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Lessons > Ancient Mesopotamia -Geography
Topic Mesopotamia
Grade(s): 5-8
Written by Rosy Rajasingham and Tom Newman
Created: 10/19/06
Updated: 10/25/06
Skill Sets: Information Literacy | Compare and Contrast
Format: Worksheet
Time Required:
Description, Learning Objective: Learn the physical and political geography of Ancient Mesopotamia, the land "between the rivers". Students will read the Geography section of the website and label a blank map with ancient cities and landforms.
Procedure:

How to start using the site

The Geography chapter contain information which is more referential in nature. You may want to introduce pupils to Time and Geography first so they will be able to refer to the information contained in these chapters as they explore the rest of the site.

Make sure that the pupils are familiar with the following information before using the site:

  • Where Mesopotamia is
  • What the climate is like in Mesopotamia
  • How long ago the ancient Mesopotamians lived

Introducing the site to your class

It may be helpful to familiarise pupils with the following points about using the site before they get started:

  1. You can get a definition of an underlined word by clicking on the word.
  2. A picture or image is clickable if the cursor turns into a hand when you roll over a the picture or image.
  3. You can return to the main menu by clicking on the Mesopotamia icon at the left side of the screen.
  4. You must close glossary and photograph windows after you have looked at them, otherwise they will remain open. If there are too many windows open at one time, you will not be able to open any new windows.

The Geography chapter presents the basic geographical features of Mesopotamia, locating it within the Near East and explaining the limits of its natural resources.

  • The home page explains the physical landscape of Mesopotamia and resources available to the inhabitants.
  • The story tells part of the Epic of Gilgamesh where the hero goes on a journey to cut down trees and defeat a monstrous creature. It can be used to illustrate the different landscapes of Mesopotamia as the story moves from flat plains to forested mountains.
  • The explore section offers a variety of maps that illustrate different points about the land. The maps include: a geographical features map, a natural resources map, a modern political map of Mesopotamia (modern Iraq and eastern Syria) and surrounding countries, a terrain map, a map showing civilizations over time and an ancient map of the world. It also includes a series of maps of Mesopotamia through time. This section could be used to introduce pupils to the landscape of Mesopotamia, and how modern changes, such as the building of dams on the Tigris and Euphrates rivers, have affected the landscape and way of life in the region today.
Remind the pupils of the story of Gilgamesh as presented in the Geography Story. Ask the pupils how they would feel going to a mysterious land. Remind them that Gilgamesh and Enkidu live in southern Mesopotamia.

 

  • What would you feel like if you had never seen mountains or such tall trees?

     

  • Would you go into a dark forest if you knew there was a monster there?

     

Ask the class (individually or in groups) to turn the Gilgamesh story into a play (which could be acted out). They should think about ancient story telling and writing. Since the original story was poetry they could make the speeches and descriptions rhyme if ambitious.

 

Think about their characters and how you can use words which would suit them.

 

The main characters: Gilgamesh - the hero king of Uruk
Enkidu - the friend and equal of Gilgamesh
Shamash - the sun god who helps Gilgamesh and Enkidu
Humbaba - the demon who guards the cedar forest

 

Possible additional roles: Story teller
Citizens of Uruk
The thirteen winds - sent by Shamash to help Gilgamesh and Enkidu defeat Humbaba

 

 

 

Discussion 

Begin a discussion by asking pupils to identify some of the basic necessities of life (i.e.: what they require from their environment on a fundamental level to ensure survival), such as food, water and shelter. Then discuss how the natural resources and landscape of a place can affect whether or not people settle there.

  • Can people grow food there?
  • Is there an adequate and sustainable water source?

Show pupils a map of Mesopotamia and ask them to describe the land.

  • Is there a source of water?
  • How much fertile land is there?
  • How is it distributed?

Ask pupils to comment on how the nature of this landscape might affect the way that people settle and ultimately use the land.

  • Where would they settle, and why?

Explain some of the ways that the landscape and climate in Mesopotamia was unique, and how people used the land. You could make a link with modern Iraq by discussing recent changes made by humans to the environment, and how they have affected the way people use the land in Iraq today.

Close the discussion by emphasising the impact of the land on the way the Mesopotamians lived and the use they made of natural resources.

 


 
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