The area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers in what is now Iraq is the site of ancient Mesopotamia, birthplace of the world’s first civilizations. The name is Greek for…
Blog about ancient history, food, curiosity and related subjects.
As you read about the people who lived in Çatalhöyük and Jericho, you may have wished that you knew more about what they thought and did and...
Ancient Civilizations have long been my favourite units to teach. I remember loving them when our teacher taught us about them in Middle School, they were some of my favourite courses I took in university, and I still love teaching them today. Mesopotamia is always a fun one to teach, simply because a lot of it is still really new to the kids; a lot of them have background information about Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but very little about Mesopotamia. I feel like I am working with a blank slate when it comes to teaching about this period of history. For a good introduction, and to build excitement about the unit to come, I feel you can never go wrong with Crash Course World History. This is a great one of their videos about Mesopotamia. I always like doing a map with the kids at the start of a unit. It's a great opportunity to work in some geography skills, and is a good way to ensure the kids know the area we are actually talking about. I am always alarmed with how few of them are able to use an atlas and label areas on a map - definitely an area we need practice on. We spend a lot of our unit talking about farming, as the fertile crescent really is Mesopotamia in a nutshell. Vocabulary is usually where we start. I really love this vocabulary foldable, as it allows the kids to flip and quiz each other on the words. Reading about the farming of the fertile crescent is our next step. I am not a fan of our current textbooks, as it feels like they were written during the dark ages and are totally not engaging for the kiddos. I use these reading passages instead. They have questions and annotation activities to go with them, which is helpful. After reading, we make a fun foldable about the facts the kids find most important. We share our answers at the end - it is interesting to see what different facts stuck with each kid. If you are looking for these and other fun activities to do with your own class, be sure to check out some of my Mesopotamia Unit resources below!
This mega post contains all the resources and activities we did for our Ancient Mesopotamia Unit Study. Lots of free printables to download!
Here is a fun decoder to get your students excited about learning about the world's first known writing and the ancient civilization of Mesopotamia. One page has information about Cuneiform. Students can cut out the bottom of the paper and use it as a bookmark or in a lap book! On the last page stu...
Mesopotamia and Sumer Game This is a fun, educational way for students to study the characteristics of ancient Mesopotamia. I use what ever I can find around the room for markers. the kids can use an eraser or a coin. I use a deck of cards to move the kids around the board. I use only A, 2 and...
History doesn't have to be boring - I swear! You can get your kids interested in history in many ways. Although, very few of those ways involve memorizing names and dates. That's just not interesting history for most of us. Games, activities, videos, timelines, maps, and of course, great books. Always great books. Unfortunately, great
In An Ancient Mesopotamian School Boys Write On Clay Tablets Pheidippides Runs First Marathon To Bring News Of Greek Victory Over Persia The Grandfather The Gift Invitation To Trade The Hunter And …
Making a connection to the past through hands-on learning helps a child to remember what he has learned and develop critical thinking skills.
Mesopotamia Webquest (Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians) Students will gain a basic understanding of the many great civilizations that lived in Mesopotamia through an easy to follow webquest. Please check out the website by clicking on the link below: Click here to view the website. I would like to thank Illumismart for the wonderful clip art! The webquest contains 70 questions and an answer key is included for the teacher. A QR code is included along with the traditional website link. I recommend using this activity as a review or introduction activity for students. The webquest will take most students at least 40 to 60 minutes to complete depending on age. Feel free to modify this activity if needed to fit the needs of your students. The following topics are covered in this webquest: Sumerians Writing and Cuneiform Daily Life of Mesopotamia Art and Artisans Ziggurats Great Cities of Mesopotamia Science, Inventions, and Technology Religion and Gods Epic of Gilgamesh Akkadian Empire Babylonian Empire Hammurabi and the Code of Hammurabi Nebuchadnezzar II Assyrian Empire and Army Please check out my other Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Lesson Plans! Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Collections: Mesopotamia Lesson Plan Collection Ancient Egypt Webquest and Worksheet Collection Ancient Egypt in 4 Minutes Video Worksheet Collection Individual Mesopotamia and Ancient Egypt Lesson Plans: Mesopotamia Webquests Mesopotamia Webquest (Sumerian, Babylonians, Assyrians) Mesopotamia Civilization Webquest Mesopotamia Daily Life Webquest Persian Empire and Persian Wars Webquest Mesopotamia Worksheets, Writing Activities, and Mapping Mesopotamia Primary Source Worksheet: Sennacherib Lays Siege to Jerusalem Mesopotamia Primary Source Worksheet: Sennacherib Destroys Babylon 689 BCE Ancient Mesopotamia 101 Short Video Worksheet The Rise and Fall of the Assyrian Empire in 5 Minutes Video Worksheet Mesopotamia Journal Activity Middle East Mapping Activity and Research Project: 2 Lesson Plans Ancient Egypt Webquests Ancient Egypt and Egyptians Webquest Ancient Egypt Pyramids and History Webquest Daily Life in Ancient Egypt Webquest Ancient Egypt Worksheets and Writing Activities Ancient Egypt 101 Short Video Worksheet Hatshepsut: Female Pharaoh of Ancient Egypt Four Minute Video Worksheet King Tutankhamun in Five Minutes Video Worksheet Cleopatra: Egypt and Rome in Four Minutes Video Worksheet Ancient Egypt: How to make a Mummy in Four Minutes Video Worksheet Ancient Egypt: Book of the Dead in Four Minutes Video Worksheet Pyramids of Egypt in Five Minutes Video Worksheet History of Pyramids Worksheet How to Make an Ancient Egyptian Mummy Worksheet Entering King Tut’s Tomb 1923 Primary Source Worksheet Ancient Egypt Journal Activity Please check out the following Ancient Civilization Lesson Plan Collections so you can get great discounts if you are buying more than one lesson plan! Other Great Ancient Civilizations Lesson Plan Collections: Ancient Civilizations of the World Webquest Collection Ancient Civilizations Webquest Sampler World History Webquest Super Pack World History in 4 Minutes Video Worksheet Collection World History and World Geography Collection (History Wizard) American History, World History, and Geography Collection (History Wizard) American and World History Primary Sources Worksheet Collection World History Primary Source Worksheets Bundle (Ancient Times to 1800s) Early River Civilizations Webquest Bundle (Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, India) Mesopotamia Lesson Plan Collection Ancient Egypt Webquest and Worksheet Collection Ancient Egypt in 4 Minutes Video Worksheet Collection Ancient Greece Lesson Plan Webquest Collection Greek Mythology Webquest Bundle Ancient Greece in Four Minutes Video Worksheet Collection Ancient Greece Primary Source Worksheet Collection Ancient Greece Lesson Plan Sampler Roman Lesson Plan Webquest Collection Ancient Rome Primary Source Worksheet Collection Roman Gladiator Lesson Plan Collection Ancient Rome Short Video Worksheet Collection Roman Persecution of the Christians Primary Source Worksheet Collection Ancient Rome Lesson Plan Sampler Ancient Greece and Rome Webquest and Primary Sources Worksheet Collection Byzantine Empire Lesson Plan Collection Western Civilization Webquest Collection: Ancient Greece to the Renaissance Ancient Asia Webquest and Lesson Plan Collection China and Chinese History Lesson Plan Collection Mongols and Mongol Empire Lesson Plan Collection Feudal Japan Lesson Plan Collection India Lesson Plan Collection Hinduism and Buddhism Lesson Plan Collection Islam and Islamic Empires Lesson Plan Collection Native Americans Civilization Webquests and PowerPoint Collection Mayan, Aztec, Inca Sampler Collection: 3 Webquests Mayan Lesson Plan Collection Aztec Lesson Plan Collection Inca Lesson Plan Collection Ancient Civilizations Writing Collection Visit my Facebook Page and "like me" to receive updates and free lesson plans. Thanks, The History Wizard
Here are the books and videos we enjoyed in conjunction with our Mesopotamia/Persia Unit Study. Mesopotamia Mesopotamia From Nomads to Farmers is a 14 minute kids cartoon that provides a nice overview of the time period. Ancient Mesopotamia - Short Summary Video Sumarians Gilgamesh the King (The Gilgamesh Trilogy) tells the story of the most famous Sumerian legend. In the Last Quest of Gilgamesh, as Gilgamesh searches for immortality he has several adventures. Many of them remind me of the adventures Odysseus had in the Odyssey. There is a cartoon version of The Epic of Gilgamesh on youtube that is also nice for kids. Lost Civilisations relates many events of the bible to the Sumarians and Babylonians. Sumer, The first Civilization Rules for the Game of Ur - The game of Ur was one of the oldest games ever discovered, and it is fun to play today. Marsh Arabs Natural World Special Miracle in the Marshes of Iraq is a video which tells the story of the modern draining and rebuilding of the Marsh lands in Iraq. It's interesting because the people live today in much the same ways as they di 3000 years ago. Mudhif - Short Reed House Video Babylon Babylon was a powerful empire at two different times during Mesopotamian history. The first time Hammurabi was a great leader who wrote down the laws of the land. Law Code Stele of Hammurabi Hittites The Lords of Hattusa describes the capital city of the Hittites and how their civilizations was rediscovered. Assyrians The Assyrians Masters of War - This 30 minute video is a good one for adults. Hanging Gardens of Babylon During the second Babylonian empire Nebachadnezzer freed the Jews and built the hanging gardens. This was the time period the great Ishtar gate was built. The Babylon Mystery (Nebachadnezzer) is a one hour video which tells the story of Babylon. Hanging Gardens of Babylon - video on the watering of the Hanging Gardens Gift for a Queen - Short video on the hanging gardens of Babylon. Ishtar Gate and Processional Way - Short video on the Ishtar Gate Persia The Engineering an Empire series of videos from the History Channel is a fun introduction to historical cultures of the past. We watched them when studying Ancient Greece and revisited the series for our study of Persia. Engineering an Empire, Alexander the Great - The Persian Empire ended with the invasion of Alexander the Great. This video describes the numerous engineering feats Alexander conquered while conquering the east. Persepolis was one of the capital cities of the Persian Empire. The city was a collection of palaces and one of the riches places in the world. We found two wonderful videos on Persepolis. Persepolis Persepolis - Lost Worlds The king's treasured diamond which casts colors throughout the room is stolen in The Legend of the Persian Carpet by Tomie de Paola. The king is very sad and leaves the kingdom. The workers and apprentices figure out a way to get the king to come back. This delightful picture book is good for elementary age kids. Shadow Spinner provides readers a glimpse into life in a Harem of the Persian kings. My eleven year old and I enjoyed reading this book together. We checked out several Arabian Nights books. My eleven year old who is a very strong reader highly recommends Tales from the Arabian Nights by James Riordan. This was by far her favorite. She read it from cover to cover.
When teaching ancient Mesopotamia, it can be hard to make it relatable for the students. By showing them how it connects to and affects their lives, history becomes more real and tangible for students. One
This is an exciting double-worksheet for your students to complete while studying ancient Mesopotamia. The first section of the sheet has students write their names in Cuneiform and then a secret message to another friend in class. The friend then has to decode the message. The second part has students read excerpts from the Code of Hammurabi and then answer critical thinking questions about the Code. These can be split up or given as one assignment! ********************************************************************* Customer Tips: Be the first to know about my new discounts, freebies and product launches: • Look for the green star next to my store logo and click it to become a follower. Voila! You will now receive email updates about this store. How to get TPT credit to use on future purchases: • Please go to your My Purchases page (you may need to login). Beside each purchase you'll see a Provide Feedback button. Simply click it and you will be taken to a page where you can give a quick rating and leave a short comment for the product. Each time you give feedback, TPT gives you feedback credits that you use to lower the cost of your future purchases. Like this product? • Click on the Pin it button and pin it to one of your boards! *********************************************************************
Mesopotamia is said to be the oldest civilization. They are older than the Egyptian, Greeks, Mayans and Incans. Mesopatamia means between two rivers – Tigris and Euphrates rivers. It was also…
My daughter made a
Cuneiform, system of writing used in the ancient Middle East. The name, a coinage from Latin and Middle French roots meaning ‘wedge-shaped,’ has been the modern designation from the early 18th century onward. Learn more about cuneiform’s development and influence.
Write Your Name in Cuneiform In today’s Literacy, we will be looking at Cuneiform, an ancient form of writing from Mesapotamia (now Iraq). You can use this site to write your “Monogram&…
Using the GRAPES acronym (geography, religion, achievements, politics, economy, social structure), students use their textbook or online materials to answer guiding questions on the development of Mesopotamia. There are also some extension questions at the end of the activity. This can be adapted ...
If you are looking to set-up an Ancient Civilizations Word Wall in your classroom, this post can give you some ideas about how to do this!
Find out more about the fascinating history behind one of antiquity’s most important legal codes.
We have discussed Hammurabi's Code in class. We talked about the need for laws, what it would be like in our world without laws and the type of laws Hammurabi came up with. While listening to some of the laws, you probably thought one of two things: 1. it's fair or 2. its cruel. Well, for today's blog post, you will be sharing your thoughts and opinions on whether you think Hammurabi's Code was fair or too cruel. A link is attached that will give you a brief overview of Hammurabi's Code and give you some examples of a few laws. The link will also give you reasons for both sides of the argument. Hammurabi brought order and stability to the lawless people of Mesopotamia, but was it too cruel? Let the debate begin... Hammurabi's Code: Fair or too Cruel? Task: After reading through the link, post a comment on whether you think Hammurabi's Code is fair or too cruel. Make sure you explain why you believe the way you do. Do NOT simply say, "I think Hammurabi's Code is too cruel because it's not fair." You need to share specific reasons that support your beliefs. Bonus Link: Click here to read about some weird laws of our own country, the good ol' USA! If you post a comment by 8:00 a.m. on Tuesday, October 23rd, you could win a limited edition WSG survival bracelet!
A supplemental activity and project for those who are studying the epic of Gilgamesh along with early Mesopotamia. An excellent add-on for the classical homeschooling model and for middle school. This mini graphic novel includes three illustrated pages (these are original artwork which has not bee...
