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Mesopotamia
Title: Geography
Do Now
 This
week in history, Los Angeles was
founded by Spanish Settlers in 1781.
 Much
has changed since that day..
 What
are changes you would like to
see in our city, how do you think we
should begin that change and why
do you think it would make Los
Angles a better place to live?
7L
Glossary Builder
 Civilization:

the condition that exists when people have
developed effective ways of organizing a society and
care about art, science, etc.
 Tigris

River:
The Eastern river in ancient Mesopotamia
 Euphrates

River:
The Western river in ancient Mesopotamia
 Irrigation:

To deliver water to the land for farming, using canals
or ditches.
Mesopotamia Video
 We
are now going to watch the
rest of the video we watched
before the test last week. Watch
carefully for the mention of the
new vocabulary words:
 civilization,
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
and irrigation
Big Idea
 The
valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers were the site of the world’s first
civilizations
Main
 The
Ideas
rivers of Southwest Asia
supported the growth of civilizations
 New farming techniques led to
growth of cities in Sumer
MESOPOTAMIA
 Means
“the Land Between the rivers”
The Fertile Crescent

In Northern Mesopotamia, the land is fertile. There is seasonal
rain. The rivers and streams are fed from the hills and
mountains of the region.

In Southern Mesopotamia, the land is mostly flat and barren.
Temperatures can rise over 110 degrees Fahrenheit. There is
very little rainfall. Storms do blow in from the Persian Gulf,
which cools things off. The area does have slight seasons. It
can get quite cool at certain times of the year.

Many thousands of years ago, early settlers wandered into the
land between two rivers. Natural vegetation and wildlife kept
the people well fed. The rivers provided fresh drinking water,
and a place to bathe. These early people settled down,
invented a system of irrigation, and began to farm the land.
The Tigris River:
 The
Tigris was the
eastern of the two
rivers and flowed
from a source deep
in the Armenian
mountains all the
way to the Persian
Gulf, about 1,200
miles.
 Located in present
day Iraq, Turkey and
Syria
Euphrates River

The Euphrates
was the western
of the two rivers
and flowed from
a source deep in
the Armenian
mountains all the
way to the
Persian Gulf,
almost 1,800
miles.
The Fertile Crescent
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
 Both
rivers were the lifeblood of Mesopotamian
civilizations, giving the Sumerians water and a
vehicle for their trade and defense.
 Waters from the Tigris and Euphrates rivers helped
Sumerian farmers grow enough crops to feed towns
and cities
Reflection
 The
soil was good for farming because of
 yearly flooding.

How would this help the development of a
civilization and help the Sumerians to
prosper?
Irrigation
 As
we have seen before, the people of
Mesopotamia adapted to their
environment and developed systems to
help them to survive:


Irrigation: Waterways that would bring the
important water into fields and farm areas
farther from the banks of the rivers
We Still Use Irrigation today!!
Why is Irrigation Important?
 Because
water was able
to flow through these
irrigation channels
 Irrigation channels
allowed farmers to have
water in areas that were
once a barren desert
 As the civilization grew,
the irrigations system
expanded to allow water
to areas farter from the
rivers
Agriculture in Mesopotamia
 Because
the land was so
fertile, people began to rely
even more on farming.
 Irrigation brought water to
dry areas
 Silt: rich minerals which
helped to fertilize the soil,
making it rich in nutrients.
 Crops prospered and life
became more predictable
Sumerian Farming Manual
 You
are going to create a Mesopotamia
Farming Manual with 6 steps. You must
describe the step and how to do it
properly along with a diagram or picture
of what it would look like.
 I will show you how to cut the paper and
you will complete the rest in class or for
homework if you do not finish
Sumerian Farming Manual
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Local officials decide when to let water flow onto
crops
Farmers let animals graze in soil to trample and eat
weeds.
Farmers break up the soil using hand tools
Spread seeds and plow
Plant seeds
Harvest the plants
EXIT
SLIP
QUESTION 1
 What
are the names of the two rivers that
designed the borders for Mesopotamia?
a) Tigris and Nile
b) Tigris and Euphrates
c) Nile River and the Red Sea
d) Euphrates River and the Nile
QUESTION 2
 In
your own words, describe why the rivers
were important in the success of
Mesopotamia?

In other words, how did the two rivers help
Mesopotamia grow and thrive?
QUESTION 3
 Which
was NOT a step in the farming
process?
a)
b)
c)
d)
Farmers let animals graze in soil to trample
and eat weeds.
Farmers break up the soil using hand tools
Hire others to help on large farms
Spread seeds and plow
QUESTION 4
 Which
a)
b)
c)
d)
was NOT benefit of irrigation
Water flowing in the irrigation was
cleaner
Water was able to flow more easily
It allowed farmers to have water in areas
that were once a barren desert
The irrigations system expanded to allow
water to areas farter from the rivers
QUESTION 5
 The
Fertile Crescent got its name
because…
a) It rained so often the land was always
lush and green
b) Snow melting from the mountains
watered the plants
c) The irrigation system allowed farmers to
water their plants
d) The Tigris and Euphrates rivers often overflowed making it very green but also
swampy