1. Bell Work: Water
Imagine you are a farmer in Southwest Asia about 6,000 years ago. You live near a slow-moving river that has many shallow lakes and marshes. The river makes the land in the valley rich and fertile, so you can grow wheat and dates. But in the spring, raging floods spill over the riverbanks destroying your fields. In the hot summers, you are often short of water. How can you control the waters of the river? Label it “Water.”

2. Bell Work: Water and Dirt
When people came to live in Mesopotamia, they found mud, reeds, sun, and not much else. Given these materials, what could you make?
Label it “Water and Dirt.”

3. Bell Work: Writing
Imagine that you have been asked to make a record of the items in your bedroom, however, letters and words have not yet been invented. In your notebook, make a record of ten items in your room without using letters, numbers, or words. Label it “Writing.”

4. Bell Work: Law
What is the most unfair of Hammurabi's laws, and why do you think it is unfair? Rewrite the law to make it fair.r.Label it “Law.”

5. Bell Work: Punishment
Imagine you are a noble in ancient times and an adviser to the king. You have been asked to give the king your opinion about the punishments for certain crimes. For example, should common people be punished more harshly than nobles? Why or why not? Label it “Punishment.”

6. Bell Work: Assyrians
If you were a civilization that lived in a flat open area that was difficult to defend and were under almost constant attack from your enemies, what methods/ways would you choose to try and defend yourselves from future attacks? Label it “Assyrians.”

7. Bell Work: Halloween History
Where do you think our Halloween traditions came from? Label it “Halloween History.”

8. Bell Work: Mesopotamian Achievements
In this unit we have discussed several advancements that these Mesopotamian civilizations have made to humankind (wheel, irrigation, bronze, iron, etc.) Write a paragraph about which advancement you think is the most important and why. Label it “Mesopotamian Achievements.”

9. Bell Work: Empires
In your notebook, write the names of the following Mesopotamian Empires and number the groups in order that they occupied Mesopotamia (1 is the first, 7 is the last). Label it “Empires.”
_________ Chaldeans
_________ Hittites
_________ Akkadians
_________ Assyrians
_________ Sumerians
_________ Kassites
_________ Babylonians

10. Bell Work: Empires Mnemonic
A mnemonic is a trick you use to help you remember something. For example, “My Very Excellent Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas” is a well- known mnemonic to help people remember the planets Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto. Create your own pneumonic for Akkadians, Sumerians, Babylonians, Hittites, Kassites, Assyrians, and Chaldeans to help you remember the order of the empires. Label it “Empires Mnemonic.”