Ancient Mesopotamia
Floods:
a) Some of the most destructive flooding of recent times has occurred in Bangladesh, on the Indian subcontinent. Locate Bangladesh on a map and make a drawing of it. Tell how the geographic features resemble Mesopotamia’s. Trace the course of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal. Compare their flow with the Tigris and Euphrates into the Persian Gulf.
b) Clip an article about a current flood from a newspaper or invite a resource person in the community to describe the effects of a flood. Make a list of at least 5 of problems that floods create for people.
c) Think of yourself as a news reporter who has been sent to cover the annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates in both northern and southern Mesopotamia. Write a news story in which you describe the different effects in each region.
d) Perhaps the closest American counterpart to the Tigris and Euphrates is the Mississippi River. It too has a history of all too often overflowing its banks an causing widespread devastation. Do research on “Big Muddy” to learn about its flood history and about efforts to control its flood. Write up you findings in a report.
Hammurabi and His Law Code: http://socialstudies.com/c/@2l09BecdIRI7M/Pages/article.html?article@JWW951A
A play for six people. Journey back to the royal court at Babylon almost 4000 years ago, and explore one of the first written codes of law.
Hammarabi's Law vs. Our Laws
In our society we as citizens have the power to create or change the laws under which we live by electing representatives to do it for us. Rewrite the laws quoted from the Code of Hammurabi as they might appear in the American justice system. Suggest what makes your version appropriate to the United States and therefore different from Hammurabi’s laws.
Judaism
a) Using these subjects: Abraham, Moses, monotheism, the Ten Commandments, Solomon make a poster showing the role each subject played in Judaism’s development.
b) Using these subjects: Abraham, Moses, monotheism, the Ten Commandments, Solomon make a poster showing the role each subject played in Judaism’s development.
c) Prepare your own illustrated time line of events in the founding of Judaism. Some events are Abraham’s journey to Canaan, Egyptian captivity, Moses leading them from Egypt, Moses receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, the Babylonian captivity, and Solomon’s reign.
Mesopotamian Achievements
Make a chart titled: “Achievements of Mesopotamian Civilization”. Divide the chart into these four sections: government, religion, architecture, writing. Fill in the chart to tell about each section.
Mesopotamian Journal
Find one place in Mesopotamia that you would like to have visited. Write three journal entries describing a visit there.
Mesopotamian Research
Research one of the following topics, using both encyclopedias and library books on Mesopotamia. Prepare an illustration to go with your writing. Sumerian art, Sumerian toys, the Standard of Ur, the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Wheel
a) Draw a self-portrait entitled “[Your Name] with a Wheel.” In it, show yourself doing something that involves the wheel.
b) Although there is no solid proof, many experts believe that the wheel was invented only once and that it spread out from Sumer to other societies. Do research on this theory of the spread of the wheel to major civilizations and present you findings in a report.
Who was the world's first author?: https://youtu.be/XhNw1BhV6sw
TED-Ed - Soraya Field Fiorio
a) Some of the most destructive flooding of recent times has occurred in Bangladesh, on the Indian subcontinent. Locate Bangladesh on a map and make a drawing of it. Tell how the geographic features resemble Mesopotamia’s. Trace the course of the Ganges and the Brahmaputra rivers that flow into the Bay of Bengal. Compare their flow with the Tigris and Euphrates into the Persian Gulf.
b) Clip an article about a current flood from a newspaper or invite a resource person in the community to describe the effects of a flood. Make a list of at least 5 of problems that floods create for people.
c) Think of yourself as a news reporter who has been sent to cover the annual flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates in both northern and southern Mesopotamia. Write a news story in which you describe the different effects in each region.
d) Perhaps the closest American counterpart to the Tigris and Euphrates is the Mississippi River. It too has a history of all too often overflowing its banks an causing widespread devastation. Do research on “Big Muddy” to learn about its flood history and about efforts to control its flood. Write up you findings in a report.
Hammurabi and His Law Code: http://socialstudies.com/c/@2l09BecdIRI7M/Pages/article.html?article@JWW951A
A play for six people. Journey back to the royal court at Babylon almost 4000 years ago, and explore one of the first written codes of law.
Hammarabi's Law vs. Our Laws
In our society we as citizens have the power to create or change the laws under which we live by electing representatives to do it for us. Rewrite the laws quoted from the Code of Hammurabi as they might appear in the American justice system. Suggest what makes your version appropriate to the United States and therefore different from Hammurabi’s laws.
Judaism
a) Using these subjects: Abraham, Moses, monotheism, the Ten Commandments, Solomon make a poster showing the role each subject played in Judaism’s development.
b) Using these subjects: Abraham, Moses, monotheism, the Ten Commandments, Solomon make a poster showing the role each subject played in Judaism’s development.
c) Prepare your own illustrated time line of events in the founding of Judaism. Some events are Abraham’s journey to Canaan, Egyptian captivity, Moses leading them from Egypt, Moses receiving the Torah on Mount Sinai, the Babylonian captivity, and Solomon’s reign.
Mesopotamian Achievements
Make a chart titled: “Achievements of Mesopotamian Civilization”. Divide the chart into these four sections: government, religion, architecture, writing. Fill in the chart to tell about each section.
Mesopotamian Journal
Find one place in Mesopotamia that you would like to have visited. Write three journal entries describing a visit there.
Mesopotamian Research
Research one of the following topics, using both encyclopedias and library books on Mesopotamia. Prepare an illustration to go with your writing. Sumerian art, Sumerian toys, the Standard of Ur, the Tower of Babel, the Hanging Gardens of Babylon.
The Wheel
a) Draw a self-portrait entitled “[Your Name] with a Wheel.” In it, show yourself doing something that involves the wheel.
b) Although there is no solid proof, many experts believe that the wheel was invented only once and that it spread out from Sumer to other societies. Do research on this theory of the spread of the wheel to major civilizations and present you findings in a report.
Who was the world's first author?: https://youtu.be/XhNw1BhV6sw
TED-Ed - Soraya Field Fiorio