Download The Cradle of Civilization - White Plains Public Schools

The Cradle of Civilization
•In this lesson, we will examine the rise of
agriculture, permanent settlements, and
civilizations.
•Students will be able to define the following
terms:
Neolithic Revolution
Mesopotamia
Sumerians
Cuneiform
Ziggurats
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Mesopotamia is the “land between the
rivers”…The Tigris and Euphrates rivers
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The Neolithic Revolution
• Around 10,000 years ago, people learned
to farm and domesticate animals.
• This event is called the Neolithic
Revolution. It is a turning point.
• Agriculture developed near rivers.
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Agriculture greatly changed societies.
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Agriculture developed in river valleys
because rivers provided water for
irrigation and transportation.
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The Effects of the Neolithic
Revolution
• When people learned to farm and
domesticate animals, societies greatly
changed.
• Some of the effects of the Neolithic
Revolution were:
People settled.
People built cities.
People developed civilizations.
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With the development of agriculture,
people stopped being nomads.
They settled.
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The Sumerians
• The Sumerians were the first people to
develop a civilization.
• A civilization is a complex society.
Characteristics of a civilization include:
Agriculture and Agricultural Surplus
Specialization (Surplus allowed people to
perform different jobs.)
Advanced Technology
Cities
Writing
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Specialization means that people perform
different jobs. Some people farm while
others are government officials.
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Mesopotamia
• The Sumerians developed a civilization in
Mesopotamia.
• Mesopotamia is a Greek word. It means
“between the rivers.”
• Mesopotamia was the land between the
Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in present-day
Iraq.
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The Sumerians built ziggurats. Ziggurats
were Sumerian temples to the gods. The
Sumerians believed in many gods.
Polytheism is the belief in many gods.
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Cuneiform
• The Sumerians also developed a system
of writing.
• Sumerian writing is called cuneiform.
• The development of writing helped the
Sumerians keep records.
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Cuneiform was Sumerian writing. It used
characters. Wedge-shaped characters
were pressed into clay tablets.
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Questions for Reflection:
• What was the Neolithic Revolution?
• Where did the Neolithic Revolution begin?
• How did societies change with the introduction of
agriculture?
• Define Mesopotamia.
• Why is Mesopotamia referred to as the “cradle of
civilization”?
• List three accomplishments of the Sumerians.
• Define cuneiform, ziggurat, and polytheism.
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