UNIT 2 - MESOPOTAMIAGeography

WARM-UP

1. Silently enter class. 2. Sit in assigned seat. 3. Copy homework into

agenda.

4. You need a new divider and table of contents page in your binder. Our new unit is….Unit 2 - Mesopotamia

ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What effects do geographic features/location have on a society?

What are the most essential resources necessary for societies to survive?

How do tools lead to human development?

VOCABULARY

MAP CONTENT

Fertile Crescent – a large arc of fertile land from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

Mesopotamia – area of land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers

Euphrates River Tigris River Persian Gulf Mediterranean Sea

Fertile Crescent – a large arc of fertile land from the Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean Sea

Mesopotamia – area of land between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers

Silt – mixture of fertile soil and tiny rocks

Irrigation – supplying water to an area of land

Canals – human-made water way

Surplus – more than needed Division of Labor – workers

specialize in a particular job or task

FERTILE CRESCENT AND MESOPOTAMIA

WEB GRAPHIC ORGANIZER

Middle Circle Mesopotamia

4 other circles People Rivers Inventions City-States

MESOPOTAMIA

The Euphrates and Tigris Rivers are the two most important physical features in the region of Mesopotamia.

Mesopotamia means “between the rivers” in Greek. This region was given its name after this great civilization already flourished.

RIVERS SUPPORT CIVILIZATION

Every year, floods on the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers brought silt, or fertile soil and tiny rocks, to the land. The silt made the land fertile for agriculture (farming).

The first farm settlements were as early as 7,000 BCE. Farmers grew wheat , barley and other types of grains. Livestock, birds, and fishes were also good sources of food.

Plentiful food led to population growth, and villages formed. Eventually these villages grew into the world’s first civilization.

FARMING AND CITIES

Although Mesopotamia has fertile soil, the region had limited rainfall. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers depended on rainfall in Asia Minor where the rivers originated.

With great amount of rain, the rivers flooded, destroying crops and villages.

With low water levels the rivers dried up, along with the crops.

CONTROLLING WATER

To solve the problem Mesopotamians used irrigation, a way of supplying water to an area of land.

The people dug large basins to hold water supplies. Then they dug canals, human-made waterways, that connected these basins to the fields.

To protect the fields farmers built-up the banks along the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers.

FOOD SURPLUS

Irrigation increased the amount of food farmers were able to grow. In fact, farmers could produce food surplus, or more than they needed.

Farmers also used irrigation to water grazing areas for cattle and sheep. As a result, Mesopotamians are a variety of food. Fish, meat, barley, and dates were plentiful.

DIVISION OF LABOR

Because farming was so productive, fewer people were needed to farm. Some people began to focus on other jobs. As a result new occupations developed.

For the first time, people became crafters, religious leaders, and government workers. This arrangement in which people specialize in a particular task or job is called division of labor.

CITIES

Between 4,000 and 3,000 BCE, cities grew from many Mesopotamian settlements. Despite the large cities, agriculture was still the bases for life.

However, the cities did become important centers. People traded goods there and the cities provided leaders with powerbases. They were political, religion, cultural, and economic centers of civilization.

COMPLETE ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS

What effects do geographic features/location have on a society?

What are the most essential resources necessary for societies to survive?

How do tools lead to human development?

HOMEWORK

Study your map for a quiz. Be able to identify the following: Mediterranean Sea Persian Gulf Euphrates River Tigris River Fertile Crescent Mesopotamia