Ancient Mesopotamia Unit Study

In ancient times, the Greeks later called the area of the world’s first civilization Mesopotamia which means “the land between the rivers” or “the land between two rivers.” This name was appropriate because ancient Mesopotamia was located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in the present-day Middle Eastern country of Iraq. The twin rivers actually begin in eastern Turkey, flow southeast, converge in southeast Iraq, and empty into the Persian Gulf. Although the hot dry climate mixed with seasonal flooding was difficult and challenging, the farmers of the area learned to control the flooding rivers and used the resulting fertility to produce crops such as barley, wheat, flax, and sesame. The fertile ground also supported many different kinds of fruit and vegetable crops.

The information here is for a wide range of ages, grades K-12, depending on which objectives and activities are selected, so please check first to make sure your choices are appropriate for your own family. New information will be added as time allows. Links to lesson plans and activities here represent materials that can be printed and added to your notebook for this unit.

Learning Objectives:

Many parents and teachers will need to create their own goals. You can compare the goals at these sites to create your own goals depending on how stringent your requirements need to be. All links have several suggested activities for different ages.

Basic Course structure https://www.worldbook.com/free-educational-resources#tcos
Michigan Department of Education https://www.michigan.gov/mde/services/academic-standards
Maine as an example of state level requirements https://www.maine.gov/doe/ela/standards/index.html
California state level requirements https://www.cde.ca.gov/be/st/ss/
https://www2.mcrel.org/compendium/ National Level
Ontario Canada K-8 Expectations https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/curriculum#elementary
Abeka Scope and Sequence https://www.abeka.com/HomeSchool/ScopeAndSequence.aspx
The series of books called “What your nth Grader needs to know” May also be helpful nth representing the grade your child is in. This series only Goes to grade 8

Learning Objectives

Compare and contrast the lives of early people in the Paleolithic Age and the Neolithic Age.
Understand the causes and consequences that community living made in the lives of early people.
List positive and negative aspects of community life in the ancient world.
Understand why the need arose for laws to govern society.
Express in the written form of an editorial letter a clear opinion about one of Hammurabi’s laws
Identify recurring patterns in world history.
Appreciate the importance of ancient history.

Develop listening skills and demonstrate these skills.
Become familiar with terms and procedures related to topic.
Dramatize information learned about topic.
Evaluate information based on prior experiences and newly acquired knowledge.
Research a variety of documents to obtain knowledge.
Exercise critical thinking skills.
Learn to gather and use research information.
Create a notebook to demonstrate organizational skills.

Bible References:

Look up and compare scriptures at the sites below. In your journal note how the different translations and versions help you to have a fuller understanding of the text.

American Standard Version https://ebible.org/asv/
King James Bible in Mp3 https://www.audiotreasure.com/indexKJV.htm
World English Bible in Mp3 https://www.audiotreasure.com/webindex.htm
World Wide Study Bible https://www.ccel.org/wwsb
Free software that will allow you to compare many translations at the same time https://www.e-sword.net/
New World Translation https://www.jw.org/en/library/bible/study-bible/books/

Bible

Genesis 12-25.
The story of Abraham
Book of Esther.
The story of Esther.
Joshua
Ruth
Judges
1 Samuel
Jonah
Discuss the Abrahamic Covenant as it relates to the land.

Blue Letter Bible. “Dictionary and Word Search for ‘Mesopotamia’ in the KJV”. Blue Letter Bible. 1996-2007. 24 Jun 2007. https://www.blueletterbible.org/search/search.cfm?Criteria=Mesopotamia&t=KJV#s=s_primary_0_1

Vocabulary

city-state	Tigris River	edubba
scribe	Mesopotamia	cuneiform
stylus	Gilgamesh	Sumer
levees	Hammurabi of Babylon	irrigate
Euphrates River	ziggurat	Divine rule
priest-king	cradle of civilization	Legal Code
Sargon I	Empire

Definition of Terms. http://www.ed.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html#terms
Vocabulary exercise. http://www.ed.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html#maps
Vocabulary http://stutzfamily.com/mrstutz/mesopotamia/vocab.html
Geography Vocabulary. http://www.fruitvale.k12.ca.us/discovery/teachers/~docastello/OldWebPages/Ancient.htm

Writing and Journal Activities

Make a book about hunter-gatherers: Could You Survive as a Hunter Gatherer? What did hunter gatherers eat? What does “domestication” mean? What environmental conditions were necessary to domesticate plants? What were the plants that the Mesopotamians domesticated?
Do a mini-study of the Hanging Gardens of Babylon. What king is given credit for building the gardens, and why did he have them built? From where do we get most of our information on the hanging gardens? Why can’t scientists trust eyewitness accounts of what the gardens looked like?
Study transportation methods in ancient Mesopotamia. What is a chariot? Describe or draw what you think chariot would look like. Do you think they invented sailboats? Where do you think they sailed?
Why did the Mesopotamians have to invent writing? How did they write? What does cuneiform stand for? The first kind of written language was ___ which means what? What are some results of the invention of written language? Try reproducing some of the cuneiform characters. Why was the invention of writing important? Write your name in cuneiform http://www.upennmuseum.com/cuneiform.cgi
Everyday text shows that Old Persian was probably more commonly used than previously thought. For the first time, a text has been found in Old Persian language that shows the written language in use for practical recording and not only for royal display. The text is inscribed on a damaged clay tablet from the Persepolis Fortification Archive, now at the Oriental Institute at the University of Chicago. The tablet is an administrative record of the payout of at least 600 quarts of an as-yet unidentified commodity at five villages near Persepolis in about 500 B.C. Read the rest of this article from The University of Chicago News Office dated June 15, 2007. http://www-news.uchicago.edu/releases/07/070615.oldpersian.shtml
Compare Gilgamesh to a modern day hero. What similarities or differences do you see?
You might write about Noah because several ancient history scholars believe that the flood referred to in the Epic of Gilgamesh refers to the flood from Prophet Noah’s time.
Eternal youth, or everlasting life, is a goal that many throughout history have tried to obtain. Describe what others in history have done to search for eternal life, the fountain of youth, or whatever title they may have used. Do people still search for this today? In what ways?
“Alduch, you worthless slave!! I have been calling for you! Change into your clean tunic and present yourself for duty in five minutes. You are to serve the head table tonight. Ach, what an honor for a slave such as you!” In story form, write about the banquet, describing the food, the way people behaved, and the entertainment. Yes, it will require research for authenticity.
Newspaper Creation. The student will have to design a front page of a modern-day newspaper using ancient Mesopotamian content. Items that should be on the front page include a mast, a date line, a byline, a wire service, a cut, a cutline, and two articles relating to ancient Mesopotamia.
You are there. The student has to take on the persona of an ancient Mesopotamia and answer questions from the teacher. The student also has to provide a diagram of his/her locale. All of the information will be placed in a lapbook or journal.
Webpage Creation. The student creates a webpage of ancient Mesopotamia to demonstrate his/her knowledge of the area.

Timeline and Geographical Data

List of Rulers of Mesopotamia https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/meru/hd_meru.htm

Timelines of the Period. http://eawc.evansville.edu/chronology/nepage.htm
Ancient Mesopotamia: 7000 to 500 BC. http://www.thenagain.info/WebChron/MiddleEast/MesoExpand.html
History of Mesopotamia. What things did the Sumerians pass from person to person? These mysterious people settled in Mesopotamia around 3000 BC. http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/MESO.HTM
Mesopotamian Timeline. http://www.wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/TIMELINE.HTM
Collapse of the Empire. http://www.learner.org/exhibits/collapse
Mesopotamian periods. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mesopotamia
Mesopotamia time line. http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/time/explore/frame_mes.html
A Timeline of Climate History around 3000 BC. http://www.stanford.edu/~meehan/donnellyr/3000ind.html
http://www.mnsu.edu/emuseum/prehistory/middle_east/

Maps

http://www.bible-history.com/maps/maps/map_ancient_mesopotamia.html
http://www.bible-history.com/maps/maps/map_ancient_trade_routes_mesopotamia.html
http://oi.uchicago.edu/OI/PROJ/NIP/PUB93/NSC/NSCFIG1.html
http://www.bible.ca/maps/maps%2Dnear%2Deast%2D500BC.htm
Geography of Mesopotamia http://saturn.sron.ruu.nl/~jheise/akkadian/mesopotamia.html#geography
Map Links to Iraq, Sumer, Akkad, ancient Mesopotamia. http://www.jameswbell.com/iraq002maplinks.html
Geography of Mesopotamia. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/m_wam/hd_m_wam.htm

Book Resources

For Younger Readers

Ancient Near East by Nancy Conkle A Bellerophon Coloring Book The Ancient Near East (World History), by Clarice Swisher
Early Civilizations (Usborne Illustrated World History), by Jane Chisholm & Anne Millard
The Sumerians (The Cradle of Civilization), by Elaine Landau.
The Golden Sandal (folktale) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fjnK7dR6cwg
The Enchanted Storks (folktale)
Tale of Caliph Stork (folktale) https://www.shortkidstories.com/story/story-caliph-stork/

For Older Readers

Adam and His Kin: The Lost History of Their Lives and Times, by Ruth Beechick
Ancient Civilizations, Grades 1-3 (Evan-Moor History Pockets EMC 3701), by Jill Norris
Ancient Egyptians and Their Neighbors: An Activity Guide, by Marian Broida
Ancient Mesopotamia by Don Nardo
Ancient Mesopotamia: the Sumerians, Babylonians, and Assyrians by Virgina Schomp
Ancient Mesopotamia Research Project Pack, by In The Hands of A Child. HOCPP 1035
Ancient Mesopotamia Teacher’s Toolbook, by Performance Education
Ancient Myths, by Norma Lorre Goodrich
Ancient Persia by Don Nardo
Biography from Ancient Civilizations, Hammurabi
The Buildings of Ancient Mesopotamia, by Helen Leacroft and Richard Leacroft
A Child’s History of the World
The City of Rainbows: A Tale from Ancient Sumer, by Karen Polinger Foster
The Cultural Atlas of Mesopotamia and the Ancient Near East, by Michael Roaf
Daily Life in Ancient Mesopotamia, by Karen Rhea Nemet-Nejat
Empires of Mesopotamia by Don Nardo
Everyday Life in Babylonia and Assyria, by H.W.F. Saggs
Eyewitness Mesopotamia by Philip Steele
First Book of Ancient Mesopotamia and Persia, by Charles Alexander Robinson
First Cities the World of Ancient Sumer by Tom B. Jones
From the Poetry of Sumer: Creation, Glorification, Adoration, by Samuel Noah Kramer
From the Tablets of Sumer; Twenty-five Firsts in Man’s Recorded History, by by Samuel Noah Kramer
Gilgamesh, by Bernarda Bryson
Gilgamesh Epic and Old Testament Parallels, by Alexander Heidel
Gilgamesh the King, by Ludmila Zeman
Gilgamesh: Translated from the Sin-Leqi-Unninni Version by John Gardner and John Maier
God King: A Story in the Days of King Hezekiah by Johanne Williamson
Hadassah: The Girl Who Became Queen Esther, by Tommy Tenney
Hands-On Ancient People, Volume 1: Art Activities about Mesopotamia, Egypt, and Islam, by Yvonne Y. Merrill
Heavenly Zoo: Legends and Tales of the Stars by Alison Lurie
A History of the Ancient World, by Chester G. Starr
History Begins at Sumer: Thirty-nine Firsts in Man’s Recorded History by Samuel Noah Kramer
History of Sumer and Akkad: An Account of the Early Races of Babylonia from Prehistoric Times to the Foundation of the Babylonian Monarchy, by Leonard W. King
History of the Ancient & Medieval World by Henk Dijkstra
Heroes & Gods of Ancient Sumer, by In The Hands of A Child. HOCPP 1111
How the Bible Came to Us by Meryl Doney
In the World of Sumer: An Autobiography by Samuel Noah Kramer
Inanna, Queen of Heaven and Earth: Her Stories and Hymns from Sumer by Diane Wolkstein and Samuel Noah Kramer
Iraq: from Sumer to Post-Saddam by Geoff Simons
Ishtar and Tammuz: A Babylonian Myth of the Seasons, by Christopher J. Moore
Kingfisher’s Illustrated History of the World
Land of the Two Rivers by Leonard Cottrell
The Last Quest of Gilgamesh by Ludmila Zeman
The Life & Times of Hammurabi (Biography from Ancient Civilizations), by Tamera Bryan
The Looting of the Iraq Museum, Baghdad: The Lost Legacy of Ancient Mesopotamia by Milbry Polk
Magic Treehouse: Season of the Sandstorms, by Mary Pope Osborne
Mesopotamia by Julian Reade
Mesopotamia (Cultures of the Past), by Pamela Service
Mesopotamia, Iraq in Ancient Times, by Peter Chrisp
Mesopotamia, The Civilization That Rose Out of Clay by JR. Walter A. Fairservis
Mesopotamia: Creating and Solving Word Problems by Bonnie Coulter Leech
Mesopotamia and the Fertile Crescent, by John Malam
Mesopotamia: The Mighty Kings (Lost Civilizations) by Dale M. Brown
Mesopotamia: Writing, Reasoning, and the Gods by Jean Bottéro; translated by Zainab Bahrani and Marc Van De Mieroop
Murder in Mesopotamia: A Hercule Poirot Mystery, by Agatha Christie
Mystery of History Volume 1: Creation to the Resurrection by Linda Lacour Hobar
Noah’s Ark and the Ararat Adventure by John Morris
Old Testament Days: An Activity Guide, by Nancy I. Sanders
Outrageous Women of Ancient Times by Vicki Leon
Oxford First Ancient History by Roy Burrell
The Revenge of Ishtar by Ludmila Zeman
Rich and Poor in Mesopotamia: Iraq in Ancient Times by Richard Dargie
To Ride the Gods Own Stallion, by Diane Wilson
Science in Ancient Mesopotamia, by Carol Moss
Search for Lost Cities (Treasure Hunters) by Nicola Barber
Stone that Spoke, and Other Clues to the Decipherment of Lost Languages by Steven Frimmer
Story of World Religions by Katharine Savage
Story of the World Volume 1 Ancient Times by Susan Wise Bauer
The Story of the World: Activity Book One: Ancient Times, by S. Wise Bauer
Streams of Civilization Earliest Times to the Discovery of the New World Vol. 1 by Mary Stanton, Michael McHugh, and Albert Hyma
Sumer and the Sumerians by Harriet Crawford
Sumer: Cities of Eden by Time-Life Books
The Sumerians by Leila Merrell Foster
Sumerians Inventors and Builders by Elizabeth Lansing
The Sumerians Their History, Culture, and Character by Samuel Noah Kramer
The Technology of Mesopotamia by Graham Faiella
The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers by Melissa Whitcraft
The Usborne Book of World History
World History Made Simple: Matching History with the Bible, Ruth Beechick
You Wouldn’t Want to be a Sumerian Slave: A Life of Hard Labor You’d Rather Avoid by Jacqueline Morley
Beauty In The Fields: The Diary Of Ruth’s Fellow Harvester, Moab And Israel, About 1200 B.C. Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards
Laughing Princess of the Desert: The Diary of Sarah’s Traveling Companion Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards
Peaceful Warrior: The Diary of Deborah’s Armor Bearer, Israel, 1200 B.C. Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards
Persia’s Brightest Star: The Diary of Queen Esther’s Attendant Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards
Priceless Jewel at the Well: The Diary of Rebekah’s Nursemaid, Canaan, 1986-1985 B.C. Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards
Songbird Of The Nile: The Diary Of Miriam’s Best Friend, Egypt, 1527-1526 B.C. Promised Land Diaries by Anne Tyra Adams and Dennis Edwards

Videos and DVD’s

Ancient Mesopotamia for Kids | Learn all about the history of ancient Mesopotamia https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHkAGKgoyGo

The Cradle of Civilization Ancient World History for Kids from Miacademy Learning Channel https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0o8ifFeJHY

Ancient Mesopotamia 101 by National Geographic YouTube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xVf5kZA0HtQ

Agatha Christie’s Poirot Murder in Mesopotamia https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00005KH4B/?tag=jrobertson04-20

Mesopotamia Return to Eden Ancient Mesopotamia Documentary Time Life’s Lost Civilizations https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-cDzzIn6Mc

Mesopotamian Civilizations from Kings and Generals https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaBYW76inbX4vEmC1vfsJDzQhs8M_ufQn

Ancient Mesopotamia Life in the Cradle of Civilization via Prime Video Free trial of The Great Courses Signature Collection https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MVJNK4T/?tag=jrobertson04-20

Jonah A VeggieTales Movie via Prime Video https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07MG8JDYD/?tag=jrobertson04-20

One Night With the King https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BZM22BQK/?tag=jrobertson04-20 You can currently stream on Tubi, Fandango at Home, and Amazon Prime Video. Other services if you have a Premium subscription.
Notes: It does have a special necklace that plays a part in her life and is not in the Bible. There is also some bloodshed, and you may have to explain what a eunich is.

Esther https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccTHkycbYXo

Veggie Tales Esther The Girl Who Would Be Queen https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BX4DGSK1/?tag=jrobertson04-20

City-state Creation. Using poster board and colored pencils, the student designs a Sumerian city-state based on their researched description. Items that should be on the map include: a title, compass rose, scale of miles, legend, a ziggurat, city wall, farmland, irrigation system, narrow winding streets, government buildings, courtyards, and homes of the different social classes.
Cuneiform in Clay. After presenting a cuneiform lesson, the student creates a clay tablet with cuneiform inscriptions that must be decipherable.
Ziggurat. In cooperative groups, students create ziggurat replicas using either sugar cubes, milk cartons, or Styrofoam.
Atlas of Discovery extra activity The Built Environment (see number 48) Build a ziggurat paper model at https://web.archive.org/web/20201127014118/http://www.jaconline.com.au/atlasofdiscovery/learningcentres.htm
Build a Ziggurat and compare it to the step-pyramids in ancient America or Egypt.

Technology Activities

Research the region and time to create a presentation on ancient Mesopotamia. Include pages that deal with religion, daily life, government, art and literature, technology, and reasons for decline.

Search the Web for additional information to expand your “hotlist” of relevant WWW resources. Write an annotation describing what the Web site offers to assist others in their research. Possible topics to search under would include: Mesopotamia, Sumeria, Babylon, cuneiform, ziggurat, and, of course, Hammurabi.

Webquest to research the contributions the peoples of Mesopotamia have given to the existence of modern day society. https://web.archive.org/web/20070504051908/http://www.seekonk.k12.ma.us/WebQuests/MesopotamiaWQ.html

Language Arts Resources

Literature From Ancient Mesopotamian. Overview of the literature that emerged from Mesopotamia, the land between the Euphrates and Tigris River. Excerpts from the poem of Gilgamesh. https://web.archive.org/web/20090506000637/http://www.insects.org/ced1/mes_lit.html

Myths from Sumer. http://www.myths.com/pub/myths/sumer-faq.html

Read about the four main classes of people in ancient Sumer. https://mesopotamia.mrdonn.org/Sumerlife.html

The Epic of Gilgamesh https://www.ancienttexts.org/library/mesopotamian/gilgamesh/

Share the story of Gilgamesh, the oldest story ever written. Have the student act it out! The gods created the hairy man Enkidu in the exact image of Gilgamesh. Then, a goddess dressed him in her clothes and sent him to Earth.

Gilgamesh Study Guide https://novaonline.nvcc.edu/eli/eng251/gilgameshstudy.htm

Gilgamesh Writing Prompts https://novaonline.nvcc.edu/Eli/eng251/Bb_version/activities/gilgamesh.html

The ways of life in Mesopotamia to 2400 BCE https://www.fsmitha.com/h1/ch01.htm

Wordsearch http://www.wordsearchfun.com/51401_Mesopotamia_wordsearch.html

Learning Cuneiform https://cdnsm5-ss14.sharpschool.com/UserFiles/Servers/Server_142278/File/Becky%20Carson/Writing%20in%20Ancient%20Mesopotamia%20Stations%20Instructions%20Pages.pdf

Write Your Name in Cuneiform The Penn Museum https://www.penn.museum/cgi/cuneiform.php

How to write cuneiform from The British Museum https://www.britishmuseum.org/blog/how-write-cuneiform

The Invention of Writing (Hieroglyph – Cuneiform) The Journey to Civilization video from See U in History https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IteCVkQJMTc

The Emergence and Evolution of the Cuneiform Writing System in Ancient Mesopotamia. https://edsitement.neh.gov/lesson-plans/cuneiform-writing-system-ancient-mesopotamia-emergence-and-evolution

A history of literature. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=ac01#2169

The Origin of Languages. https://jws-library.one/?file=data/2000/g_E_20000808/Languages%E2%80%94Bridges+and+Walls+to+Communication.html

The Origins of Writing in Mesopotamia. https://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/wrtg/hd_wrtg.htm

Ancient Mesopotamia 101 | National Geographic

Ancient Mysteries: Uncovering The Sumerian Civilization Secrets

Art and Music Resources & Activities

Archaic Mesopotamian Art. Features figurines and pottery from the region. The text explains where the pieces were found and what their uses might have been. https://web.archive.org/web/20050226092631/http://www.hp.uab.edu/image_archive/ue/uea.html

Pottery and tools discovered in the mountains of Bahktiari just outside of Mesopotamia https://web.archive.org/web/20070210015144/http://homepages.wmich.edu/~zagarell/arcbakh.htm

Detroit Institute of Arts: Ancient Mesopotamian Art offers detailed information on its collection. https://web.archive.org/web/20070127174341/http://www.dia.org/collections/ancient/mesopotamia/mesopotamia.html

Print and color https://web.archive.org/web/20070709003404/http://www.cavemanart.com/osroene/mesopotamia.htm

Music: Mesopotamian Harps. The earliest images we have of harps come from Mesopotamia, the gean, and Egypt. On Mesopotamian clay tablets dated to 2800 BC a simple carving of a three-stringed harp is used as a pictographic sign. Images of musicians with harps appeared at an even earlier date on seals and limestone plaques. https://web.archive.org/web/20050323101331/http://www.silcom.com/~vikman/isles/scriptorium/harps/harps.html

Draw maps of both ancient Mesopotamia and the modern-day Middle East.

Explore cuneiform. Find samples of the ancient writings and let the student have a try. Yes, it could be done on paper but –WOW! — try clay with a stylus!

Learn about different pottery techniques. https://carlos.emory.edu/htdocs/ODYSSEY/NEAREAST/potgame.html
Learn ceramics and pottery techniques with video clips
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=52ipR2t9ROI

Research the Standard of Ur. What is it? Try to make a replication of it in glass or paper.

Create an advertising commercial for an eternal youth potion like the one Gilgamesh sought. What does it look like? How much does it cost? What must you do to get it?

Ancient Art of Mesopotamia. https://web.archive.org/web/20040829074333/http://www.huntfor.com/arthistory/ancient/mesopotamia.htm

Glassworks https://web.archive.org/web/20051029200034/http://www.sciencenewsforkids.org/articles/20050629/Note3.asp

Art of the First Cities. https://www.metmuseum.org/exhibitions/listings/2003/art-of-the-first-cities

http://www.metmuseum.org/explore/First_Cities/firstcities_splash.htm

Oldest records of harps date back to Mesopotamia. View how to play the harp video.

Mesopotamian Art Lesson. https://historylink101.com/lessons/art_history_lessons/mesopotamian_art_lesson.htm

Mathematics Resources & Activities

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Babylonian_mathematics

Cuneiform numbers and uses, and fractions. https://myslu.stlawu.edu/~dmel/mesomath/index.html

Sumerian Mathematics https://www.crystalinks.com/sumermath.html
Babylonian math was complex, using both aggregation (like Roman numerals) and place notation (like our system). Numerals 1 59 were written by aggregation. Starting with 60, place notation was used with the aggregation symbols. The system was sexagesimal that is, it was based on the powers of 60 instead of 10 (decimal).

The Babylonian system was sexagesimal (based on 60). Even though we use base 10 (decimal), there are vestiges of the Babylonian base 60 system still around today. Can you think of them? (60 seconds, 60 minutes, 360 degrees in a circle)

Why might the Babylonians have chosen base 60? (60 has many factors, making division easy, fractions and multiples of 60 occur in calendrical cycles their agriculture and lives were very dependent on those seasonal and yearly cycles)

Why do you think we use base 10?

Can there be other systems than base 10 or base 60? What are the advantages and disadvantages of base 10? Base 60? What if we had, say, base 12? What would the advantages and disadvantages of that be?

Ancient Number Systems. Learn about ancient number systems from Mesopotamia. Chart of the 59 symbols used in Babylonian mathematics. https://mathshistory.st-andrews.ac.uk/HistTopics/category-babylonians/

Practice addition and multiplication by translating Arabic numbers into Babylonian numbers.

Science Resources & Activities

Make sun dried bricks. Create an authentic background where other projects may be displayed.

Abzu Regional Index: Mesopotamia. Large index of study resources, including archeological sites, museums, and philological data. With translations. https://etana.org/abzubib

Mesopotamian Inventions. https://www.worldhistory.org/article/1859/mesopotamian-inventions/
https://www.history.com/news/sumerians-inventions-mesopotamia

http://www.champaignschools.org/staffwebsites/cainza/achievementsandinventionsofmesopotamia.htm

The Hanging Gardens of Babylon. The Hanging Gardens of Babylon was one of the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World. https://www.worldhistory.org/Hanging_Gardens_of_Babylon/

https://web.archive.org/web/20070617071254/http://ancienthistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_hanging_gardens_of_babylon

https://www.socialstudiesforkids.com/articles/worldhistory/hanginggardens1.htm

Research Mesopotamian inventions: wheel, sailboats, calendar, plow

Medicine in Ancient Mesopotamia. https://web.archive.org/web/20011119061803/http://www.indiana.edu/~ancmed/meso.HTM

PBS Series Rough Science: A Brief History of Science. https://www.pbs.org/weta/roughscience/discover/briefhistory.html

A History of Horticulture. https://web.archive.org/web/20070205101647/http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/history/lecture09/lec09.html

Farming in Mesopotamia. https://historylink101.com/lessons/farm-city/mes1.htm

Dried-up Garden of Eden Can Flourish Again. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2005/feb/21/iraq.sciencenews

Social Studies Resources & Activities

Research the region and time to create a travel brochure. Include photos, drawings, daily life activities the tourist will join, weather, food, and what clothes to bring — just to name a few ideas.

Compare styles of dress and jewelry of ancient Mesopotamia found in research. Find examples that support the authenticity of your research.

Label the following places on a map: TIGRIS RIVER, PERSIAN GULF, EUPHRATES RIVER, INDIAN OCEAN, CASPIAN SEA, BLACK SEA, MEDITERRANEAN SEA, RED SEA, UR, ERIDU, NIPPAR, LAGASH, ADAB KISH, BABYLON, ERECH. Find the latitude and longitude for Mesopotamia. What part of the world was this in? What continent?

Make a salt dough map of the area.

Make a cylinder seal: make your own cylinder seal. There are several ways you could do this. You could take a sturdy tube of some kind and glue on string or noodles etc. and roll this ink and then on paper. You could also roll it into clay to make an impression. Or you could make a clay tube and etch your story on then roll that into paint.

Go on a webquest. https://web.archive.org/web/20070813022700/http://www.seekonk.k12.ma.us/WebQuests/MesopotamiaWQ.html
https://www.strategiceducationalservices.com/post/how-to-teach-ancient-mesopotamia-geography-virtually

Explore the fall of the Mesopotamian civilization. Learn about finding & interpreting evidence of past cultures. https://web.archive.org/web/20040609210259/http://www.learner.org/exhibits/collapse/mesopotamia.html

Sumerian City-States. https://www.studentsofhistory.com/sumerian-city-states
Create a city-state of your own. Sim-City Classic is GREAT for this assignment.
Make Sumerian king trading cards
Create your own code of law
Create a pyramid of the social classes
Make a poster of Sumerian gods
Brief History of Assyrians. https://web.archive.org/web/20050122085643/http://www.aina.org/aol/peter/brief.htm

Explore four of the Royal Tombs of Ur. https://web.archive.org/web/20050223102156/http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/tombs/homemain.html

Architectural Marvels of Ancient Mesopotamia. https://web.archive.org/web/20070224162533/http://www.faculty.fairfield.edu/jmac/meso/meso.htm

The Babylonians one of the world’s first superpowers. https://web.archive.org/web/20091011103415/http://ancienthistory.suite101.com/article.cfm/the_babylonians

Mesopotamia in the Era of State Formation. https://web.archive.org/web/20040603170631/http://www.science.widener.edu/ssci/mesopotamia/

Taking the Mystery Out of Mesopotamia. https://web.archive.org/web/20080511131836/http://www.coreknowledge.org/CK/resrcs/lessons/1.htm

Assyrians (from a dissertation by Herman L. Hoeh). http://www.cgca.net/coglinks/wcglit/hoehcompendium/hhc2toc.htm

A history of Mesopotamia. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa53, https://web.archive.org/web/20120610102107/http://www.history-world.org/mesopotamia_a_place_to_start.htm

A history of warfare. http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?historyid=aa29

Mesopotamian clothing.
https://ancientmesopotamians.com/ancient-mesopotamian-clothing.html
https://web.archive.org/web/20090303235642/http://www.history.com/encyclopedia.do?articleId=206600

Akkadians. https://web.archive.org/web/20080221102618/http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/akkadians.htm

Early Dynastic Mesopotami
https://web.archive.org/web/20070608082247/http://www.historyforkids.org/learn/westasia/history/earlydynastic.htm

Find out about the many aspects of Mesopotamia’s rich legacy. https://www.bbc.co.uk/history/ancient/cultures/mesopotamia_gallery.shtml, https://www.answers.com/t/mesopotamia

Remembering God’s Awesome Acts unit study has a few activities that relate to Mesopotamia – like a page on translating Cuneiform. It is made for grades 5-12. There are activities like comparing the Biblical flood to the Epic of Gilgamesh.

Sonlight has a short study on Mesopotamia.

Bronze and Iron: Ancient Near Eastern Artifacts in The Metropolitan Museum of Art read online at https://www.metmuseum.org/art/metpublications/Bronze_and_Iron_Ancient_Near_Eastern_Artifacts_in_The_Metropolitan_Museum_of_Art This volume catalogues for the first time more than six hundred bronze and iron objects in the Department of Ancient Near Eastern Art of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The geographical areas they represent include much of the ancient Near Eastern world: Iran, Mesopotamia, Anatolia, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. By studying the objects and the commentary offered in this catalogue, the reader may explore ancient cultures and the problems confronting modern archaeology and scholarship.

Bronze Age from History.com https://www.history.com/topics/pre-history/bronze-age
Mesopotamia from History.com https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-middle-east/mesopotamia

Games

Play a game from the Ancient Mesopotamians. The Royal Game of Ur – a board game from Mesopotamia. https://www.tradgames.org.uk/games/Royal-Game-Ur.htm

Board games were popular in Mesopotamia. Different types of boards and game pieces have been found by archaeologists. The remains of this board were found by Leonard Woolley in a grave at Ur. https://web.archive.org/web/20050314041237/http://www.digonsite.com/drdig/other/51.html

Play this online version. https://royalur.net/

Tigris & Euphrates – A Game of Culture, Crisis, Conflict & Civilization, by Mairfair Games https://www.boardgamecentral.com/games/historical.html

Play online games to study Mesopotamia. There are two different sets: Mesopotamia (24 cards) and Mesopotamia Study Guide (41 cards). https://www.studystack.com/History

Mesopotamia follows the rise and fall of twenty nations from the Sumerians to the Persians over two thousand years of history. Download this free family boardgame about Mesopotamia and the dawn of civilization. https://www.garrysgames.com/Mesopotamia.html

How to Play Backgammon video

Some geography questions to answer.

Locate a map of ancient Mesopotamia.
What does the word “Mesopotamia” mean?
What are the two main rivers that water the region?
What two rivers run through Mesopotamia?
Why did the Mesopotamians settle near water?
Why not ocean water?
List three geographical features surrounding Mesopotamia.
What location has the highest elevation on this map?
What body of water does the Tigris and Euphrates flow into?
Sumerian everyday life and artifacts. https://web.archive.org/web/20071003013808/http://www.strayreality.com/Lanis_Strayreality/sumerian_civilization%202.htm
Pictures of clay tablets and seals. https://new.smm.org/anthropology/cuneiform/sealing
Mesopotamian Society https://web.archive.org/web/20070629042835/http://www.sron.nl/~jheise/akkadian/Welcome_mesopotamia.html
Women in Mesopotamian Society. https://web.archive.org/web/20080905070005/http://www.womenintheancientworld.com/hammurabilawcode.htm
Clay tokens: The precursors of cuneiform. https://web.archive.org/web/20080616063642/http://www.ancientscripts.com/cuneiform.html

Home Economics Resources & Activities

Imagine the kitchens of Hammurabi’s palace are bustling with preparations for tonight’s magnificent banquet in honor of visiting dignitaries from all corners of the trading world, even the distant shores of the Indus River. You have been mistaken for Digesh’s cooking assistant. Digesh instructs you to prepare a delectable and typical Babylonian dish for the night’s festivities. He points to the table with the clay recipe bricks. Choose one to prepare. Bring samples for your support group meeting.
Recipes for Quail on Barley Flatbreads, Turnips Stewed in Blood, and Barley Porridge. https://archive.archaeology.org/online/features/food/

Recipe for Ancient-Style Bread. https://web.archive.org/web/20130113050907/http://mesopotamia.lib.uchicago.edu/teacherresources/article.php?m=Lesson%20Plans

Mesopotamian Menus. Three clay tablets from 1700 BC ,found half a century ago, now turnout to be a unique collection of Mesopotamian recipes. The sophisticated dishes they describe push the dawn of culinary history back 2,000 years. https://web.archive.org/web/20060322152909/http://www.saudiaramcoworld.com/issue/198802/mesopotamian.menus.htm

Foods, agricultural practices, and dining customs of ancient Mesopotamia. Ancient Mesopotamia is also credited for the first written recipes. https://www.foodtimeline.org/foodfaq3.html

Vinegar Mother. https://www.hungrybrowser.com/phaedrus/m020502.htm

Religion Resources

Ziggurats temples. https://www.crystalinks.com/ziggurat.html

Architecture of Mesopotamian ziggurats.
https://web.archive.org/web/20050624000313/http://lib.haifa.ac.il/www/art/list_ziggurat.html

Mesopotamian and Biblical history. https://bible-history.com/babylonia/history-of-babylonia

Information on “Ea”, the ancient Sumerian god of the waters. https://web.archive.org/web/20050205144225/http://www.pantheon.org/articles/e/ea.html

An in-depth study of the goddess Inanna. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Inanna

What were ziggurats used for? https://www.worldhistory.org/ziggurat/

The Tower of Babel. http://www.unmuseum.org/babel.htm

The Roots of Religion. https://web.archive.org/web/20060621152129/http://school.discovery.com/lessonplans/programs/rootsofreligion/

Biblical Archaeology – Ancient civilizations, law and culture. https://www.allaboutarchaeology.org/biblical-archaeology.htm

Biblical parallels in Sumerian literature. https://www.meta-religion.com/World_Religions/Ancient_religions/Mesopotamia/Epic_of_gilgamesh/biblical_parallels_in_sumerian_l.htm

Bible study of Mesopotamia. https://web.archive.org/web/20191218173133/http://www.keyway.ca/htm2000/20000424.htm

Hypertext Bible Commentary. https://web.archive.org/web/20190126064817/http://bible.gen.nz/amos/places/mespotamia.htm

Gods, Goddesses, Demons & Monsters. https://web.archive.org/web/20221220205954/http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/gods/explore/main.html

Search for end-time prophecies, you can find many about Babylon throughout the Bible.

Hammurabi’s Code of Laws.

Hammurabi’s Code of Laws Translated by L. W. King
Hammurabi’s Code An Eye For An Eye https://www.mrdowling.com/hammurabis-code-an-eye-for-an-eye
The Oldest Code of Laws in the World: The code of laws promulgated by Hammurabi, King of Babylon B.C. 2285-2242
by Hammurabi, -1686? BC https://archive.org/details/theoldestcodeofl17150gut
The laws of Moses and the Code of Hammurabi by Stanley Arthur Cook, 1873-1949 https://archive.org/details/lawsofmosescodeo00cookuoft/lawsofmosescodeo00cookuoft/page/n5/mode/2up
https://web.archive.org/web/20120502024053/http://constitution.org/ime/hammurabi.pdf
Read about Hammurabi’s code and then create your own family code (rules)

Notebook Resources

The forms found here are based on Tapestry of Grace Year 1. However, regardless of the curriculum you use, you will find they study aids and websites helpful for this historical time frame. https://highland.hitcho.com.au/ancienthistory.htm
Research Graphics and Worksheets including ziggurat. https://highland.hitcho.com.au/acmesopotamia.htm

Clip Art Resources

https://classroomclipart.com/
https://web.archive.org/web/20070809043643/http://www.phillipmartin.info/clipart/mesopotamia.htm

Evaluation Ideas:

Assemble a three ring binder and please include:

A copy of this unit
Course Description (Highschool Students)
Write a summary about books read for the unit
Your Lapbook created for the unit (K-8 Students)
Any worksheets or activity books created with Teachers Pet https://www.teachers-pet.org/ or the SchoolhouseTech Software https://www.schoolhousetech.com/
Your journal and its contents
Your Log of activities from Homeschool Tracker https://www.homeschooltracker.com/free-homeschool-tracker-basic-edition Its Free!
Your Timeline

Additional Evaluation Ideas

- Test Questions https://stutzfamily.com/mrstutz/mesopotamia/testreview.html
- Essay on the various topics discussed.
- Create a notebook by printing the unit, then the daily assignments from Homeschool Tracker, then printing the digital scrapbook pages you create with pictures of all the projects! Any worksheets that are done are added next, then anything else that will fit. Hole punch the whole lot for your three-ring binder and your child can make a cover on oaktag which is also threering punched and put it together with brass paper fasteners.