Mesopotamia

11-13 yrs old

14-18 yrs old

Geography

History

Learn more about the Fertile Crescent and how people adapted to this environment.

Submitted By: Trish Cloud

November 5, 2019

Lesson Plan
My Notes

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Skills

Collaboration
Creativity
Critical Thinking

External References

Odyssey Online

Near East page with information on Hunter-Gatherers and Agriculture in the near east.

The British Museum - Mesopotamia

Mesopotamia resources with links to Assyria, Sumer, and Babylonia. Specifically with information on ziggurats, trade, and palaces. Link is in world.

Ancient Irrigation Systems

More information on irrigation systems used in Mesopotamia and Egypt that would be beneficial in Minecraft world.

Mesopotamia Minecraft World

Dropbox link to the Minecraft world created with activities for students

Learning Objectives

To learn and explore how people lived in ancient Mesopotamia students will investigate various aspects of day-to-day life.
Students will record with Book and Quill and in-game camera their reflections on the various tasks within the Mesopotamia world.

Guiding Ideas

Mesopotamia (Fertile Crescent or River Valley) was a successful ancient civilization due to its location between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Three major civilizations emerged from this region: Sumer, Babylonia, and Assyria and marked a shift from hunter and gatherers and nomads to settlements and agriculture. Some of the elements of life in the Fertile Crescent included: terraced farming, irrigation, levees, timber farming, and more. In the attached Minecraft world, we will explore these and more elements as we learn about Mesopotamia.

• Why do you think settlement took place in the Fertile Crescent?

• Why was agriculture (farming) important in Mesopotamia?

• How did the geography impact life in Mesopotamia?

• What were some unique characteristics of Mesopotamia?

• What kind of geographic features do you notice that would benefit the establishment of a permanent civilization?

Student Activities

There are six areas on the map. Students are in survival mode to limit access to inventory and inhibit flying to keep students focused on tasks. Teleporters are placed at each work station to move students from activity to activity. Using the supporting reading materials and links found at the NPCs in-game, students will perform simple tasks to experience living in the River Valley.

• Build their own ziggurat

• Plant crops in a terraced farming environment

• Plan and place irrigation in terraced farming

• Farm timber to be later used in free build at the palace

• Construct additional levees at the river

Students should be using in-game camera and Book and Quill to document their progress answering the above questions and inserting photos into their books. Once completed Book and Quill should be Titled, Signed, and exported to the teacher.

Performance Expectations

Students should be able to export their Book and Quill to their teacher answering the questions they found on boards at each of the stations. In-game photos should accompany the answers in the Book and Quill.

Supporting Files

Standards:

• 6.H.1 Use historical thinking to understand the emergence, expansion, and decline of civilizations, societies and regions over time.

o 6.H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives

• 6.H.2 Understand the political, economic, and/or social significance of historical events, issues, individuals and culture groups

o 6.H.2.2 Compare historical and contemporary events and issues to understand continuity and change

o 6.H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies, and regions over time (e.g. agricultural technology)

• 6.G.1 Understand geographic factors that influenced the emergence, expansion, and decline of civilizations, societies, and regions (i.e. Africa, Asia, Europe, and the Americas over time)

o 6.G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies, and regions (e.g. location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).

o 6.G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g. scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade).

o 6.G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g. physical features, culture, political organization, and ethnic make-up).

o 6.G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies, and regions have used, modified and adapted to their environments (e.g., the invention of tools, domestication of plants and animals, farming techniques and creation of dwellings).