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Teacher/Grade/Subject
OBJECTIVE:
VanHorn 6th World History
SWBAT locate Mesopotamia on a map.
Lesson Date
8/13
STATE STANDARDS (GLE or CCSS):
Describe how geographical features affect patterns of
human settlement.
SWBAT define Mesopotamia as the land between two
rivers and explain why that is important.
KEY POINTS:
 Mesopotamia = the land between two rivers

People settled in Mesopotamia because there was fresh water from the rivers, level land for farming, fertile soil,
and a mild climate. The soil was fertile because the river flooded twice a year, putting nutrients into the soil.

In Mesopotamia, the rivers did not flood at a time of year that was best for crops, so sumerians needed to create
irrigation systems. Irrigation = moving water from rivers into farmland.
PROVE IT: 10 mins
See below.
POTENTIAL MISUNDERSTANDINGS:
CHARGE UP: 12 mins (including going over most missed questions)
Read and annotate article: “Irrigation in Mesopotamia”
InM: 10 mins
Independently fill in the blanks of cloze passage to tie Unit 1 into Unit 2.
Independently list 3 geographical features a caveman would look for if
he were to settle down into an agricultural lifestyle.
Together: circle Mesopotamia on the world map to introduce location of
the civilization we’ll be studying this unit.
RTI & MODIFICATIONS:
Modified prove it: same questions, with
sentence starters. Use of notes during prove it.
PUSHING 4.0 EXTENSION:
Fire article
Flip page and check out modern map of middle east:
Modern connection: this is where Iraq is. Mesopotamia is contained in
modern-day Iraq. Take a few volunteers for previous knowledge about
Iraq (hit on the points that Iraq is the location where the US has recently
been fighting a war, starting in 2002, and that when we think of Iraq, we
usually think of desert, but there is an area of Iraq that was not desert at
all; in fact, it was the perfect place for humans to begin settling down into
farming civilizations.)
Mesopotamia = the land between 2 rivers. Let’s find out why.
GP: 10
Teacher guides class in exploring Mesopotamia map.
CHECKS FOR UNDERSTANDING:
First, kids point on their map to what they think represent the 2 rivers on
the map. Teacher circulates to give kids feedback on what a river would
look like on a map. When most kids are pointing to the rivers, label them
on map. Have kids point to where Mesopotamia must be, based on the
name ‘between 2 rivers.’ Label Mesopotamia.
Continue with other bodies of water; students can use modern map to help
them locate where the red sea, Persian gulf, and medierranean sea are.
BEFORE READING: Think about the ADVANTAGES and DISADVANTAGES
of living by a river. Discuss as a class, then students synthesize responses
onto their papers. Write one of each.
IP: 15
Read and annotate three paragraphs describing the settling and
geography of Mesopotamia. Answer three comprehension questions
RETEACH:
Geographical features of human settlements
COMPASS:
below.
Turn and talk: tell partner the answers you came up with. Go over answers
quickly as a class (Mr. B) and then take prove it.
HOMEWORK:
See below.
n/a
Wednesday Prove It: Intro to Mesopotamia
My Score:
UNSAT
______ / 6 points
1-2
points
APPROACHING
BASIC
BASIC
MASTERY
ADVANCED
3 points
4 points
5 points
6 points
1.




Read the list below and answer the following question:
Rivers
Fertile Soil
Mild Climate
Level Land
a.
b.
c.
d.
What is the best heading for the list above?
Causes for hunters and gatherers to live a nomadic lifestyle
Reasons for early hominids to create stone tools
Conditions that helped farming and start civilizations
Barriers that hurt early humans to contact each other
2.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What feature was MOST necessary for early humans to settle down
A warm climate
Nearby water sources
Large flat areas to construct houses
Access to metals such as iron
3.
a.
b.
c.
d.
What does Mesopotamia mean?
The place of fertile land
Land between two rivers
The first civilization
Wonderful Kingdom
4.
a.
b.
c.
d.
How did people in Mesopotamia get water to farms that were far from rivers?
A system of irrigation
They created farms only next to the river.
They waited for the river to flood.
They used sea water
5. Why did people settle in Mesopotamia?
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Monday History Homework
Part 1: Fill in the blanks with the words in the box below.
Mesopotamia
irrigation
Tigris
Fertile
The geography of a place is what makes people want to live there or not. No city
is going to be perfect, but there are some places that are better than others.
________________________ means the land between two rivers and it is where
the oldest civilizations started. People settled there because of the rivers. The
two rivers are named the _______________ and the Euphrates. Using a method
to water the dry land called ____________________ farmers were able to grow
amazing amounts of food there. This is where hunters and gatherers became
farmers. The land is called the ____________________ Crescent because it is
so good for farming. This is where we learn about the first civilizations.
Part 2: Use the map to answer the following questions.
1. In what part of the state is
the mountain in Missouri?
______________________
2. What is the capitol of
Missouri?
_______________________
3. What river is located on
the northeast border?
______________________
Part 3: Describe how your life would be different if humans would have
never invented agriculture? Be descriptive!
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________
Wednesday: Intro to Mesopotamia
Vocabulary: Fill in the blanks with the words in the box below. Be amazing!
hominids
10,000 B.C.E.
Prehistory
Old Stone Age
Last chance to get it right; today we start a new unit on our first civilization. There are 3 different time
periods that we have talked about so far. _______________________ is the time before writing – this
is when Lucy and the other early ____________________ lived. The Australopithecus evolved into
“Handy Man” a hominid that used tools. This was the start of the Paleolithic Age, also called the
_______________________. Once the first seed was planted, in ____________________, people
realized that the life of a farmer was much safer and easier. That brings us to 3,000 B.C.E. – the rise of
the first civilization.
From the perspective of a huntergatherer
You are a hunter-gatherer. You really want to change your life, settle down,
and stay in one place. What kind of land will you choose? List three geographic
features you’re looking for.
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________
GEOGRAPHY OF
MESOPOTAMIA
“The FerTile CresCenT”
Mesopotamia = the land between two
____________________!
Label the:
__Tigris River and Euphrates
Rivers
__in between the rivers, label
Mesopotamia
__Persian Gulf
__Mediterranean Sea
__Red Sea
BEFORE READING: Think about the ADVANTAGES and
DISADVANTAGES of living by a river. Write one of each.
Advantage  _________________________________________
Disadvantage  _______________________________________
Around 7,000 years ago changing weather patterns forced people
to migrate from the Arabian Peninsula Northward in search of
water. Decreasing rainfall meant that important lakes and
streams, critical to life, were no longer available.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers provided the perfect location for
these peoples to settle. These two large rivers run along side each
other, and span hundreds of miles. Between these rivers are
found a crescent shaped landscape where the soil is fertile and
deep. This area is known as the Fertile Crescent.
The Fertile Crescent had a mild climate, with temperatures that
were not too hot or cold, and slight rainfall. There was not usually
enough rain to water the crops, so farmers used irrigation to
move water from the river to their fields.
Why did nomads choose to settle down to farm in
Mesopotamia?
_______________________________________________
What was irrigation used for?
_______________________________________________
What is the name of the two rivers?
_______________________________________________