Download Chapter 4 Lesson 1 Notes

Name:_________________
Mrs. ______________
Social Studies/ Block 2
10/ / 13
Chapter 4: Mesopotamia – Lesson 1- The Sumerians
The earliest known civilization developed in the river valley called ____________________.
Mesopotamia is known as the land between 2 ____________. These rivers are the Tigris and
_________________.
Early Mesopotamians used the rivers for many reasons including: food (fish), _______, transportation, water
for their ________.
The rivers were beneficial, but they were also dangerous because of unexpected _________, which would
wash away homes, crops, animals, and people without warning.
To water their crops, Mesopotamians built ________ systems to channel in water from the rivers.
Again, there was enough food, so everyone did not need to farm. Therefore, people did different jobs and
_________ their goods.
Small villages grew into cities and cities grew into large city-state, like ________, who were independent and
had their own government.
The Sumerian people worshipped many gods, this is called __________________.
People in Sumer were divided into __________: upper class (kings/priests/government workers): middle
class (merchants, __________, fishers, artisans): enslaved people (criminals, people captured in wars)
Sumerians made many contributions to our world. Such as:

writing- ____________. ,

mathematics(geometry, place value system, mult. and division tables, 360 degree circles),

a 12-month ___________

the wheel

a sailboat

a wooden __________

potter’s ________ for making bowls and jars

bronze