Social Studies Essential UNIT Question: How did geography influence the development of the Eastern hemisphere?

DO-NOW: Make sure Homework # 14 is in portfolio; Update Table of Contents;

Focus Question: How did the geography of the Fertile Crescent lead to great change?

The Land Between Two Rivers: The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flow through what is today modern Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Turkey; The “Fertile Crescent” region, which also included Egypt, is so called because it was once full of rich soil that was perfect for the development of agriculture; Fertile means “able to bring forth life”; Hence, food = Life! Crescent means “shaped like a fingernail” Look at a map of the region; it’s shaped like a crescent. (Have you heard of the French word croissant? Yummy!) This region is also known as “Mesopotamia” or land between two rivers.

The Land Between Two Rivers

Yummy!

Agricultural Technology: The Sumerian people, as they came to be called, changed the geography around them; The two rivers deposited “silt” which is loose soil carried by water; it makes farming possible in this region of the world; They created “canals” and “levees” to protect their crops from flooding in the fall season; The rivers provided “irrigation”, which is an artificial water source for crops.

Canals & Levees = Irrigation

Successful Farmers: In the springtime, farmers had to deal with the threat of “drought”, which means a severe absence of rain. Irrigation made it possible to keep crops healthy; Many farmers overdeveloped the land, which led to “erosion”, which is the breaking down of soil by wind or water. Over time, this turned the region into a dry desert.

Activity: Using the VENN diagram and your notes, please compare the Old Stone Age with the New Stone Age!

Today I Learned . . .