DBQ-Document analysis, doc b Windy Mulder Horizon Middle School September 15, 2014

Good morning! Turn in projects Planners New Seats Warm Up Organize your binders and fill in your table of contents

Your mission for today Analyze the Nile River Flood Cycle chart How are their seasons different from the seasons we recognize today? Get some background information about the ancient Egyptians Answer questions in groups of 2 and 3 Turn in sheets for participation points

Nile river flood cycle Egypt: The Nile Flooding could be unpredictable on the Nile. What kinds of problems can you see coming from this?

Nile River flood cycle Imagine you are on a deserted island. How do you know what day it is? How do you know which season you are in? The Egyptians had a 365-day calendar like we do. What do you think was missing from their calendar that we have today? Relied on the star Sirius for an accurate sign that the flood season was near.

Sirius

Labor tax Egyptian pharaohs relied on the people to provide labor to build temples, for mining and canal repair. During the flood season, generally one member per household was expected to donate several weeks of their time as a type of “labor tax” Pharaohs also accepted a portion of a farmer’s harvest as a tax and would store them for times of drought or when the harvest was low.

Dependence on the nile Due to low annual rainfall, ancient Egyptians depended entirely on the Nile for fresh water. Drinking Bathing Some areas can go years without any rain The city of Aswan (location of the first cataract) frequently has no rainfall in a calendar year However, rain was not the only thing needed to support crops— Phoenix, one of the driest cities in the United States receives more than eight times as much rain as the Nile Valley south of Cairo

Document analysis Everyone in your group must have a different colored writing tool You will take turns answering the question and writing down the answer This is due by the end of class