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UNIT 2 – MESOPOTAMIA By the end of this unit I will be able to: Describe the physical geography of the Fertile Crescent and the impact it had on peoples’ lives. Explain the process that led to the creation of the first city-states. Present Sumerian achievements in culture and science. Describe the achievements of the Babylonian civilization. Map the locations of the Hittites, Assyrians, and Chaldeans. Show the expansion of the Phoenicians and their contributions to later civilizations. UNIT ASSESSMENT QUESTIONS At the end of this unit there will be an assessment during which you will be expected to answer 3 of the following questions (picked at random by myself) What impact did the Tigris and Euphrates have on life in Mesopotamia? What allowed people in Mesopotamia to create the first cities? What role did Sargon play in the rise of the Akkadian Empire? Why was the invention of Cuneiform an important step in human history? How did the art and architecture of Sumer show the power and wealth of its rulers? Why was Hammurabi's Code an important step in legal history? In what ways did the Assyrians create and run their empire? In what ways was the alphabet an improvement over earlier forms of writing? NAME ________________________________________________________________________

Epics – Long stories telling tales of heroes and their adventures. UNIT VOCAB City State – A city and the surrounding area under a single ruler of government. Division of Labor – A system in which an individual specializes in a single task. Epics – Long stories telling tales of heroes and their adventures. Fertile Crescent – An area of rich farmland between the Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. Hierarchy – The division of people based on their wealth, rank, birth, class, or race. Irrigation – The supplying of water to plants and land to help farming. Mesopotamia – The lands between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Monarch – The king or queen of a people. Polytheism – The belief in many gods or goddesses. Silt – A mix of fertile soil and rock deposited by rivers. Surplus – Having more of an item than is needed. Ziggurat – A large mud-brick building used for religious and government purposes.

UNIT 2 – MESOPOTAMIA - VOCABULARY Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia Silt Irrigation City-state Polytheism Ziggurat Surplus Epics Monarch Division of Labor Hierarchy

MESOPOTAMIA ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What impact did the Tigris and Euphrates have on life in Mesopotamia? What allowed people in Mesopotamia to create the first cities? AGENDA Reading : The Geography of Mesopotamia Notes : Farming & Division of Labor Map Making : Basics of Mesopotamian Geography. Essential Questions : Short answer

MESOPOTAMIA The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important physical features of the region sometimes known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. The region called Mesopotamia lies between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf. The region is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent, a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Mesopotamia was actually made of two parts. Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau bordered on the north and the east by mountains. Southern Mesopotamia was a flat plain. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowed down from the hills into this low-lying plain. Hunter-gatherer groups first settled in Mesopotamia more than 12,000 years ago. Over time, these people learned how to plant crops to grow their own food. Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates brought silt to the land. The fertile silt made the land ideal for agriculture. The first farming settlements formed as early as 7000 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, and other grains. Livestock, birds, and fish were also good sources of food. Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually, these early villages developed into the world’s first civilization. MAP On the map sheet find and label: The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. The Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The Taurus and Zagros Mountains. The Syrian Desert.

The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important physical features of the region sometimes known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. The region called Mesopotamia lies between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf. The region is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent, a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Mesopotamia was actually made of two parts. Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau bordered on the north and the east by mountains. Southern Mesopotamia was a flat plain. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowed down from the hills into this low-lying plain. Hunter-gatherer groups first settled in Mesopotamia more than 12,000 years ago. Over time, these people learned how to plant crops to grow their own food. Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates brought silt to the land. The fertile silt made the land ideal for agriculture. The first farming settlements formed as early as 7000 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, and other grains. Livestock, birds, and fish were also good sources of food. Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually, these early villages developed into the world’s first civilization.

MESOPOTAMIA The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important physical features of the region sometimes known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. The region called Mesopotamia lies between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf. The region is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent, a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Mesopotamia was actually made of two parts. Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau bordered on the north and the east by mountains. Southern Mesopotamia was a flat plain. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowed down from the hills into this low-lying plain. Hunter-gatherer groups first settled in Mesopotamia more than 12,000 years ago. Over time, these people learned how to plant crops to grow their own food. Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates brought silt to the land. The fertile silt made the land ideal for agriculture. The first farming settlements formed as early as 7000 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, and other grains. Livestock, birds, and fish were also good sources of food. Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually, these early villages developed into the world’s first civilization. MAP On the map sheet find and label: The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. The Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The Taurus and Zagros Mountains. The Syrian Desert.

What would cause drought or flooding? FARMING Farming in Mesopotamia was difficult because of unpredictable water supply. The land often alternated between periods of drought and flooding. What would cause drought or flooding? To solve their water problem, people dug canals and ditches to control the flow of water and prevent flooding.

What jobs would a larger settlement need people to do? DIVISION OF LABOR In Mesopotamia a single farmer could grow enough food to support several people. With division of labor societies became more complex as people specialized in different jobs. What jobs would a larger settlement need people to do? By 4000 BC the largest settlements had developed into cities with populations of around 10,000 people.

MESOPOTAMIA The Tigris and Euphrates rivers are the most important physical features of the region sometimes known as Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. The region called Mesopotamia lies between Asia Minor and the Persian Gulf. The region is part of a larger area called the Fertile Crescent, a large arc of rich, or fertile, farmland. The Fertile Crescent extends from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea. Mesopotamia was actually made of two parts. Northern Mesopotamia was a plateau bordered on the north and the east by mountains. Southern Mesopotamia was a flat plain. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flowed down from the hills into this low-lying plain. Hunter-gatherer groups first settled in Mesopotamia more than 12,000 years ago. Over time, these people learned how to plant crops to grow their own food. Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates brought silt to the land. The fertile silt made the land ideal for agriculture. The first farming settlements formed as early as 7000 BC. Farmers grew wheat, barley, and other grains. Livestock, birds, and fish were also good sources of food. Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually, these early villages developed into the world’s first civilization. MAP On the map sheet find and label: The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. The Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The Taurus and Zagros Mountains. The Syrian Desert.

On the map sheet find and label: The Tigris & Euphrates Rivers. The Mediterranean and Persian Gulf. The Taurus and Zagros Mountains. The Syrian Desert.

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS What impact did the Tigris and Euphrates have on life in Mesopotamia? What allowed people in Mesopotamia to create the first cities?