Step back in time to explore the

Transcription

1 Teacher s Guide KIDS Dear Educator, Step back in time to explore the magnificent ancient civilizations of the Sumerians, the Babylonians, and the Assyrians! While reading KIDS, your young historians will learn about the fascinating topics at right. This Teacher s Guide is filled with activity ideas and blackline masters to help your students enjoy and learn more from. Select or adapt the activities that suit your students needs best. Thank you for making KIDS a part of your classroom. Sincerely, KIDS P.S. We would love to hear from you! your comments and ideas to teachers@kidsdiscover.com WHAT S IN MESOPOTAMIA 2 3 Cradle of Civilization The rise of civilization in the land between two rivers 4 5 Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and More The three dominant civilizations in from 3500 to 539 B.C. PAGES 6 7 Day to Day What was it like to live in? 8 9 Gods and Demons Spirits, deities, and religious beliefs The Hanging Gardens of Babylon A beautiful illustration and explanation of one of the Seven Wonders of the World Those Accomplished ns The wheel, the arch, written records, astronomy, and other ancient accomplishments The Legendary Gilgamesh and the Origins of Writing The ruler who is the hero of ancient stories, plus how writing began! How we Know What we Know Rediscovering through archaeological digs Student Activities Famous n match, map identification, an acrostic, and resources IN THIS TEACHER S GUIDE Meeting the Standards World History: Era 2 Early Civilizations and the Emergence of Pastoral Peoples, BCE National Standards for History 2 Prereading Activities 3 Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide) 4 Discussion and Writing Questions 5 6 It s in the Reading (Reading Comprehension) Visit to find out more about how KIDS meets state and national standards. 7 Everything Visual (Graphic Skills) 8 Cross-Curricular Extensions 9 12 Answer Keys to Blackline Masters... KIDS 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor New York, NY T: F: MESOPOTAMIA 1

2 B Discussion To get students thinking about how this topic relates to their interests and lives, ask: Why do people study ancient civilizations? What can we learn that could be useful in today s world? What questions do you have about? Concept map PREREADING ACTIVITIES efore distributing KIDS, students prior knowledge and set a purpose for reading activate with these activities. Explain to students that they will be reading. Ask: What are some words that are related to? List students responses on the board. (See box below for some terms they may suggest.) After creating a list, ask students to group the words into categories, such as People or Civilizations. Create a concept map by writing on the board and circling it. Write the categories around the circle and draw lines between the ideas to show connections. Then write the words from the list around the appropriate categories. Encourage students to add more words to the concept map as they read. Tigris River Euphrates River Fertile Crescent cradle of civilization Assyria Babylonia KEY TERMS Sumer Persian Gulf Ur cuneiform Akkadian Gilgamesh Get Set to Read (Anticipation Guide) Copy and distribute the Get Set to Read blackline master (page 3 of this Teacher s Guide). Explain to students that this Anticipation Guide will help them find out what they know and what misconceptions they have about the topic. Get Set to Read is a list of statements some true, some false. Ask students to write whether they think each statement is true or false in the Before Reading column. Be sure to tell students that it is not a test and they will not be graded on their answers. The activity can be completed in a variety of ways for differentiated instruction: Have students work on their own or in small groups to complete the entire page. Assign pairs of students to focus on two statements and to become experts on these topics. Ask students to complete the Before Reading column on their own, and then tabulate the class s answers on the chalkboard, on an overhead transparency, or on your classroom computer. Review the statements orally with the entire class. If you predict that students will need assistance finding the answers, complete the Page Number column before copying Get Set to Read. Preview Distribute and model how to preview it. Examine titles, headings, words in boldface type, pictures, charts, and captions. Then have students add new information to the Concept Map chart. If students will only be reading a few pages at one sitting, preview only the selected pages. BE WORD WISE WITH POWER VOCABULARY! You have exclusive access to additional resources including Power Vocabulary blackline masters for every available KIDS title! These activities introduce students to 15 specialized and general-use vocabulary words from each KiDS title. Working with both types of words helps students develop vocabulary, improve comprehension, and read fluently. Follow the links from your Teacher s Toolbox CD-ROM and find your title to access these valuable resources: Vocabulary cards Crossword puzzle Word find Matching Cloze sentences Dictionary list KIDS... KIDS 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor New York, NY T: F: MESOPOTAMIA 2

3 KIDS Name Date Get Set to Read What do you know about? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you found it. CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true. Before Reading After Reading Page Number 1. lay between two rivers, the Tigris and the Ur. 2. Farmers used river water to irrigate their fields. 3. The first civilization developed in Sumer. 4. The cities of Nineveh and Nimrud were built by Assyrian soldiers. 5. The only abundant building material was mud bricks. 6. n temples were called baru. 7. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Nebuchadnezzar II. 8. ns were the first to make bronze. 9. ns wrote on wood tablets. 10. Archaeology in began in MESOPOTAMIA 3

4 DISCUSSION & WRITING QUESTIONS se the following questions as oral discussion starters or for Ujournaling. For additional in-class discussion and writing questions, adapt the questions on the reading comprehension blackline masters on pages 5 and 6. KIDS Pages 2 3 The map on page 3 shows where lies. Ask: Was anyone born in this part of the world? Does anyone have relatives who came from or still live in this area? Has anyone visited this area of the world? What are the language, culture, history, and geography of this area? Pages 4 5 Why do you think these early civilizations developed along rivers? What are the advantages and disadvantages of living near a river? Pages 6 7 Schools don t exist in every society, and even in those societies that have schools, not everyone is allowed to attend. Ask: What purpose do you think schools serve? Do you think they are important to a society? Why? What kinds of things do you think ought to be taught in school? What kinds of things shouldn t be taught in school? Explain. Pages 6 7 On page 7 is a chart showing the various professions of people living in and their relative importance to the society. On the top were kings followed by landowners and government officials. Then came merchants followed by small farmers and hunters. On the lowest level were military captives and debtors. Ask: In the society in which we live today, whom do you think would be on the topmost rung? Who do you think would rank below these people? And below them? Why would you place people in the rungs that you did? Pages 8 9 Different cultures celebrate the New Year at different times. In the Babylonian times, a New Year s festival was held near the spring equinox. Ask: Why do you think some civilizations might celebrate a new year at springtime? Pages Have you ever visited a magnificent garden? What made the garden so great? What features of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon would lead people to consider it one of the seven wonders of the world? Give students the chance to develop a board game with the information that they learned in a KIDS issue. Pages Which of the accomplishments shown or listed on pages do you think is the most significant? Why do you think the fact that the ns compiled laws is considered an accomplishment? Why is keeping written records considered an accomplishment? Pages Why do you think the earliest writing kept track of business transactions? What other ways do people use writing today? Why do you think the n pictographs changed through the years? Looking at the chart on page 15, what are some ways the pictographs changed? Pages Would you like to be on an archaeological dig in the n area? Why or why not? What do you think is the hardest part of the job?... KIDS 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor New York, NY T: F: MESOPOTAMIA 4

5 KIDS Name Date It s in the Reading After reading KIDS, choose the best answer for each question. Fill in the circle. Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question. 1. In what order did civilization grow in? A. from villages to cities to hunters and gatherers B. from cities to villages to hunters and gatherers C. from hunters and gatherers to villages to cities D. from cities to hunters and gatherers to villages Who wanted to make justice appear in the land? A. Sargon the Great B. Hammurabi C. Nebuchadnezzar II D. Ashurbanipal II At what level of n society would a jeweler have been? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D All of the following statements are facts except. A. Sargon the Great united northern and southern B. Babylonians celebrated an 11-day New Year s festival C. baru examined the organs of animals looking for signs D. demons brought sandstorms, killed babies, and carried the plague The Hanging Gardens may have been built. A. as one of a series of gardens B. as a disguise for a large military fort C. to help irrigate farmers fields D. to look like a mountain with forests MESOPOTAMIA 5

6 It s in the Reading (continued) 6. We still use the following n inventions except for. A. inflatable animal skins as boats B. the arch in building C. stringed instruments in music D. place value in mathematics The books in Ashurbanipal s library in Nineveh were. A. baskets on shelves B. clay tablets in baskets C. clay spheres filled with tokens D. clay tablets in clay envelopes Why was Sarzec s discovery important? A. It proved that Sumer had existed. B. Scholars could now read Sumerian. C. It proved that Sumerians invented stringed instruments. D. It showed that Assyrians were great engineers How do we know about the civilizations of? Do you think this information is important to people today? Why or why not? MESOPOTAMIA 6

7 KIDS Name Date Everything Visual Maps can show a lot of information in a small space. Different maps show different kinds of information. Some maps show roads. Some show countries. Some show mountains and lakes. Study the map on pages 4 5. Answer the questions. 1. What cities were near the Euphrates River? What cities were near the Tigris River? 2. Why are most of the cities near one or the other of these rivers? 3. How can you tell that the land around the rivers is more fertile than the land away from the rivers? 4. What body of water do the Tigris and Euphrates rivers empty into? 5. Which of the three major civilizations was closest to the Gulf of Persia? Which was farthest away? 6. Which civilization built the city of Nineveh? 7. How can the map help you understand why the civilizations of were invaded and conquered so often? 8. What would be a good title for this map? Why? MESOPOTAMIA 7

8 H CROSS-CURRICULAR EXTENSIONS ave students try these activities to expand their knowledge and interest in. Geography, History, Language Arts Have students draw their own maps of the area known as the Fertile Crescent, as seen on page 3. They should put in the present-day countries, their capitals, the major rivers and mountains, bodies of water, and other defining details. Then, each student should choose one country to research. Students should write a report that includes information about the country s geography, culture, language, people, and so on. You may also want students to include any current newspaper clippings that mention the countries or areas. Art, History, Language Arts Throughout the issue, there are pictures of clay tablets with writing, cuneiform, and pictures on them. If clay is available, have students create a clay tablet. They can then use chopsticks, toothpicks, and sticks to write their own cuneiform or draw pictures on the tablet that tell a story. (Students may use the chart on page 15 as a basis for their writing.) If there is no clay, have students draw a tablet on paper and write on the tablet. Students should then exchange tablets and try to translate the stories. Art On page 12 of the issue is a picture of a board game played by ns. However, the rules have not been found. Have students work in groups and do one of the following: 1) Make up rules for the board game, as well as directions on how people might play the game; 2) Create an original board game and include directions on how to play it, as well as a picture of the game. Language Arts, Art Have students create a fictional hero, halfhuman, half-god, similar to Gilgamesh, who is featured on pages 14 and 15 of the issue. The hero should accomplish some great feats, each of which can be illustrated in a manner similar to that on pages 14 and 15. Geography, Math The Tigris and Euphrates rivers feature prominently in this issue on. Have students find out the length of these rivers and other rivers of the world. Then they can do some math problems with these numbers, such as: How much longer is one than the other? How many times longer is one than the other? How much longer or shorter is each river than the Nile? the Mississippi? the Amazon? and so on. KIDS Add KIDS to your book baskets along with fiction and nonfiction books on the same topic. Language Arts, History Have students look carefully at the illustration on pages 2 and 3 of the issue. Students should use their imaginations and come up with their own story to explain what is going on. Students do not have to relate it to, but they should try to include details about what they think the people are doing, why they are doing it, and when the event took place KIDS 149 Fifth Avenue, 12th Floor New York, NY T: F: MESOPOTAMIA 8

9 KIDS ANSWER KEY Name Date Get Set to Read What do you know about? In Before Reading, write true if you think the statement is true. Write false if you think the statement is not true. Then read KIDS. Check back to find out if you were correct. Write the correct answer and the page number where you found it. CHALLENGE: Rewrite each false sentence in a way that makes it true. Before Reading After Reading Page Number 1. lay between two rivers, the Tigris and the Ur Euphrates. 2. Farmers used river water to irrigate their fields. 3. The first civilization developed in Sumer. 4. The cities of Nineveh and Nimrud were built by prisoners of the soldiers Assyrians. 5. The only abundant building material was mud bricks. 6. n temples were called baru ziggurats. 7. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon were built by Nebuchadnezzar II. 8. ns were the first to make bronze. 9. ns wrote on wood clay tablets. 10. Archaeology in began in False True True False True False True True False False p. 2 p. 3 p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 8 p. 10 p. 13 p. 15 p. 16 MESOPOTAMIA 9

10 KIDS ANSWER KEY Name Date It s in the Reading After reading KIDS, choose the best answer for each question. Fill in the circle. Find your answers on the pages shown in the book icon next to each question. 1. In what order did civilization grow in? A. from villages to cities to hunters and gatherers B. from cities to villages to hunters and gatherers C. from hunters and gatherers to villages to cities (sequence) D. from cities to hunters and gatherers to villages Who wanted to make justice appear in the land? A. Sargon the Great B. Hammurabi (details) C. Nebuchadnezzar II D. Ashurbanipal II At what level of n society would a jeweler have been? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 (draw conclusions) D All of the following statements are facts except. A. Sargon the Great united northern and southern B. Babylonians celebrated an 11-day New Year s festival C. baru examined the organs of animals looking for signs D. demons brought sandstorms, killed babies, and carried the plague (fact and fiction) The Hanging Gardens may have been built. A. as one of a series of gardens B. as a disguise for a large military fort C. to help irrigate farmers fields D. to look like a mountain with forests (inference) MESOPOTAMIA 10

11 It s in the Reading (continued) 6. We still use the following n inventions except for. A. inflatable animal skins as boats (inference) B. the arch in building C. stringed instruments in music D. place value in mathematics The books in Ashurbanipal s library in Nineveh were. A. baskets on shelves B. clay tablets in baskets (draw conclusions) C. clay spheres filled with tokens D. clay tablets in clay envelopes Why was Sarzec s discovery important? A. It proved that Sumer had existed. (cause and effect) B. Scholars could now read Sumerian. C. It proved that Sumerians invented stringed instruments. D. It showed that Assyrians were great engineers How do we know about the civilizations of? Do you think this information is important to people today? Why or why not? Answers will vary, but students should note that archaeologists and other scientists and scholars are responsible for everything we know about. Students should state their opinion about the importance of this knowledge to modern people and provide reasons that support their opinion. MESOPOTAMIA 11

12 ANSWER KEY Name Date KIDS Everything Visual Maps can show a lot of information in a small space. Different maps show different kinds of information. Some maps show roads. Some show countries. Some show mountains and lakes. Study the map on pages 4 5. Answer the questions. 1. What cities were near the Euphrates River? What cities were near the Tigris River? Babylon, Uruk, and Ur were near the Euphrates River. Nineveh and Nimrud were near the Tigris River. 2. Why are most of the cities near one or the other of these rivers? The land nearest the rivers was the most fertile for growing. The people used the water from the rivers for farming, drinking, and washing. The rivers provided a way to travel. 3. How can you tell that the land around the rivers is more fertile than the land away from the rivers? The map shows the area nearest the rivers as a darker green, with a lighter green for the area between and on either side of the rivers. Green is often used to show land that is wet enough to grow plants. The map shows the areas away from the rivers as light to medium brown, which indicates that these areas are dry, perhaps even desert. 4. What body of water do the Tigris and Euphrates rivers empty into? The Tigris and Euphrates rivers empty into the Persian Gulf. 5. Which of the three major civilizations was closest to the Gulf of Persia? Which was farthest away? Sumer was the closest; Assyria was the farthest away. 6. Which civilization built the city of Nineveh? Nineveh was a city in Assyria. 7. How can the map help you understand why the civilizations of were invaded and conquered so often? Answers will vary. Possible answer: In a region that was mostly dry land or desert, the fertile land between and around the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, as well as the rivers themselves, would have been coveted by many groups of people. Also, there were many groups living in what was a relatively small region. As some groups became stronger than others, they would have tried to expand their territory and control. 8. What would be a good title for this map? Why? Answers will vary. Possible answer: The Civilizations of. This would be a good title because the map shows the locations of the three major civilizations and their cities, plus several other kingdoms, in. MESOPOTAMIA 12