tweety tuesday topic: geographic features ex: #mountainhigh
TRANSCRIPT
Tweety Tuesday
Topic:Geographic features
Ex: #mountainhigh
Early Civilizations
Where did Civilizations begin?
Most civilizations began near rivers and lakes. The people needed the water for drinking and growing plants, a skill learned during the Neolithic Revolution.
River ValleysThere are 3 reasons River Valleys were ideal locations for cities
1- Nutrient rich land surrounding the river due to annual flooding
2- Easy transportation using boats and raftsfor people and goods (Cultural Diffusion)
3- Steady supply of fresh water
Cultural Diffusion:The spread of ideas,
beliefs, technology, and goods
River ValleysRiver Valleys became ideal locations for cities and settlements because of the fertile land surrounding the river beds.
There are 4 main River Valleys where cities and civilizations began
1) Tigris Euphrates River- Middle East
2) Nile River- Egypt
3) Indus River- India
4) Huang He- China
River Valley MapUsing colored pencils or markers label the 4 early river valley civilizations located on the map; Mesopotamia, China, Egypt, and the Indus.
Make sure you fill in the Map Key.
Egypt
Mesopotamia
Indus Valley
China
Ancient EgyptGeography- Egypt is a desert with 90% of the population
living on 10% of the land
The Nile River was the giver of life, providing drinking water,irrigation for crops, and a means of travel and trade.
The Delta- the triangular area where the Nile River deposits large amounts of silt, nutrient rich soil
Egypt from Space
90% of Egypt’s population lives on
10% of the land
Ancient Egypt
Government- The Egyptians were ruled by dynasties of Pharaohs. This means the throne would pass from family member to family member
The Pharaoh was also a god, which gave him power over religious and political decisions
Pharaoh’s had more power than traditional kings because they were viewed as leaders of the government and religion.
God king= more powerful
Ancient Egypt
Religion- The Egyptians worshipped many gods, they were Polytheistic. They believed gods controlled nearly all aspects of life
Amon-Ra- Sun god
Osiris- Controlled annual floods of the Nile
Egyptians believed in the afterlife, and buried their dead with tools, food, prized possessions and even pets. Pharaohs were Mummified to preserve their bodies and buried in huge pyramids
The MUMMY’s CurseAncient Pharaohs were mummified to preserve their bodies for use in the after life.
These tombs were packed with gold, material goods, food and comfort items
Ancient EgyptSociety-Ancient Egypt’s social pyramid was topped by the god king, the pharaoh.
At the bottom of the pyramid were the unskilled workers and slaves. Many people in Ancient Egypt were slaves.
Ancient Egypt
Writing-Ancient Egyptian scribes wrote in Hieroglyphics, a form of picture writing.
Vast records were written on monuments, tombs and papyrus scrolls (like paper).
Historians were not able to translate the hieroglyphics until the discovery of the Rosetta Stone
Ancient Egypt
Contributions--Pyramids- tombs for great Pharaohs. They took years to complete and were filled with treasure
-Surgery and medicine
-Monuments and art work
-Rosetta stone and hieroglyphs
-irrigation systems
Hieroglyphs Try it for yourself…
Think about it
The Nile impacted everyday life for the Egyptians. They worshipped the God Osiris, believed to control the Nile’s floods, they used it as a source of water and food. The Nile was the main form of transportation, and few roads were built to connect the empire.
In what ways would a drought have affected the Ancient Egyptians?
-What might people do to get rain?-How would everyday life change?-Would people be scared? Why or why not?
Ancient Mesopotamia
Geography-Located between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
No natural boundaries to stop invasion, so many empires will rise and fall.
The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flood unpredictably
Nicknamed “The Cradle of Civilization” and “Fertile Crescent”
Lack of natural boundaries led to frequent invasions and cultural diffusion. Cultural Diffusion is the spread of….
Ancient MesopotamiaGovernment-Hereditary governments with strong kings
Kings were the servant of the Gods, chosen to lead the nation
The area had many empires rise and fall-Sumer-Babylon
Ancient MesopotamiaReligion-The Ancient Mesopotamians were Polytheistic and built large temples to please the gods
Ancient MesopotamiaSociety-There were strict social classes
Merchants, people who buy and sell things, were in the middle class
Mostly Low level farmers In Ancient Civilizations,
what determined your social class?
Your job which was determined by birth:A farmer’s son would become a farmerA Noble’s son would become a Noble
Ancient MesopotamiaContributions-
Cuneiform- a style of writing with wedges and shapes
Ziggurat- step-pyramid temples for the gods
Hammurabi’s Code- First law code
Algebra
First wheeled vehicles
EmpiresEmpire- group of territories controlled by one ruler.
Mesopotamia had many groups of people living throughout the valley, but they were difficult to unite under one leader. It was not until warlike rulers seized power that we see empires grow.
Empire:Territories
controlled by one ruler
How did the lack of natural boundaries affect Mesopotamia?
How does Irregular flooding impact the Mesopotamian societies?
The Epic of Gilgamesh- tale of a man’s struggle against the gods
Ancient SumerSumerians-The Sumerians were one of the first civilizations of the Fertile Crescent
The Sumerians created large Ziggurats to worship and honor their gods. ( Polytheistic)
Cuneiform was the writing of the Sumerian people. It is a mix of symbols and pictograms
How does the irregular flooding of the Tigris and Euphrates affect Mesopotamia?
What other geographic feature affects development in the Fertile Crescent?
COTRIBUTION
Ancient BabylonThe Babylonian Empire was ruled by one ruler, the most powerful was Hammurabi
The Babylonian Empire was short lived, but united lands from Egypt to India
Most powerful ruler was Hammurabi who created the Code of Hammurabi
COTRIBUTION
Hammurabi’s Code
Law Codes are a set of rules to live by
Hammurabi’s code was the first collection of laws in history
The code was written on stone for ALL to see
Very harsh “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth”
Impact of Hammurabi’s Code
The code dealt with BOTH criminal and civil laws. Civil laws deal with arguments between the people.
Crime Punishment
murder
DEATH
theft, burglary, stealing
hitting a parent
lying in court
kidnapping
hiding runaway slaves
conspiracy-planning to commit a crime
offending the gods
Is the code fair among the Social classes? Why or why not?
What would happen if a slave was injured?
What if a seignior knocked out a commoner’s tooth?
Seignior-A man of importance and rank (noble)
READ and answer the questions
Ancient ChinaGeography-Varied geography includes mountains, deserts, jungles and ocean coast line.
The mountains and ocean keep China isolated, and it creates a unique culture
They used Terrace Farming to grow crops on the mountains
Terrace Farming- cut out flat areas to stop the crops from washing away
Ancient China
Ancient ChinaGovernment-Dynasty system of ruling families, began with Shang family
Early china was ruled in different areas by clans or groups of families.
Difficult to unite china because of the various geographic features
Ancient ChinaReligion-Polytheistic belief in many nature spirits
Worship dead ancestors
Yin Yang- universal balance between peace and prosperity. If it is not balanced it will break
Ancient ChinaSociety-the land is owned by noble warriors who ‘rent’ to peasants
Peasants work the land
Not unified as a country due to geographic barriers
Ancient ChinaContributions-Developed written Chinese for the upper classes and Scribes
Access to the Ocean allowed for far ranging trade all the way to the middle east
Ancient IndiaGeography-the Indus River floods twice a year predictably
India is a Peninsula with the Himalaya mountains in the North and NE (a natural barrier)
Monsoons bring rain
The Himalaya Mountains in the North and Northeast of India create a
natural barrier. What impact does this have on the Indus River Valley?
The mountains keep out invading forces, which creates relative peace and safety
Ancient IndiaGovernment-Little is known about the governments
Well planned cities- Mohenjo Daro and Harappa
Roads in a grid with a dominate fortress in the middle
Ancient IndiaReligion-Each city had a large temple to pray to the gods.
Eventually, Hinduism, a polytheistic religion will grow
Ancient IndiaSociety-Like other ancient civilizations, ancient Indians were mostly farmers
Merchants traded as far as the Middle East and Egypt
Ancient IndiaContributions-The first to grow cotton and weave into clothing
Geographic impacts
What are some ways the geographic features impacted the people of the following civilizations?
Mesopotamia
Lack of natural barriers
Egypt
Nile River, Mediterranean sea
India
Peninsula and Himalayan mountains
China
Mountains, Desert, River, and Ocean
MesopotamiaLack of natural barriers
= Lots of invasion and Cultural Diffusion
EgyptNile River, Mediterranean sea
= Increased trade. Only live on 10% of land
near water
IndiaPeninsula and Himalayan mountains. Indus River
=isolation and predictable floods
ChinaMountains, Desert, River, and
Ocean
= isolation but trade routes
Geographic feature impacts
mountains
Isolation and protection
WaterwaysRivers/seas
Trade and cultural diffusion
Deserts
-Isolation and protection-difficult to live
Geographic impacts
-irrigation-terrace farming
What are some ways the Ancient people adapted to their environment, changing it to meet their needs?
Organize the following terms into the correct river valley
Mesopotamia Egypt India China Babylon
Sumer Pharaohs Delta Polytheistic Yin yang
Predictable flood
Irregular flooding
Shang Dynasty Isolated by Himalaya Mts
Terrace farming
Isolated by Himalaya Mts
Cuneiform Hieroglyphics No natural barriers
Hammurabi Code
Lack of boundaries
Rosetta Stone Fertile Crescent
Harappa Hindu
Nile Tigris and EuphratesIndus Huang He
Ancient Egypt
Ancient Egypt was located along
the Nile River in North East Africa.
Cities were dotted along the Nile throughout the Egyptian kingdom.
*Thebes
*Alexandria
*Cairo
*Giza
Feature 1: Cities. Ancient Thebes population 20,000
Ancient Egypt
Old Kingdom Middle Kingdom New Kingdom
To maintain power over Egypt, the Pharaohs claimed to be gods themselves, ensuring both a political and religious power
This is the time period when pharaohs built the pyramids
A time of great cultural diffusion as a result of trade and invaders
During this time Egypt built a vast empire reaching to the Euphrates river
Feature 2: Organized government lead by divine pharaohs
Ancient Egypt
Feature 3: Complex Religion- Polytheistic
The Egyptians worshipped many gods (Polytheistic). The people believed in gods for nearly all aspects of life and made sacrifices to them.
Even the pharaohs were considered Gods
Ancient Egypt
Feature 4: Job Specialization- Pharaoh, scribes, farmers, merchants. Everyone has a place
There were countless jobs for the people of Ancient Egypt. Most people were farmers, but there was demand for engineers, artists, sailors, scribes, and many other positions.
Like many ancient civilizations, people were often born into their position.
Farmers breed farmers. Scholars breed scholars. Pharaohs breed pharaohs.
Ancient Egypt
Feature 5:Social Classes- Slaves made up the lowest class.
Ancient Egypt
Feature 6: Arts and Architecture- history told on huge buildings or monuments
Ancient Egypt was full of art. From the giant pyramids, to wall paintings in tombs, and even statues. Egyptian art often depicted everyday life, religious ceremonies or showed victories in battle.
Ancient Egypt
Feature 7: Public Works- irrigation systems for annual floods
Egypt’s civilization covered a large area of land, but was heavily dependent on the Nile. Fertile lands could only be found an average of 10 miles on either side of the Nile. To expand livable area, the Egyptians created irrigation channels to increase food production.
Ancient Egypt
Feature 8: Writing- hieroglyphics
Like many ancient civilizations the Egyptians left behind written stories and accounts of their time. The scribes in Egypt wrote in hieroglyphics.
Think about itThe Nile impacted everyday life for the Egyptians. They worshipped Gods believed to control the Nile’s floods, they used it as a source of water and food. The Nile was the main form of transportation, and few roads were built to connect the empire.
In what ways would a drought have affected the Ancient Egyptians?
-What might people do to get rain?-How would everyday life change?-Would people be scared? Why or why not?