Ancient Egypt: The Nile River Valley

 Unit Focus Question  How did the Ancient Egyptians create a brilliant and long-lasting civilization in a desert land?

 Today's Focus Question  How did the Nile River affect where people settled in Ancient Egypt?

Video: "Nile"  To begin today, we will watch a short video about life in Ancient Egypt, with a special focus on the importance of the Nile River. 

The Nile River: Vocabulary Study  Next, we will study the key vocabulary related to the geography of Ancient Egypt, using the document The Nile River Valley - Cognitive Content Dictionary, which can be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which accompanies the Cognitive Content Dictionary (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts.

Map of Ancient Egypt

Egypt's Black Land and Red Land

Map of Lower Egypt and the Nile Delta

Nile River Cataract

Satellite Image of Egypt

From Mesopotamia to Egypt

Warm-Up: What Do We Know and Want to Know About Ancient Egypt?  Welcome to the beginning of our unit on Ancient Egypt. Before we jump into the content, I would like you to reflect on what you already know about Egypt and the ancient Egyptians. Additionally, what do you want to know? What do you hope to learn about as we study Ancient Egypt? Share your prior knowledge and questions on your class's Padlet wall (Period 3 and Period 5).

Ancient Egypt Webquest  Today we will be working on an Ancient Egypt Webquest, which can be found here. You will be acting as an online Egyptologist, being sent all over the Internet, to gather information about this important and supremely interesting civilization. You will record your findings using the document Ancient Egypt Webquest, which is located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. 

Mesopotamia: Hammurabi and Hammurabi's Code

 Today's Focus Question  Who was Hammurabi and what was the significance of Hammurabi's Code? 

Who was Hammurabi?  According to your textbook, Hammurabi "became king of the city of Babylon around 1792 B.C. For more than 30 years, he built up his army. Then he launched a series of all-out attacks against his rivals. Within a few years he had united Sumer and northern Mesopotamia into a new Babylonian Empire." 

To learn more about Hammurabi, watch the brief video below. 

Hammurabi's Code  Why was Hammurabi's law code so historically significant? To begin to understand, watch the video below. 

Hammurabi's Code Activity  Now you will have an opportunity to examine Hammurabi's code of laws in detail at the website here. You will explore real situations that Hammurabi actually faced. You will then decide what you think to be a fair way to deal with the problem. Finally, you will discover what Hammurabi declared. You will use the document You Be the Judge: Hammurabi's Code, which can be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom.

Mesopotamia: The Civilization of Sumer (Day 2)

The Civilization of Sumer: Guided Reading  Today we will continue to learn about the early Mesopotamian civilization of Sumer. You will read an excerpt from your Social Studies workbook entitled The Civilization of Sumer - Reading, which you can find in your Social Studies Google Classroom. You will also record key information from the selection, using the document Facts About Sumerian Society, is also located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. Read the selection in small groups or individually and record important questions and answers on the document as you go.  

Academic Business Time  Tomorrow, several important assignments are due, including The Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary and the 
Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers EDpuzzle activity. If need be, you may use the remainder of class time to work on completing your assignments. Otherwise, you may use this time to silent read, take AR quizzes, read Newsela articles of your choice, or practice your typing.

Mesopotamia: The Civilization of Sumer

The Civilization of Sumer: Vocabulary Study  Today we are going to be studying the key vocabulary related to the 'Civilization of Sumer,' using the document The Civilization of Sumer - Cognitive Content Dictionary located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts.

Mesopotamia with EDpuzzle

Getting Started with EDpuzzle  It's time to try out an exciting online interactive video program:  EDpuzzle. Once you get there, click "Log In." Then click 'Student' and then log in with your Google account. 

EDpuzzle Video: "Mesopotamia: From Nomads to Farmers"  Today you will be watching a video and answering a series of questions about Mesopotamia. The video will stop periodically and you'll be required to answer a question before being allowed to continue. To be successful, you must pay close attention to the content of the video. If you have your own headphones, please use them. Otherwise, you must listen to your video as quietly as possible.  You can watch the video and answer the questions at your own pace. If you don't finish in class today, please finish for homework outside of class. This assignment will count towards your assessment grade. 

Mesopotamia: The Fertile Crescent

Introductory Video: Discover Mesopotamia with Bugs Bunny  Let Bugs Bunny take you on a one minute introductory tour of Mesopotamia, the world's very first civilization, in the video below.  

The Fertile Crescent: Vocabulary Study  Today we are going to be studying the key vocabulary related to the geography of Mesopotamia, also known as the 'The Fertile Crescent,' using the assignment The Fertile Crescent - Cognitive Content Dictionary located in your Social Studies Google Classroom. We will be using an excerpt from our Social Studies textbook, which can also be found in your Social Studies Google Classroom (and which you can also find here), to help us understand the lesson's key words and concepts.