108 • Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

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Integrated Technology

• Interactive Maps• Interactive Visuals• Starting with a Story

INTERNET RESOURCES

• WebQuest• Homework Helper• Research Links• Internet Activities

• Quizzes• Maps• Test Practice• Current Events

Go to ClassZone.com for

Chapter

4 Early Empires

Before You Read: Knowledge RatingRecognizing what you already know about each of these terms can help you understand the chapter:

Fertile Crescent tribute toleration

In your notebook, rate how well you know each term:

3 = I know what this word means.2 = I’ve seen this word before, but I don’t know what it means.1 = I’ve never seen this word before.

Define each term in your notebook as you read.

Big Ideas About Early Empires Government Governments create law codes and political bodies to organize a society.

As societies grew, new ways of governing developed to provide people with safety and security. During the early empires, leaders developed law codes to bring fair laws to societies. The leaders also set up new ways to organize and rule vast lands with many different groups of people.

2334 B.C.Sargon builds an empire.

1700 B.C.Indus River Valley

civilization declines.

▲ (Harappan seal)

1570 B.C.The New Kingdom in Egypt begins.

1792 B.C.Hammurabi‘s Code developed in Babylonian Empire.(statue of Hammurabi)

▲

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TIME LINE DISCUSSION

Begin the Chapter

Before You Read: Knowledge RatingRemind students that knowledge rating is a strategy that helps students prepare to read and set a purpose for what they will be learning. Students identify their level of knowledge about certain key terms—and at the same time are alerted to words and concepts to which they need to pay special attention. Tell students that to use knowledge rating effectively, they should follow these steps:

• Read the list of terms that you should look for as you read the chapter. Write the words on a sheet of paper.

• Consider each term and use the rating scale to note your level of knowledge about the word.

• As you read, note the definition of each term, and write it down on your sheet. Pay special attention to those terms that you rated 1 and 2.

Objective

Describe the location and extent of the first empires and the key points in their development.

Quick Look

Lesson 1 explores the key individuals and developments of the first Mesopotamian Empires.

Lesson 2 describes the rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire.

Lesson 3 summarizes the key events and individuals of the Persian Empire.

Use the time line to help students develop an understanding of the events and individuals associated with the rise of early empires.

• According to the time line, who is the first to build an empire? (Sargon, in 2334 B.C.)

• How many years passed between the establishment of Sargon’s empire and the development of Hammurabi’s Code? (542 years)

• According to the time line, which empire appeared first—the Assyrian or the Persian empire? (the Assyrian Empire)

• According to the time line, which two empires developed nearest to each other in time? (the Assyrian and Persian empires)

Early Empires • 109

CHAPTER 4Fertile Crescent, 2400–1600 B.C.

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Akkadian Empire c. 2300 B.C.

Babylonian Empire c. 1750 B.C.

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MapQuest.Com

wh06pe-0204co-006-mFertile Crescent 2400–1600

Vital Information Area: 101p3 wide X 58p d

3rd proof date: 6/2

1027 B.C.Zhou Dynasty is founded in China.

▲ (bronze vessel)

750 B.C.Greek city-states

flourish.

500 B.C.Zapotec civilization

grows in Mexico.

▲ (Zapotec urn)

850 B.C.Assyrian Empire

reaches its peak.

▲ (ivory head)

550 B.C.Persian Empire is largest in world.

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RECOMMENDED RESOURCES

Introduce the Big IdeasHave students think about their own lives and how they depend on laws to keep them safe. What might happen if there were no laws for guiding traffic? What if there were no laws protecting people from those who wish to harm them? Help students understand that as communities grew larger and more complex, the need for systems of law and order grew.

Here are some other Big Ideas that you may want to emphasize in this chapter:

CultureThe spread of civilization and the building of empires meant that information, ideas, and ways of living also spread and were adapted into different cultures.

Science and Technology New inventions and techniques enabled the development of great military power in some empires.

Geography Empires spread, which helped promote the spread of ideas and beliefs.

Talk About ItInterpreting MapsAsk students to look at the map on this page and read the key. What did the Akkadian and Babylonian Empires have in common? (They were located in the Fertile Crescent, and made up in large part by Mesopotamia.) What geographic features appear to characterize the Fertile Crescent? (Possible answer: The land is relatively flat and has many rivers.)

An interactive version of this map is available on the eEdition and Power Presentations CD-ROMs.

Find Out MoreUse a world map to determine what countries exist on the land that now lies at the northwest end of the Persian Gulf, which was underwater in ancient times? (parts of Iraq, Iran, and Kuwait)

Watch the VideoAncient Mesopotamia explores the land that was home to some of the world’s first civilizations. This 23-minute video is part of the Ancient Civilizations for Children™ series.

Books for the TeacherBoardman, John; I. E. S. Edwards, E. Sollberger, and N. G. L. Hammond, eds. The Cambridge Ancient History. Volume 3. Part 2. The Assyrian and Babylonian Empires and Other States of the Near East. Cambridge: Cambridge UP, 1992. Thorough history of the empires of Mesopotamia.

Briant, Pierre. From Cyrus to Alexander: A History of the Persian Empire. Warsaw, IN: Eisenbraun, 2002. Overview

of the history of the Persian Empire.

Harper, Robert Francis. The Code of Hammurabi, King of Babylon. TN: University Press of the Pacific, 2002. A translation of the code along with supporting documentation.

VideosMesopotamia. 20 Minutes. Wheeling, Il: Film Ideas, Inc. Discussion of the ancient civilizations and empires of Mesopotamia.

InternetTo access these sites, visit the Research Links for this chapter at ClassZone.com.

The British Museum. Provides an extensive online exhibit on the civilizations and empires of Mesopotamia.

Fordham University. Its Ancient History Sourcebook includes large amounts of information on the empires of Mesopotamia and Persia.