Chapter 1 – The First Civilizations
Cornell Notes
Student Model
Section 3 – New Empires
Subsection – The Assyrians Pgs. 143-144
Essential Question: How did Assyria’s military power and well-organized government help
it build a vast empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.?
Key Questions
Notes
1. The Assyrian Empire arose about 1,000 years after the
rule of Hammurabi. (Assyria)
Why were the Assyrians
so strong?
2. The Assyrian’s military was well organized.
3. The Assyrian army was the first large army to use iron
weapons. They learned this from the Hittites. Their
weapons were stronger than those of copper and tin.
They fought with spears, daggers, bows and arrows,
chariots, and soldiers on horseback.
4. They were furious warriors.  tunneled under walls,
built battering rams, and burned cities
5. They punished all who resisted.
What made Assyria’s
government a wellorganized government?
6. The capital of the Assyrian Empire was Nineveh.
7. The empire was divided into provinces, which are
political districts. Each province was governed by an
official who collected taxes and enforced laws.
What was life like in
Assyria?
8. They lived like the Mesopotamians.  same writing,
laws, and gods
9. The Assyrians built large temples and palaces, with
statues and wall carvings.
10. One of the first libraries was in Nineveh and held 25,000
tablets of stories and songs.
Summary: Assyria, a new empire in Mesopotamia, expanded their empire because of its
well-organized government and strong army. The Assyrians learned how to make stronger
iron weapons, a technique they learned from the Hittites. They were excellent warriors who
punished people who did not surrender to their rule. They divided their empire into provinces
ruled by officials. They also flourished by building large buildings including the first library.
Chapter 1 – The First Civilizations
Section 3 – New Empires
Cornell Notes
Student Model
Titles and Page #
Subsection – The Assyrians Pgs. 143-144
Essential
Question: How did Assyria’s military power and well-organized government help
Turn
Main Idea
it
build
a
vast
empire in Mesopotamia by 650 B.C.?
into Essential
Question
Key Questions
Notes
Include at Least One
Organize
Important
Noteafter
per
1. The Assyrian Empire arose about
1,000 years
Notes
the rule of Hammurabi. (Assyria) Paragraph
Why were the Assyrians
so strong?
Blue
Headings
Become
Key
Questions
2. The Assyrian’s military was well organized.
3. The Assyrian army was the first large army to use
iron weapons. They learned this from the Hittites.
Their weapons were stronger than those of copper
Include
All
and tin. They fought with spears,
daggers,
bows and
Bold
Words
arrows, chariots, and soldiers on horseback.
with
4. They were furious warriors. Definitions
 tunneled under
walls, built battering rams, and burned
cities
or
Explanations
5. They punished all who resisted.
What made Assyria’s
government a wellorganized government?
6. The capital of the Assyrian Empire was Nineveh.
What was life like in
Assyria?
8. They lived like the Mesopotamians.  same writing,
laws, and gods
Summary
Should Be
3-5
Sentences
7. The empire was divided into provinces, which are
political districts. Each province was governed by an
official who collected taxes and enforced laws.
9. The Assyrians built large temples and palaces, with
statues and wall carvings.
Use
Symbols
10. One of the first libraries was in Nineveh and held
and
25,000 tablets of stories and songs.
Shortcuts
Summary: Assyria, a new empire in Mesopotamia, expanded their empire because of its
well-organized government and strong army. The Assyrians learned how to make stronger
iron weapons, a technique they learned from the Hittites. They were excellent warriors who
punished people who did not surrender to their rule. They divided their empire into provinces
ruled by officials. They also flourished by building large buildings including the first library.