Opener: 8/20 - #5
COPY the questions on your own sheet of paper. **skip a couple lines between
each one**
1. How did Egyptians view afterlife?
2. What was a pharaoh?
3. What was built during the Old Kingdom?
Ancient Civilizations of North Africa & Southwest Asia - #6
• Directions: Fill in your graphic organizer by writing the key information that is in bold.
What is a civilization?
The most advanced stage of human social development and organization
What do they have in common?
Civilizations of MesopotamiaFertile Crescent, “land between the rivers”
MesopotamiaLocation:• The Sumerians were among
the first societies to develop in this area between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.
Agriculture:• They raised crops year-round.• They made efforts to improve
water distribution to the land in order to create more fertile land.
MesopotamiaRecord Keeping (Writing System):• They created a form of writing
called cuneiform.– They would carve wedge-shaped
symbols on wet clay tablets; then they would baked the tablets in order to harden them.
Egypt
Location:• Egyptian civilization
grew along the Nile River.
Agriculture:• Because of the climate
and irrigation techniques developed, the Egyptians could have 2-3 harvest per year.
EgyptThey built pyramids as tombs for their leaders.
EgyptRecord Keeping (Writing System):• The developed a 365-day
calendar.• The developed a form of
picture writing called hieroglyphics.
Label and color {+ key} the early civilizations on your map:
Ethnic Groups of North Africa & Southwest Asia
What is an ethnic group?• An ethnicity, or ethnic group, is a group of
people sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion and language.
Arabs• Arabs are the primary (largest) ethnic group
in the entire region• Religion - Islam (Muslims)• Language - Arabic
Bedouins• Bedouins are nomads
in the deserts of NA & SWA.
• They are considered to be “true Arabs”.
• Speak Arabic
Nomads - people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another
Persians• Persians are a non-Arab ethnic group• Persians primarily live in Iran (and some of
Afghanistan)• Persians are primarily Shia Muslim• Language - Farsi
Kurds• Kurds are a non-Arab
ethnic group• Kurds primarily live in
Turkey, Iran, Syria & Iraq– They want their own
homeland - Kurdistan
• Their religion is primarily Sunni Muslim
• Speak Kurdish (related to Farsi)
Turks• Turks are a non-Arab ethnic group• Turks primarily live in Turkey• The religion is primarily Sunni Muslim• They speak
Turkish
Berbers• Berbers are a non-Arab ethnic group• Berbers primarily live in Morocco,
Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt• Their religion is primarily Sunni Muslim• Primarily spoken language w/many dialects
Disappearing because they are assimilating with Arabs
Jews• Jews are a religious group living mostly in
Jerusalem (southeast corner), Israel, and part of the Golan Heights.– Jews claim Palestine (modern-day Israel) as their rightful homeland
• Religion – Judaism• Jews speak Hebrew
Write your name in Hieroglyphics!