Geography

 1. Silently enter class.  2. Sit in assigned seat.  3. Copy homework into agenda.  4. You need a new divider and table of contents page in your binder. Our new unit is….Unit 2 - Mesopotamia

 What effects do geographic features/location have on a society?  What are the most essential resources necessary for societies to survive?  How do tools lead to human development?

MAPCONTENT  Fertile Crescent – a large arc of fertile land from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea  Mesopotamia – area of land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers  Euphrates River  Tigris River  Persian Gulf  Mediterranean Sea  Fertile Crescent – a large arc of fertile land from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea  Mesopotamia – area of land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers  Silt – mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks  Irrigation – supplying water to an area of land  Canals – human-made water way  Surplus – more than needed  Division of Labor – workers specialize in a particular job or task

 Middle Circle  Mesopotamia  4 other circles  People  Rivers  Inventions  City-States

 The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers are the two most important physical features in the region of Mesopotamia.  Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. This region was given its name after this great civilization already flourished.

 Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers brought silt, or fertile soil and tiny rocks, to the land. The silt made the land fertile for agriculture (farming).  The first farm settlements were as early as 7,000 BCE. Farmers grew wheat, barley and other types of grains. Livestock, birds, and fishes were also good sources of food.  Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually these villages grew into the world’s first civilization.

 Although Mesopotamia has fertile soil, the region had limited rainfall. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers depended on rainfall in Asia Minor where the rivers originated.  With great amount of rain, the rivers flooded, destroying crops and villages.  With low water levels the rivers dried up, along with the crops.

 To solve the problem Mesopotamians used irrigation, a way of supplying water to an area of land.  The people dug large basins to hold water supplies. Then they dug canals, human-made waterways, that connected these basins to the fields.  To protect the fields farmers built-up the banks along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.

 Irrigation increased the amount of food farmers were able to grow. In fact, farmers could produce food surplus, or more than they needed.  Farmers also used irrigation to water grazing areas for cattle and sheep. As a result, Mesopotamians are a variety of food. Fish, meat, barley, and dates were plentiful.

 Because farming was so productive, fewer people were needed to farm. Some people began to focus on other jobs. As a result new occupations developed.  For the first time, people became crafters, religious leaders, and government workers. This arrangement in which people specialize in a particular task or job is called division of labor.

 Between 4,000 and 3,000 BCE, cities grew from many Mesopotamian settlements. Despite the large cities, agriculture was still the bases for life.  However, the cities did become important centers. People traded goods there and the cities provided leaders with powerbases. They were political, religion, cultural, and economic centers of civilization.

 What effects do geographic features/location have on a society?  What are the most essential resources necessary for societies to survive?  How do tools lead to human development?

 Study your map for a quiz. Be able to identify the following:  Mediterranean Sea  Persian Gulf  Euphrates River  Tigris River  Fertile Crescent  Mesopotamia