1. Mr. Roe 6th Grade Social Studies
The Nile Valley
Mr. Roe
6th Grade
Social Studies

2. Review
You studied early humans and the technology that they invented to make life easier (irrigation, farming, specialization etc…)
You looked at the first civilizations, and realized that much of what they developed are still part of our lives today (writing systems, religions, calendars, government and army organizations etc…)

3. BIG IDEA (s)
Egyptian civilization begin in the fertile Nile River valley where natural geographical barriers kept invaders out
The Egyptians depended on the Nile River to survive
Egyptian society was divided into social groups based upon wealth and power
3100 B.C., Upper and Lower Egypt were combined into one empire

4. By the end of this section, you will submit:
Reading Notes (Activity) *Summarize Activity
Cornell Notes * Pyramid Activity
Cause and Effect Chart
Irrigation Organization Chart
Vocabulary List/Definitions
Main Idea List
Mesopotamian/Egyptian Organization Chart
Map Activity
Other Assigned Work (you will be told if there is any)
*We will talk about how I want you to submit these towards the end of the section. Just know that you must keep everything we work on, or you will have to do it again!

5. Academic Vocabulary Cataract Delta Papyrus Hieroglyphics Dynasty
Feature
Technology
Labor

6. Important Places (Maps)
Map Activity

7. Interesting Facts About the Nile
Longest river in the world
Flows to the north, into the Mediterranean Sea
The Nile allowed Egyptians to make paper (papyrus) instead of using stone tablets
Show them the Papyrus

8. Timelines 5,000 B.C. Agriculture begins in the Nile Valley
c B.C. Egypt is made up of two kingdoms
c B.C. Narmer unites Egypt

9. Settling the Nile
Remember, civilizations (like those in Mesopotamia as well) arose in river valleys
Used the Nile for EVERYTHING
Begins as two separate rivers (The Blue and the White)
Large Cataracts (rapids) form where the two rivers meet
Effect: Ships can only use the last 650 miles of
the Nile
Have the class make a list of adjectives that describe the river valley. Students will then write a paragraph about the Nile, and share with the class.

10. A Sheltered Land
Nile looks like a flower, with it’s “petals” being the delta (large fertile land where the river flows into the sea)
Nothing but deserts on both sides of the valley
To the west is the Sahara (your book says the largest desert in the world, but actually, Antarctica is the largest desert in the world)
The deserts were great natural barriers, keeping armies out of Egypt for a long time

11. Geographic Features So….
To the west and the east of the ancient Egyptians , there were vast deserts
To the south, there were large cataracts (prevented enemy ships from coming down the Nile)
To the north, the delta didn’t allow enemy ships to have safe harbors (places where they could launch attacks from)
They had great natural barriers!!!

12. No Outside Invaders; Growth and Prosper
Cause and Effect
Cause: Ancient Egyptians had great natural barriers
Effect: Egyptians didn’t face many outside threats and could grow and prosper
Cause
Natural Barriers
Effect
No Outside Invaders; Growth and Prosper
Students will begin their cause and effect chart here, which they will finish on their own as they read

13. Activity Lets make a list of adjectives that describe the Nile
After, you will write a paragraph about the Nile and share with the class

14. Similar yet Different
Like Mesopotamia, the Egyptians built their civilization in a river valley
Unlike the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians had frequent friendly interactions with each other
Students will begin their compare, contrast chart

15. The River People Egyptians depended on the flooding of the Nile
Floods were more gentle and more consistent than the Tigris or Euphrates flooding
Egyptians called their land “kemet” or “the black land” because of the silt (soil) that was left behind after the flooding

16. Egyptian Technology Basin Bowls Canals and Dikes Shadoof Papyrus
Hieroglyphics

17. Hieroglyphs
Combination of Sounds and Symbols
Advanced Writing System

18. How Can We Understand Hieroglyphs?
Rosetta Stone
Says the same thing in hieroglyphics,
Demotic, and Greek. Thus, we can
translate and learn
This is where we get the term
“Ah, it’s the Rosetta Stone”
What does this term mean?

19. A United Egypt Farming led to a surplus and thus specialization
Specialization meant goods were produced
This led to trade
There may have been interactions with Mesopotamia because of trade (and ideas spread, like how to govern!)

20. Rise of Government Earliest rulers were village chiefs
Strong eventually overpowered the weak
Nile delta was Lower Egypt
To the south was Upper Egypt
In 3100 B.C., Narmer led armies north and conquered Lower Egypt (Unification)

21. Narmer Wore Double Crown to Symbolize Unification
What do you think this is symbolizing?
Family ruled after his death=dynasty

22. Early Egyptian Life Look at page 163
-Who is at the top of the pyramid?
-Who is at the bottom?
-Where would a scribe be?
What does this pyramid represent? Why do you think it is shaped like a pyramid?
Where would you like to be if you were an Egyptian?

23. Partner Work
Complete Your Reading Activity Notes

24. Partner Reading Activity Study Skills: Summarizing Text
Turn to Page 163
Read the Section on Egyptian Social Classes
Summarize what you read
What is the main idea? What supports that idea?
Main Ideas Box on Doc Cam. Discuss with them how to summarize. Assign the pyramid on the back of the handout for homework.

25. Individual Work Compare Mesopotamia to Egypt Use Page 162 Meso Egypt
Defenses
Rivers
Floods
Economy
Government
Artisans
Advances