Unit 2: Mesopotamia
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Unit Big Idea:
1. Mesopotamia became the world's first civilization due to its location and human ingenuity 2. The advancement of a society has both positive and negative environmental consequences. Essential Question:
1. Geographically, how do the consequences of human advancement compare to the benefits to society? |
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Vocabulary:
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Module 1 - Geography, Land, and Water
Part 1: Geographic Features
Intro: Before we dive into learning about Mesopotamia, we need to learn a little about the geography of the area. You will be using Google Earth to learn about the geography of the Middle East (where Mesopotamia is located) because it allows you to interact with different geographic features. If you do not have access to Google Earth, an atlas can also be used.
Directions: While exploring Google Earth, label the key geographic features from the "Geography Terms for Mapping Activity" link onto the provided blank map. When you are finished, complete the "Literacy Standards and Geography Concepts" handout. The first box in the handout says it needs to be done as a class.... You can do it at your table group or with a partner. The rest of the boxes need to be done independently. If you finish early explore different layers (found in the left hand column of Google Earth) - but ONLY explore the Middle East.
Geography Terms for Mapping Activity
Assignment: Middle East Blank Map
Assignment: Literacy Standards and Geography Concepts – Middle East
Part 1: Geographic Features
Intro: Before we dive into learning about Mesopotamia, we need to learn a little about the geography of the area. You will be using Google Earth to learn about the geography of the Middle East (where Mesopotamia is located) because it allows you to interact with different geographic features. If you do not have access to Google Earth, an atlas can also be used.
Directions: While exploring Google Earth, label the key geographic features from the "Geography Terms for Mapping Activity" link onto the provided blank map. When you are finished, complete the "Literacy Standards and Geography Concepts" handout. The first box in the handout says it needs to be done as a class.... You can do it at your table group or with a partner. The rest of the boxes need to be done independently. If you finish early explore different layers (found in the left hand column of Google Earth) - but ONLY explore the Middle East.
Geography Terms for Mapping Activity
Assignment: Middle East Blank Map
Assignment: Literacy Standards and Geography Concepts – Middle East
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Part 2: Water Conflict - Tigris and Euphrates
Listen to and read the articles listed below. Also review the maps (below) and video (right). As you review these sources complete the guided questions on the handout. 1. National Geographic - New Dam in Turkey Threatens to Flood Ancient City and Archaeological Sites. 2. NPR - Tide of Arab-Turk Tensions rises amid water shortage 3. 'Islamic State' using water as a weapon Assignment: Water Conflict - Tigris and Euphrates River Handout |
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Module 2 - Population Growth
As you learned in class, irrigation technologies allow early Neolithic villages to grow more food. This eventually leads to surplus. The 3 results of surplus are population growth, trade increases, and labor is divided or becomes specialized. In these activities you will learn about some of these issues on a more global and modern scale.
Day 1
Explore the following websites and videos about population growth. While you explore, contribute one interesting thing you discovered about population growth to the "Population... did you know?" Poster. Try to add something unique. Write your name after what you write.
As you learned in class, irrigation technologies allow early Neolithic villages to grow more food. This eventually leads to surplus. The 3 results of surplus are population growth, trade increases, and labor is divided or becomes specialized. In these activities you will learn about some of these issues on a more global and modern scale.
Day 1
Explore the following websites and videos about population growth. While you explore, contribute one interesting thing you discovered about population growth to the "Population... did you know?" Poster. Try to add something unique. Write your name after what you write.
- World Population Interactive
- NOVA World Population Interactive and Graph
- New York Times - UN Forecasts 10.1 Billion People by Century's End
- Scholastic Magazine - Global Population
- UN Interactive Life Expectancy and Fertility maps
- World o' Meters
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Day 2
The links below and the video below gives you directions on how to complete the Population Growth Activity. You MUST watch the videos before you start.
Day 2 Directions Video Part 1 (This will take about 4 minutes to download. Explore sites from Day 1 while you wait. If for some reason you can't see the play button after you download it, shrink the screen. It should show up then.)
Day 2 Directions Video Part 2
Population Growth Analysis Directions
Population Database - Website for population data
Assignment: Population Growth Spreadsheet (Sample Population Growth Spreadsheet)
Assignment: Population Growth Analysis Handout
The links below and the video below gives you directions on how to complete the Population Growth Activity. You MUST watch the videos before you start.
Day 2 Directions Video Part 1 (This will take about 4 minutes to download. Explore sites from Day 1 while you wait. If for some reason you can't see the play button after you download it, shrink the screen. It should show up then.)
Day 2 Directions Video Part 2
Population Growth Analysis Directions
Population Database - Website for population data
Assignment: Population Growth Spreadsheet (Sample Population Growth Spreadsheet)
Assignment: Population Growth Analysis Handout
Module 3 - Division of Labor
When societies started specializing their labor, they also began to divide their societies into classes based on those labor divisions. Those divisions would eventually be ranked into something called a social class or social stratification. Social stratification is when a society ranks categories of people into hierarchies. In Mesopotamia, social hierarchy is determined by a person's job. In the US social hierarchy is determined by your job, education level, income (how much money you make) and your wealth (how much money you are worth.) Traditionally the shape of this hierarchy is a pyramid or triangle.
To learn more about division of labor follow the links below.
Division of Labor information video
Division of Labor in Mesopotamia
New York Times - How Class Works - interactive website about the US class system
When societies started specializing their labor, they also began to divide their societies into classes based on those labor divisions. Those divisions would eventually be ranked into something called a social class or social stratification. Social stratification is when a society ranks categories of people into hierarchies. In Mesopotamia, social hierarchy is determined by a person's job. In the US social hierarchy is determined by your job, education level, income (how much money you make) and your wealth (how much money you are worth.) Traditionally the shape of this hierarchy is a pyramid or triangle.
To learn more about division of labor follow the links below.
Division of Labor information video
Division of Labor in Mesopotamia
New York Times - How Class Works - interactive website about the US class system
Module 4 - Trade
The class engaged in a class trading activity so that students could come to understand the negative aspects of the barter system. After reflecting on your own experiences trading, complete the reading/handout assignment below.
Early History of Money
The class engaged in a class trading activity so that students could come to understand the negative aspects of the barter system. After reflecting on your own experiences trading, complete the reading/handout assignment below.
Early History of Money
Module 4 - Civilization
Read page 93-97 in your textbook and complete the Civilizations Graphic organizer.
Civilizations Graphic Organizer
Textbook pages 93-97 (start reading at "Features of Civilizations" on page 93)
Read pages 110-117 and complete the Mesopotamia Civilization Graphic organizer.
Mesoptamia Civilization Graphic Organizer
Read page 93-97 in your textbook and complete the Civilizations Graphic organizer.
Civilizations Graphic Organizer
Textbook pages 93-97 (start reading at "Features of Civilizations" on page 93)
Read pages 110-117 and complete the Mesopotamia Civilization Graphic organizer.
Mesoptamia Civilization Graphic Organizer
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Final Assessment #1: Land and Water Project
Day 1: Explore the Aral Sea and the Colorado River on Google Earth. Use the time feature on the top bar to watch how the two change over time. Day 2: Learn about how humans have relied on the Aral Sea and learn about the negative consequences of their actions. Use the links below to guide your research: Dried up Aral Sea Eco-Disaster (Click on #9, Dried up Aral Sea Eco-Disaster) Shrinkage of the Aral Sea (Click on #14) Day 3: Learn about how humans have relied on the Colorado River and learn about how their actions have effected land and water. Use the links below to guide your research: America’s most Endangered River (Click on #6) Colorado River Delta (Click on #11) Video: Climate Change and the Colorado River. If for some reason this link doesn’t work, google “Smithsonian, Colorado River Runs Dry” and you should be able to find the video. Final Assessment #2 - Multiple Choice Test Mesopotamia Unit Test Review |
Day 3 - Colorado River Delta video - If you are having a hard time viewing the #11 video, you can see it here.
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Review video to pull together a lot of what we learned in this unit.
