalwork
Copper, gold and silver were already being used for
jewelry and some tools.
The Sumerians discovered that when tin is added to
copper, it makes bronze which is harder and corrodes less
The Sumerians imported copper, tin and timber in
exchange for dried fish, wool, barley, wheat and metal
goods.
Traders traveled west to the Mediterranean and to India to
the east.
The invention of the wheel (and wheeled carts) around
3000 BC made transport of goods much easier.
1. What events are depicted in these
panels?
2. What does the “War” panel reveal about
Sumerian society?
3. What do these panels reveal about life in
Sumeria?
See Page 31
You have 3 minutes
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Today’s Date
Literacy and Order in Mesopotamia
Page # (Your next available page)
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Given instructional sources, the student will
demonstrate understanding of Sumerian
inventions and innovations by analyzing the
Code of Hammurabi
Heading: Literacy and Order
Key Words:
Main Ideas:
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Around 3000 BC the Sumerians created a cuneiform
(wedge-shaped) system of writing
Using a stylus, they made wedge shaped impressions in a
clay tablets which were then dried in the sun
Once dried, these tablets lasted a very long time –
hundreds of thousands have been found
Mesopotamian peoples used writing primarily for recordkeeping but was also used to teach scribes
Being a scribe was a path to success in the army,
government or the priesthood
Writing was important because it allowed a society to keep
records and to pass along knowledge from person to
person and generation to generation
Writing also made it possible to communicate in new ways
such as literature (stories and poetry)
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Using the alphabet from the previous slide,
write your name in cuneiform
Heading: Code of Hammurabi
Key Words:
Main Ideas:
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While there had been Mesopotamian law codes for
centuries, the Code of Hammurabi was the most complete
It was very severe, retaliation for crimes being a central
part of the code
It took seriously the duties of public office – judges could
be punished for ruling incorrectly
There were also consumer-protection provisions – builder
who built a house that collapsed could be put to death
The largest part of the Code dealt with relationships
between men and women
Women who failed to fulfill their wifely duties could be
divorced or even drowned
Children were also brought under the code – sons who
disobeyed their fathers could be disinherited
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Open your book to p. 32
Read the Turning Point story, laws and insets
Answer the following questions in the “Main
Ideas” section of your notes.
What similarities do you see between
Hammurabi’s Code and the Bible and the
Quran?
Why do you think the images were included at
the top of the stele with Hammurabi’s Code?
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Read the excerpt of the Code of Hammurabi
Answer the following questions in your
notebook:
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117. If any one fails to pay a debt, and sells himself, his wife,
his son, or daughter for money or give them away for forced
labor: they shall work for three years in the house of the man
who bought them and in the fourth year they shall be set free.
138. If a man wishes to separate from his wife who has borne
him no children, he shall give her the amount of her purchase
money and the dowry which she brought from her father's
house, and let her go.
196. If a man put out the eye of another man, his eye shall be
put out.
198. If he put out the eye of a freed man, or break the bone of
a freed man, he shall pay one gold mina.
199. If he put out the eye of a man's slave, or break the bone
of a man's slave, he shall pay one-half of its value.
202. If any one strike the body of a man higher in rank than
he, he shall receive sixty blows with an ox-whip in public.
203. If a free-born man strike the body of another free-born
man or equal rank, he shall pay one gold mina.
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On a half-slip of paper, answer the following
question
Which of the Sumerian inventions was the
most important? Explain.
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Today’s Date
Egyptian Civilization
Page # (Your next available page)
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Given instructional sources the student will
demonstrate understanding of Egyptian
geography by creating a map of Ancient
Egypt
Given instructional sources, the student will
demonstrate understanding of Egyptian
kingdoms by creating a layered book
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The Nile River begins in the heart of Africa and courses
northward for more than 4,000 miles
Before it empties into the Mediterranean, it splits in two to form
a triangle or delta
The Nile Delta is known as Lower Egypt and the rest is known as
Upper Egypt
The major cities developed at the tip of the delta where the river
divides
The locals referred to the annual flooding of the Nile as the
“Miracle of the Nile”
The river rose in summer from the rains in central African
highlands
The flooding reached its peak in autumn and left a rich deposit
of black mud on both sides of the river
This area was called the “Black Land” and produced in such
abundance as to make Egypt well-fed and prosperous
What do these remind you of?
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Using information from the text and your
notes, you will create a map of Ancient Egypt
The map is on one side and the instructions
on the other
You will color and label the map according to
the instructions
You may use pages 27 and 35, plus the Atlas
pp. 28-31 to do your map
You will not do questions 1, 2, 7 and 12-15
This map will go into your Interactive
Notebook
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The Nile also served as a unifying force
In ancient times, the Nile was the fastest way to travel
through the land, making communication and
transportation easy
Unlike Mesopotamia, which was subject to constant
invasion, Egypt was surrounded by barriers
Deserts on both sides of the river, the Red Sea to the east,
the cataracts (rapids) on the southern part of the Nile and
the Mediterranean to the north
The regularity of the Nile floods and the relative isolation
of Egypt gave Egyptians a sense of security and
changelessness
Egyptians faced life with a spirit of confidence in the
stability of things – Egypt was blessed with remarkable
continuity over thousands of years
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Religion too provided Egyptians with a sense of security
and timelessness
There was no separate word for religion – religious ideas
represented an inseparable part of the entire world order
The Egyptians were polytheistic – they had a number of
gods associated with heavenly bodies and natural forces
They had two groups of gods, sun gods and land gods
(including river gods), had special significance given the
importance of the sun and the fertile land for Egypt’s wellbeing
The sun, the source of life, was worthy of worship
The sun god took on different forms and names based on
his role
The Egyptian ruler took the title “Son of Re” – the rulers
were seen as the earthly form of Re, one of the sun god’s
names
Isis
Osiris
Horus – god of the sky, sun, moon
and war
Anubis – god of the underworld,
afterlife
Mummification prepared one for the
afterlife
A pyramid provided the stairway to heave
The Sphinx kept watch
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Look on page 36 at the pyramids of Giza
The pyramids contained items needed in the
afterlife. Each of the three pyramids shown is
part of a complex, which included temples,
smaller pyramids, mastabas, and a causeway.
Five large pits for boats border the pyramids of
Khufu and Khafre
What do the five large pits for boats suggest?
Why might boats have been buried near the
pharaohs’ pyramids?
How does the pyramid of Khafre compare to his
father’s pyramid?
The Great Pyramids are the sole
remaining Wonder of the Ancient
World
The Sphinx is supposed to keep
watch over the tombs of the
Pharaohs but we don’t know what
it really looked like – man or
beast?
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As you watch the Video Lost Civilizations:
Egypt, answer these questions
5 Things I learned
? Questions?
◦ Three things the video left you wondering about
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Reminds me of . . .
◦ Three things that you saw in the video that
reminded you of something you had learned in the
past
Hyksos successfully conquered Egypt
using chariots – a great humiliation for
Egypt
Hatshepsut a woman pharaoh help
restore Egypt to glory and empire
Akhenaten turned Egyptian religion
upside down, rejecting the old gods
Tutankhamen returned to the old w
but died suddenly and mysteriously
at 19.
Ramses tried to restore Egypt to
greatness but could not fend off
invasions and domination by Libyans,
Greeks, Romans
Cleopatra VII used her wiles to try to
regain independence but failed and
ended up committing suicide
Old Kingdom pp. 37-38
Middle Kingdom pp. 38-39
New Kingdom pp. 39-40
Government – who ruled, how did the rulers relate to the people? What
religious role did the ruler take?
Religion – how did people relate to the gods? How did Egyptians
prepare for the afterlife?
Public Works/Construction – what sort of stuff was built during this
Kingdom?
Foreign Relations – How did Egypt get along with its neighbors? Did they
expand and conquer?
Old Kingdom 2700-2200 BC
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On a half-slip of paper, answer the following
question
Why was the Nile so important to Ancient
Egypt? Explain.
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Today’s Date
Egyptian Life
Page # (Your next available page)
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Given instructional sources, the student will
demonstrate understanding of Egyptian
society by analyzing a primary source
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Egyptian society was highly structured yet very
simple
Over thousands of years it had evolved into a
pyramid.
The vast majority of the people were peasants
and their labor allowed the small upper class of
the pharaoh and nobles to live in splendor,
building pyramids, temples and palaces
At the top were the pharaoh, his family, the
nobles and priests
Below them were the merchants and artisans
The vast majority were the farmers
At the very bottom were the slaves
Pharaoh and his family
Priests and Nobility, holders of vast
tracts of land
Artisans, Merchants and Scribes.
Artisans made incredible furniture.
Merchants traded all up and down the
Nile, in Crete and Syria
Farmers, farmed the land of
the nobility and priests, paid
taxes in the form of crops.
Served in the army, worked
public works
Slaves
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Although hieroglyphics is the best-known form of
Egyptian writing, it was not the form most commonly
used.
Hieroglyphics is literally “priest carvings” or “sacred
writing” and was used in temples and tombs
Hieroglyphics was a complex system of writing, consisting
of pictures and more abstract forms – it took a long time
and a lot of practice to learn
A highly simplified form of hieroglyphics, known as
hieratic, it used the same principles as hieroglyphics but
the drawings were simplified
Hieratic script was used for record keeping, business
transactions, and for the general needs of daily life
Hieroglyphics was first written on stone, later hieratic was
written on paper made from papyrus
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Look at the History & Art Visual on p. 42
Answer the following questions
Using hieroglyphics, ancient Egyptians recorded
daily activities and the reigns of their pharaohs.
Through these works we have increased our
knowledge of the Egyptian way of life
Why might scribes have been respected in
Egyptian culture?
How might hieratic symbols be used in trade?
How did ancient Egyptians paint the human form?
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Pyramids, temples and other monuments bear witness to
the artistic and architectural accomplishments of the
Egyptians
Artists and sculptors were supposed to follow particular
formulas in style, which made Egyptian art distinctive for
thousands of years
Egyptians made advances in mathematics
Mathematics helped them in building their monuments,
calculate area and volume and use geometry to survey
flooded land
The Egyptians developed an accurate 365-day calendar
based on the moon and the star Sirius
The practice of embalming the dead led to medical
expertise in human anatomy
Scholars have recovered directions for splints, bandages,
and compresses for treating fractures, wounds and disease
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You have been hired by a Time Traveling Agency to design a brochure that will
encourage travelers to travel back to Ancient Egypt. The purpose of the trip back
in time will be to experience an early civilization first hand. The Time Travel
Agency has some requirements that they want the brochure to have.
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On the front of the brochure
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The Brochure needs to have a slogan that would grab the attention of a potential
time traveler and picture on the front panel
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On the inside of the brochure
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Describe and explain how this ancient civilization exhibits at least 3 of the six
characteristics of civilization
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A Must Visit Location: Describe one place within the ancient civilization that the
time traveler should visit. Explain to them why they can’t miss the opportunity to
visit this specific place!
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One map of the ancient civilization or a picture of your choosing can be on the
inside of your brochure, as well.
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On the back of the brochure
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On the very back panel you need to have 2 paragraphs about how Ancient Egypt
influenced us today!
Slogan
Map or picture
Inside of
Brochure
Place of
Interest
Back of
Brochure
2 paragraphs
about how
Ancient Egypt
influenced us
today
Front of
Brochure
Picture
Inside of
Brochure
1 Trait of
Civilization
explained/
examples
Inside of
Brochure
1 Trait of
Civilization
explained/
examples
Inside of
Brochure
1 Trait of
Civilization
explained/
examples
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Using your book as a resource, you will write
an essay which compares and contrasts
aspects of Mesopotamian and Egyptian
society
You should cite specific examples
You may wish to focus on social structure,
religion, government, economy, and culture
This should be around 2 pages (5-7
paragraphs) long
They will be graded by your peers using a
rubric
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On a half-slip of paper, answer the following
question:
Of all the innovations of the Egyptians, which
was the most important? Explain
That’s it for ancient civilizations – ready for
the quiz?