Download River Valley Civilizations Learning Goal 2

READING: THE GIFT OF THE NILE
1 – Read and highlight answers to the following
questions
2- In short paragraph form, explain your answer to the
question and support it with evidence from the reading
1. What evidence supports the fact that Egyptians
had a form of religion?
2. Explain why the Nile River is considered a “gift”
to Egypt.
River Valley Civilizations: Geography and Technology
River Valley Civilizations
Learning Goal 2: Analyze how geography affected the
development of the River Valley Civilizations and describe
the political and technological advances made in the
River Valley Civilizations. (TEKS/SE’s 15B,16A,B,
19A,27A)
Essential questions
How did geography affect the development of the River
Valley Civilizations?
What political and technological advances were made in
the River Valley Civilizations?
Indus River Valley
Nile River
Valley
Tigris and Euphrates River Valley
Yellow (Huang He) River Valley
Mesopotamia
Fertile Crescent
Mohenjo-Daro
Harappa
Effects of Physical Geography
 Location near rivers allowed for access to fresh
water for irrigation of crops
 Seasonal flooding provided fertile soil
 Rivers used for transportation
 Mountains isolated civilization in China for some
time
 Lack of physical barriers allowed for constant
invasion in Mesopotamia
 Fertile Crescent provided a prime area for the
development of agriculture
Development of Agriculture:
With the development of a
surplus of crops, humans
settled into small societies and
new professions developed
because not everyone needed
to hunt or gather any longer.
Effects of Human Geography
 The building of irrigation systems led to the surplus of
agriculture
 Large urbanized areas were created (example:
Harappa and Mohenjo-Daro in the Indus Valley)
which led to a unified and centralized identity
Forms of Government in Early
Civilizations
 Monarchies – A form of government controlled by a
single family that passed power from one generation to
the next creating dynasties. Ex. Many Sumerian citystates came under the rule of dynasties as well as
civilizations in China
 Theocracies – A government in which religious law is
linked with secular law and the leader is often seen as a
divine figure. Ex. In Mesopotamia, kings were
considered to be representatives of the gods. To
Egyptians, kings were gods, almost as great as the gods
in the heavens
Mathematical, Scientific and Technological Ideas
Originated and Spread during the Neolithic Period
Wagon wheel
Potter wheel
Sundial
Number system based on 60 minutes to an
hour
Cuneiform--Writing
Ziggurats
Plumbing
cuneiform
sundial
ziggurats
Tigris-Euphrates/Mesopotamia
Tigris-Euphrates River
ValleyWriting tablet from Mesopotamia
Cuneiform from
west Asia and
Mesopotamia
Nile River Valley Civilization
First crane
Geometry used
for building
hieroglyphics
Calendar—365 days
Embalming techniques
Mummification
Indus Valley
wheel
plumbing
Yellow River Civilization (Shang Dynasty)
Terracotta Warriors
Silk Manufacturing
Yellow River Civilization
Writing/Pictograms