Name
Class
Date
CRITICAL THINKING SKILLS ACTIVITY 1
Making Comparisons
Social Studies Objective: Analyze information by comparing and
contrasting.
Learning the Skill
When you make a comparison, you look at two or more things
and determine how they are alike and how they are different. You
may make comparisons between peoples or cultures, events or situations, or documents. Making comparisons allows you to make more
informed judgments. When making a comparison, follow the steps
listed below.
• First decide which items will be compared.
• Then decide which characteristics can be used to make a
comparison.
• Finally, identify similarities and differences among those
characteristics.
Practicing the Skill
CHAPTER 1
Directions: Analyze the information in the chart below. Then answer the
questions that follow.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Ancient Communities
Time period settled
Location (modern-day)
Approximate population
Crops grown
Çatal Hüyük
around 6700 B.C .
Turkey
more than 6,000
peas, lentils, wheat
Babylon
around 1800 B.C.
Iraq
up to 50,000
wheat, barley, peas, lentils,
chickpeas
1. What items are being compared in
the chart?
4. Which community had a larger
population?
2. What characteristics are being used
to compare them?
5. Compare the crops grown by the
two communities. How are they
alike and how are they different?
3. Which community was settled first?
When?
6. Why do you think Babylon was able
to support a much larger population
than Çatal Hüyük?
9
Name
Class
Date
GEOGRAPHY
AND
HISTORY ACTIVITY 1
Two Rivers in Mesopotamia
In the area of the Middle East that is today known as Iraq,
there are two rivers called the Euphrates and the Tigris. They
flow southward across the desert. For most of their length, the
two rivers parallel each other. Then they join and empty into
the Persian Gulf.
In ancient times, the land between them was called
Mesopotamia. This name comes from the Greek words mesos
meaning “middle” and potamos meaning “river.” Mesopotamia
literally means “land between the rivers.” The region was at the
eastern end of an area of good farmland known as the Fertile
Crescent (see map below).
The waters of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers helped one
of the world’s earliest civilizations to grow—the Sumerians. The
people who lived in the region, known as Sumer, used the water
for drinking and growing crops. The rivers were also used for
transportation. Some of the earliest sailboats ever built carried
people and goods up and down the rivers.
The Fertile Crescent
Caspian
Sea
ASIA
MINOR
IR
ed
iter
Se ar a n e a n
Eu
ph
ra
te
s
SYRIA
ZA
R.
Jordan R.
E
W
Jerusalem
Dead
Sea
KEY
S
SYRIAN DESERT
0
200 miles
Fertile Crescent
0
100 kilometers
GR
Tig
ris
R.
N
CHAPTER 1
In the spring, the Tigris and Euphrates would flood. The
ancient Sumerians learned how to control these floodwaters.
They built earthen mounds called levees on both sides of the rivers.
The Sumerians also learned how to channel the rivers’ waters into
fields where crops were grown—one of the world’s first known
examples of irrigation. The mineral-rich soil helped these early
farmers to grow enough crops to feed the people. Wheat, barley,
sesame, and other fruits and vegetables were the primary food
crops. The farmers also grew flax, which was woven into clothes.
M
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Flood Control and Irrigation
Babylon
Uruk
CH
OS
A
N
MT
S.
SUMER
Uruk
Eridu
A LD
Ur
EA
Persian
Gulf
11
Name
GEOGRAPHY
Date
AND
HISTORY ACTIVITY 1
Class
(continued)
Two Rivers in Mesopotamia
Trade and Writing
The development of wind-powered boats helped move crops
and other goods up and down the rivers. A number of cities along
the rivers became centers of trade. Some of the cities were Sumer,
Ur, Uruk, Eridu, and Babylon.
To help keep track of trade, the Sumerians created some of the
world’s earliest forms of writing. Literate men known as scribes
would form tablets from clay from the rivers and carve small symbols into them while the clay was still soft. Using a sharpened reed
known as a stylus, the scribe would mark records on the tablets
and then leave them in the hot sun to dry. From this writing,
called cuneiform, we have learned much about these ancient
Mesopotamian cultures.
Directions: Answer the following questions in the spaces provided.
1. What were the two major rivers of Mesopotamia?
CHAPTER 1
2. What does the name Mesopotamia mean?
3. How did the people of Mesopotamia use the rivers?
4. Name some food crops grown by the ancient Mesopotamians.
6. Drawing Conclusions Look at the land surrounding
Mesopotamia on the map. How did the geography
of Mesopotamia and the surrounding lands open
the region to invasion?
12
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5. By looking at the map, name three bodies of water other than
rivers.
Name
Class
Date
PEOPLE
TO
MEET ACTIVITY 1
The First Farmers
Imagine that you are living almost
8,000 years ago. You might raise a few
domesticated animals, but most of your
food comes from farming. As one of the
first farmers, you can only grow plants
native to your area or plants that you
get through trade.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Different Kinds of Farming
Milpas, or slash-and-burn agriculture
Second, you must know when to
plant and harvest. If you plant too early
or too late, you could lose your crop and
starve to death. You will also notice that
seasonal floods, monsoons, or dry and
cold seasons happen every time certain
planets or constellations are in the sky.
Soon your civilization will use the stars
to invent calendars that keep track of the
planting cycle.
Directions: Answer the questions below in the spaces provided.
1. Eight thousand years ago, where did most food come from?
2. How was farming in the rain forest of Mesoamerica different
from farming near the Nile?
3. Writing On a separate sheet of paper, write a paragraph comparing farming today in the United States with farming 8,000
years ago.
13
CHAPTER 1
How you farm depends on where
you live. Maybe you live near a large
river, like the Nile in Egypt, that floods
every year. The floods renew the soil,
so it stays fertile a long time. This means
that you can make a large farm that produces a lot of food and other crops.
If you live in the rain forest of
Mesoamerica, you will practice milpas,
or slash-and-burn agriculture. You will
cut and burn down a patch of forest. Then
you will plant your crops. The soil in rain
forests is not very rich. After a couple of
years the land will wear out, and you
will have to cut another patch.
No matter where you live or how you
farm, two things are true. First, you must
get water to your crops, so you may need
to develop an irrigation system to supply
water.
2000 B.C.
1600 B.C.
1200 B.C.
800 B.C.
400 B.C.
15
CHAPTER 1
Date
Between 2400 B.C. and 400 B.C., several empires took turns controlling Mesopotamia.
• In 2340 B.C. Sargon conquered all of
• The Chaldeans controlled
Mesopotamia.
Mesopotamia beginning in 605 B.C.
• The Chaldeans captured Nineveh
• About 550 years later, Hammurabi
seven years earlier.
created the Babylonian Empire.
• King Nebuchadnezzar died in 562 B.C.
• Around 1750 B.C., Hammurabi wrote
the Code of Hammurabi.
• The Persians captured Babylon over
• The Assyrians conquered Mesopotamia
twenty years later.
about 900 B.C.
Background
2400 B.C.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Name
Class
TIME LINE ACTIVITY 1
The World’s First Empires
(2400–400 B.C.)
Directions: Use the following information about the world’s first
empires to complete the time line.
Name
Date
CITIZENSHIP
AND
Class
SERVICE LEARNING ACTIVITY 1
Brainstorming a Mural
Why It’s Important
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Art has been an important part of human life since its earliest days. Today, in many neighborhoods, public art is on display. Murals are painted on buildings. A mural is a picture
large enough to cover a whole wall of a building or room.
Murals serve many purposes. They may express the common history and hopes of a community. They may beautify an
ugly wall. They may bring comfort or humor to a hospital
waiting area. They may unite a community as many people
work together designing it, painting it, supporting it, and
enjoying it.
Background
Questions to Consider
Evidence of the art of early humans is
found in many locations around the
world. These people used art to record
their experiences and perhaps for religious purposes. The cave paintings at
Lascaux, France, show animals that were
important to the painters as food or as
sacred beings. These cave paintings are
the world’s earliest murals.
Sumerian art includes architecture,
sculpture, and pottery, as well as paintings. You can see examples in your textbook on pages 18 and 19. The Assyrians
were skilled in the arts, particularly
sculpture. The Babylonians adorned their
buildings with paintings of animals,
plants, and other symbols. The Hanging
Gardens of Babylon were, in a sense, a
huge public sculpture, designed to be
visible from any point in the city.
Directions: Answer the questions below on
a separate sheet of paper.
CHAPTER 1
1. What public art are you familiar
with? What does it mean to you?
What goal is the art supposed to
accomplish?
2. How do you decorate your own
space? Have you put up posters or
special wallpaper?
3. What public spaces in your environment could benefit from a mural?
4. What symbols would you use to represent yourself? What symbols represent your school? Your community?
17
Name
Date
Class
CITIZENSHIP AND SERVICE LEARNING ACTIVITY 1 (continued)
Brainstorming a Mural
Painter Aaron Douglas
(1898–1979) was a major African American
artist. He was known for painting indoor
murals in public buildings. His best-known
works were painted on the walls of a branch
of the New York City Library.
Your Task
Your task is to brainstorm ideas for a
mural in your community. First, decide
where you would like to place the mural.
Then, decide on the subject. You will
make lists of people from whom you
might need permissions, funding,
and assistance. You will end up with
a proposal.
How to Do It
CHAPTER 1
1. Consider the purpose of the mural. Is
it for sheer entertainment? Will it
reflect local history? Is it for inspiration or unity?
What location and subject did you
pick for your mural? Was it difficult
or easy to decide on a location? How
about a subject? Why? Explore the
possibility of actually implementing
your mural proposal. Make a “to do”
list and a “to buy” list for the project.
3. Next, brainstorm ideas for the artwork on the mural itself. The subject
of the mural will depend both on its
purpose and its location.
4. Now, make a list of people who
might help you pay for the mural.
Consider arts organizations, schools,
and businesses.
5. Who will you need to get permission
from to paint the mural?
6. Who will paint the mural?
7. Write up your plan. State the purpose, the location, the subject of the
art, how you will try to fund it, who
you will need permission from, and
who will paint the mural.
HOW TO BRAINSTORM
1. Select one member of your group to write
down the ideas. Write the ideas where
everyone can see them, if possible.
2. Begin calling out ideas. Respect one another’s right to speak, and wait for your turn.
3. Do not judge the ideas. Some ideas may
seem silly or impossible. The goal is to generate as many ideas as possible.
4. When your group runs out of ideas, evaluate them. Each idea should be discussed.
You may also categorize them.
5. Circle ideas that seem especially promising.
Cross out ideas that are not feasible. Try to
reach agreement on just one idea.
18
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Follow-Up Activity
2. Brainstorm ideas for where to place a
mural in your community. Think of
indoor and outdoor locations. Think
of public buildings and businesses.
Name
Class
Date
ECONOMIC ACTIVITY 1
Jobs of Tomorrow
During the Neolithic Age, people
began to practice specialization, or the
development of different kinds of jobs.
People who were not needed for farming
had time to develop other types of skills,
such as pottery, weaving, and toolmaking.
Today, people still practice specialization. Knowing what skills and occupa-
tions will be needed in tomorrow’s job
market will help you as you plan your
future career. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the following occupations will grow the fastest between now
and the year 2012.
The 10 Fastest Growing Occupations, 2002–2012
Percent Growth
59%
57%
49%
49%
48%
47%
46%
46%
45%
45%
CHAPTER 1
Occupation
Medical assistants
Network systems and data communications analysts
Physician assistants
Social and human service assistants
Home health aides
Medical records and health information technicians
Physical therapist aides
Computer software engineers, applications
Computer software engineers, systems software
Physical therapist assistants
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics.
Directions: Use the information above to complete the following
questions.
1. What personal characteristics will be
required in most of these jobs?
4. What career choices are you
considering?
2. What skills will be valuable in most
of these jobs?
5. How can information about the
future growth of a career help you
select a career?
3. Research one of these jobs. What
education and training are needed
for this career?
19
Name
Class
Date
WORLD LITERATURE READING 1
Early Literature
About the Selection
Guided Reading
As you read this excerpt from the
epic, pay attention to how Enkidu
describes his dreams. Then answer
the questions that follow.
Reader’s Dictionary
devastation: destruction and ruin
talons: claws of a bird
quench: to satisfy
remote: distant, far removed
forfeit: lose
resumed: began again
withering: shriveling and drying up
deprived: withheld something from
CHAPTER 1
The Epic of Gilgamesh was discovered
in ancient Mesopotamia and is the oldest
known piece of literature in the world. It
was written in cuneiform (wedge-shaped
characters) on stone tablets. It tells the
story of the warrior Gilgamesh. After his
friend Enkidu dies, Gilgamesh is so overcome by grief that he searches for a way
to live forever. In the end, he must accept
that only the gods are immortal.
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
Tablet VII, Column iv
With these last words the dying Enkidu did pray
and say to his beloved companion:
“In dreams last night
the heavens and the earth poured out
great groans while I alone
stood facing devastation. Some fierce
and threatening creature flew down at me
and pushed me with its talons towards
the horror-filled house of death
wherein Irkalla, queen of shades,
stands in command.
There is darkness which lets no person
again see light of day.
There is a road leading away from
bright and lively life.
There dwell those who eat dry dust
and have no cooling water to quench their awful thirst.
As I stood there I saw all those who’ve died
and even kings among those darkened souls
21
Name
Class
Date
WORLD LITERATURE READING 1
(continued)
Early Literature
have none of their remote and former glory.
All earthly greatness was forfeit
and I entered then into the house of death.
Others who have been there long
did rise to welcome me.”
Hearing this, great Gilgamesh said to his handsome mother:
“My friend, dear Enkidu, has seen his passing now
and he lies dying here upon a sad and lonely cot.
Each day he weakens more and wonders how much more
life may yet belong to his hands and eyes and tongue.”
Then Enkidu resumed his last remarks and said:
“Oh Gilgamesh, some destiny has robbed me
of the honor fixed for those who die in battle.
I lie now in slow disgrace, withering day by day,
deprived as I am of the peace that comes to one
who dies suddenly in a swift clash of arms.”
From the Epic of Gilgamesh. Translated by Danny P. Jackson. Wauconda, IL:
Bolchazy-Carducci Publishers, 1997.
CHAPTER 1
Analyzing the Reading
Directions: Answer the questions below in the spaces provided.
1. What did Enkidu dream about?
3. Critical Thinking Describe what Enkidu thought death would
be like.
4. Critical Thinking What do you think the author of this epic
thought about war and going into battle? Explain your answer
using the text.
22
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
2. Why did Enkidu feel disgraced?
Name
Class
Date
PRIMARY SOURCE READING 1
The Code
About the Selection
Hammurabi ruled as king of Babylon
from 1792 B.C. to 1750 B.C. He changed
Babylon from a small city-state into a
very powerful state. He established
strong laws. His Code contained
282 laws—a few of which are listed
below—covering all aspects of society.
These laws reflect the social structure
and values of Babylon during
Hammurabi’s rule.
Reader’s Dictionary
Marduk: the main God of Babylon
oppressed: held down or abused
ensnare: to take or catch
accusation: the charge of a crime
or wrongdoing
The Code of Hammurabi
CHAPTER 1
When Marduk sent me to rule over men, to give the protection of
right to the land, I did right and righteousness in . . . , and brought about
the well-being of the oppressed.
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
CODE OF LAWS
1. If any one ensnare another, putting a ban upon him, but he can not
prove it, then he that ensnared him shall be put to death.
2. If any one bring an accusation against a man, and the accused go to
the river and leap into the river, if he sink in the river his accuser shall
take possession of his house. But if the river prove that the accused is
not guilty, and he escape unhurt, then he who had brought the accusation shall be put to death, while he who leaped into the river shall
take possession of the house that had belonged to his accuser.
3. If any one bring an accusation of any crime before the elders, and
does not prove what he has charged, he shall, if it be a capital offense
charged, be put to death. . . .
6. If any one steal the property of a temple or of the court, he shall be
put to death, and also the one who receives the stolen thing from
him shall be put to death.
7. If any one buy from the son or the slave of another man, without
witnesses or a contract, silver or gold, a male or female slave, an ox
or a sheep, [a donkey] or anything, or if he take it in charge, he is
considered a thief and shall be put to death.
Source: The Code of Hammurabi. Tr. L. W. King. www.yale.edu/lawweb/avalon/medieval/hamcode.htm
23
Name
Date
Class
PRIMARY SOURCE READING 1
The Code (continued)
Directions: Answer the questions below in the spaces provided.
1. Why did Hammurabi establish his code?
2. What is the penalty for receiving stolen goods?
CHAPTER 1
3. What role does the river play in the Code of Hammurabi?
24
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
4. Critical Thinking Why do you think that death was the penalty for so many
crimes?
Name
Class
Date
TAKE-HOME REVIEW ACTIVITY 1
The First Civilizations
Some of the first civilizations arose in southwest Asia. The people of
these civilizations gradually learned how to farm and developed systems of government, writing, and religion.
REVIEWING CHAPTER 1
Early Humans
•
•
•
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
•
Early humans were nomads who moved
around to hunt animals and gather food.
They built shelters and used fire to survive. In time, they developed language
and art.
Paleolithic people adapted to their environment and invented many tools to
help them survive.
In the Neolithic Age, people started
farming, building communities, producing goods, and trading.
During the farming revolution, people
began to grow crops and domesticate
animals, which allowed them to settle
in villages.
Mesopotamian Civilization
•
•
In early Mesopotamian civilizations, religion and government were closely
linked. Kings created strict laws to govern the people.
Civilization in Mesopotamia began in
the valleys of the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. In time, farming villages devel-
•
•
oped into civilizations with governments, art, religion, writing, and social
class divisions. The first city-states
developed in Mesopotamia.
Many cities had formed in southern
Mesopotamia in a region known as
Sumer. Sumerians invented writing and
made other important contributions to
later peoples.
Sumerian city-states lost power when
they were conquered by outsiders.
The First Empires
•
•
•
New empires arose in Mesopotamia
around 900 B.C. These civilizations
included the Assyrians and the
Chaldeans. They used powerful armies
and iron weapons to conquer the region.
Assyria’s military power and wellorganized government helped it build a
vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.
The Chaldeans built a large empire that
included Babylon, the largest and richest
city in the world at the time. The
Chaldeans developed the first calendar
with a seven-day week.
STANDARDIZED TEST PRACTICE
Multiple Choice
1. The first city-states developed in
A Sumer.
C Chaldea.
B Assyria.
D Mesopotamia.
25
CHAPTER 1
The site of ancient Jericho is one-third of a mile (one-half a kilometer) away
from modern Jericho at a depth of 820 feet (250 meters) below sea level.
Jericho, one of the oldest known communities, is located in the West Bank
between what are now Israel and Jordan.
Name
Class
Date
TAKE-HOME REVIEW ACTIVITY 1
(continued)
Word Unscramble
Directions: Look at the letters below. Use the clues to unscramble the
letters.
1. L G T S S I A A E H C R O O scientists who work to
uncover clues about early human life by hunting for evidence
buried in the ground where settlements might once have been
2. M E C T O T I D E A S tame animals and plants for
human use
3. A V N C A R A S groups of traveling merchants
4. V T I I L S N I I C Z A O complex societies
CHAPTER 1
5. F U N M R O E C I Sumerian writing consisting of hundreds of wedge-shaped marks cut into damp clay tablets with
a sharp-edged reed
6. E P R E M I
ruler
a group of many different lands under one
8. D S A O N M
place
tools and methods to help
people who regularly move from place to
9. L O S S F I S traces of plants or animals that have been
preserved in rock
26
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
7. O O G E C Y T H N L
humans perform tasks
S ECTION R ESOURCES
The First Civilizations
Vocabulary Activity 1-1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28
Early Humans: Words to Know
Vocabulary Activity 1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29
Mesopotamian Civilization: Words to Know
Vocabulary Activity 1-3. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30
The First Empires: Words to Know
Guided Reading Activity 1-1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31
Early Humans
Guided Reading Activity 1-2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32
Mesopotamian Civilization
Guided Reading Activity 1-3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
The First Empires
27
Name
Date
Class
VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1-1
Early Humans: Words to Know
Directions: True or False Print T or F on the line in front of each definition. If the statement is false, print on the blank line at the end of the
statement the word that correctly matches the definition.
anthropologists
archaeologists
artifacts
domesticate
fossils
historians
nomads
specialization
technology
1. Historians are people who study and write about the
human past.
2. Fossils are weapons, tools, and other things made by
humans.
3. Paleolithic people were nomads, people who regularly
move from place to place.
4. Technology is the development of different kinds of jobs.
5. After the end of the last Ice Age, people began to domesticate,
or tame, animals and plants.
SECTION 1-1
Building Academic Vocabulary
revolution, noun
Directions: In this section you read about a revolution that took place in
the Neolithic Age. Use your textbook, a dictionary, or Internet resources
to help you answer the following questions about revolutions.
7. What is a revolution?
8. What revolution took place during the Neolithic Age?
28
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6. Anthropologists hunt for evidence buried in the ground.
Name
Class
Date
VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1-2
Mesopotamian Civilization: Words to Know
Directions: Fill in the term or place name for each definition listed
below, writing one letter in each square. Then write a definition for the
shaded word on line 9.
artisan
city-state
civilization
cuneiform
empire
irrigation
scribe
Tigris River
1. a complex society
5. the Sumerian form of writing
2. a group of many different lands
under one ruler
6. a record keeper
3. using walls, waterways, and ditches
to bring water to crops
4. one of the boundaries of
Mesopotamia
1
7. a city and the land around it that had
its own government
8. skilled worker who made metal
products, cloth, or pottery
9
2
3
4
6
7
8
9.
SECTION 1-2
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
5
Building Academic Vocabulary
invention, noun
Directions: In this section you read about many of the Sumerian inventions. On the lines below, list three of those inventions.
29
Name
Class
Date
VOCABULARY ACTIVITY 1-3
The First Empires: Words to Know
Building Academic Vocabulary
Directions: Study the definitions and examples of the academic vocabulary below. Then complete the activity that follows.
bandit, noun, a person who robs travelers
on the road
descendant, noun, a person who is an offspring of an ancestor, family, or group
Example: Assyrian kings posted soldiers
along the roads to protect traders from
bandits.
Example: Most of the Chaldeans were
descendants of the people who made up
Hammurabi’s empire.
rebel, verb, to resist authority or control
conquer, verb, to take control of by force
Example: Assyria’s cruel treatment of people
caused many of them to rebel.
Example: The Persians conquered the
Chaldeans.
Directions: Fill in each blank below with the word that best completes
the sentence. You will use words from the academic vocabulary above
and words from the box below. Words may be used more than once, and
may be past tense or plural.
province
caravan
astronomer
other people and took their lands. The Assyrian kings divided their empire
into (2)
and chose officials to govern them. Trade was
important to the Assyrians, so they tried to protect traveling
from (4)
(3)
on the roads.
SECTION 1-3
The Chaldeans were (5)
decided to (6)
of the Babylonians. They
against the Assyrians’ rule. They rebuilt
the city of Babylon, and it became a center of science. Their
studied the sky and learned how to make a sundial.
(7)
Led by Nebuchadnezzar, the Chaldeans built an empire by conquering
other people. Eventually, they too were (8)
by the Persians.
30
—this time
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
The Assyrians were mighty warriors who (1)
Name
Class
Date
GUIDED READING ACTIVITY 1-1
Early Humans
Directions: Filling in the Blanks Reading the section and completing
the sentences below will help you learn more about early humans. Refer
to your textbook to fill in the blanks.
is the story of what happened to humans
(1)
in the past. The earliest period of human history is called the
period or Old Stone Age.
(2)
Since Paleolithic people (3)
and gathered
their food, they were always on the move. The early Stone Age people had
to learn to adapt to their (4)
. The taming of
changed the lives of the people. As a result of
(5)
this discovery, the Paleolithic people were able to survive times of extreme
cold called the (6)
. Over
time, people learned to communicate with others through spoken
(7)
and through art they painted on
(8)
walls. These people were also the first to use
(9)
to help them perform tasks.
The next period of human development occurred between 8000 B.C.
(10)
. One of the most important events in all of
human history happened during this time and is known as the
(11)
live in (12)
(13)
(14)
revolution. Farming allowed the people to
where they built permanent homes.
SECTION 1-1
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
and 4000 B.C. and is known as the Neolithic Age or the
in the West Bank and
in present-day
Turkey are two of the earliest known communities in history. The settled
life of the village brought about the development of different kinds of jobs
otherwise known as (15)
. The wide use of metal,
especially bronze, would introduce a new period of human history known
as the (16)
.
31
Name
Date
Class
GUIDED READING ACTIVITY 1-2
Mesopotamian Civilization
Directions: Answering Questions Reading the section and completing
the questions below will help you learn about civilization in Mesopotamia.
Refer to your textbook to answer the questions.
1. What are the six basic characteristics of a civilization?
2. Mesopotamia was located on a flat plain between what two rivers?
3. What did farmers in Mesopotamia do to control water problems
and ensure that they could grow plenty of food?
4. What was the name of the region formed in southern Mesopotamia
by 3000 B.C.?
5. Why did Sumerian city-states often go to war with one another?
6. What were the three social classes that divided the people in Sumer?
8. Name three Sumerian inventions that made life easier for people.
SECTION 1-2
9. What was the name of the king of the Akkadians who conquered all
of Mesopotamia in 2340 B.C.?
10. What is Hammurabi best known for?
32
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
7. What is the name of the wedge-shaped writing form developed by
the Sumerians?
Name
Date
Class
GUIDED READING ACTIVITY 1-3
The First Empires
Directions: Reading for Accuracy Reading the section and completing
the activity below will help you learn more about the empires of the
Assyrians and the Chaldeans. Use your textbook to decide if a statement
is true or false. Write T or F in the blank, and if a statement is false,
rewrite it correctly on the line.
1. The Assyrian people lived in the north of Mesopotamia near
the Euphrates River.
2. The Assyrian army was the first large army to use iron
weapons.
3. The Assyrians learned the technique of hardening iron for
use in weapons from the Sumerians.
4. After the Assyrians captured a city, they allowed the conquered people to remain in their homeland.
5. The capital of Assyria was at Nineveh on the Tigris River.
7. King Nebuchadnezzar rebuilt Nineveh as the center of the
Chaldean empire.
8. Babylon was known throughout the world for its poverty.
SECTION 1-3
Copyright © by The McGraw-Hill Companies, Inc.
6. The Chaldeans captured Nineveh in 612 B.C.
9. The Chaldeans were the first to have a seven-day week.
10. In 539 B.C., the Chaldeans were defeated by the Assyrian
army.
33