Download Understand why Mesopotamia was known as the Fertile Crescent

SWBAT
Understand why Mesopotamia was known as
the Fertile Crescent, and the Cradle of
Civilization, by analyzing a map and answering
3 questions.
Do Now:
Write down 2 good things and 2 bad things
about living near a river.
Oh Word?
Fertile - capable of producing abundant (lots
of) vegetation or crops .
Mesopotamia
AIM: Why is Mesopotamia called the Cradle of
Civilization?
I. Geography of the Fertile
Crescent
A. Arc of rich land in Southwest Asia is called
the Fertile Crescent.
B. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers,
flooding each Spring, leaving rich mud, and
silt, in the plain between the rivers.
C. Because of this many thousands of years ago
humans began to settle in that plain, known
as Mesopotamia.
D. They grew wheat and barley. It was here
that the first civilization began.
Fertile Crescent
Why would do you think people would want to live in
the land between these two rivers?
Clay!
● In Ancient times, floods from the Tigris and
Euphrates filled the land of Mesopotamia
with silt and clay. This clay was used to
build their homes and construct writing
tablets.
II. The Sumerians
A. In 3500 BC, the Sumerians moved into
Mesopotamia.
B. They faced 3 problems:
1. Irregular flooding from rivers
2. No protection from enemies
3. the area lacked resources to use for tools.
★ Brainstorm!!!
○ How could the Sumerians overcome these 3
problems? Your group must find a solution for each
problem!
Activity: Brainstorm!!!
★ How could the Sumerians overcome these 3
problems? Your group must find a solution
for each of the problems below!
1. Irregular flooding from the Tigris and
Euphrates rivers.
2. No protection from outside enemies
3. The area lacked resources to use for tools,
like wood, stone, and metal.
III Problems Solved
The Sumerians solved these
problems.
1. They dug irrigation ditches to their fields
so they could bring water to their crops.
2. They built walls of baked mud around
their villages for defense.
3. they traded extra crops for stone, wood,
and metal from other lands.
Summary:
The name Mesopotamia means “the land
between the two rivers.”
Why would historians refer to Mesopotamia as
the “Cradle of Civilization?”
Summary
Why did ancient civilizations grow next to
sources of water and fertile lands?
Ziggurat = Sumerian Temple
Ziggurat = Sumerian Temple
Ziggurat = Sumerian Temple