Civilization in Sumer

nd
2 period
I DUG THE CANAL WHICH BRINGETH COPIOUS WATER TO THE LAND OF
SUMER.

Civilization in Sumer

OBJECTIVE: Examinar las caractersticas polticas, sociales y culturales de la

civilizacin Sumer.

LEARNING OBJECTIVE:
Conoce el tipo de gobierno, organizacin social y las principales innovaciones de la
civilizacin Sumer

BIBLICAL PRINCIPLE: You shall have no other gods before me.

Exodus 20:3-5New King James Version (NKJV)

You shall not make for yourself a carved imageany likeness of anything
that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the
water under the earth; 5 you shall not bow down to them nor serve them.
For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the
fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who
hate Me

Civilization in Sumer
VOCABULARY

Innovation

Division of labor

Surplus

Monarchy

Absolute
authority

Bureaucracy

Pictograph

Cuneiform

Social class
Merchant

Civilization in Sumer
What are the technological innovations
that most appeal to you?
In what way these innovations meet your
needs?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKGqebKEu0s

Civilization in Sumer
The geographical area of Mesopotamia is
among the countries current Iraq, Syria and
Iran. It can be divided into three zones: the
upper area, formerly called Assyria, is
located north of Mesopotamia. The Media
area, called Babylon, was at the narrowest
point between the Tigris and Euphrates, (the
most important rivers of Mesopotamia), and
the lower area called Sumer, one of the
worlds first civilizations formed.
the people there spoke a common language
now known as Sumerian. By about 3000 B.C.
Several cities in Sumer had grown to
become large, independent city-states. Each
city-state had thousands of people and
controlled lands covering hundreds of
square miles. Like the many smaller farming
settlements in Mesopotamia, the Sumerian
city-states depended on agriculture for food.

Civilization in Sumer
Advances in Farming and Witting
innovations in agriculture

Innovations in writing

They built dikes, or dams made of earth, to

control river flooding, and they filled reservoirs,
or human-made lakes, with water for later use.
The Sumerians built canals to bring water to the
fields in dry seasons.

Sumerians became the worlds first written

language. The earliest writings were government
lists and records. Using sharpened reeds as writing
tools, officials marked numbers and pictographs, or
picture writing, on wet clay, which dried into hard
tablets.

Civilization in Sumer
Advances in Farming and Witting
innovations in agriculture

Innovations in writing

The Sumerians were among the first to use

wheeled carts to carry crops and other heavy
loads. They harnessed donkeys and other
domesticated animals to pull the carts.

Over time, the Sumerians found ways to improve

their writing. They began to use symbols instead of
pictures to stand for words. The system came to be
called cuneiform, or wedge-shaped writing.

Civilization in Sumer
Advances in Farming and Witting
innovations in agriculture

Innovations in writing

Growing enough food to feed the thousands of

people living in a city-state took many workers
and a division of labor. Division of labor is the
sharing of a large job so that each workers does
only part of it.

The Sumerians created a standard unit for

measuring an area of land, such as a crop
field. They called it the iku. Today we call it the
acre.

Civilization in Sumer
Advances in Farming and Witting
innovations in agriculture
A surplus is the amount of a product that is left
after needs have been met. The Sumerians knew
that failure to produce enough food would bring
disaster. They learned to depend on organization
and cooperation to be successful.

Innovations in writing
They where the first to mix copper and tin to
make bronze tools and weapons. Also 12th
month calendars , first to build sailboats and
the potters wheels to form bowls.

Civilization in Sumer
Government in Sumer
Monarchy
is
A governing system ruled by a King or a queen.
Characteristic
s
The rulers were always
men

Sumerian monarchs were believed

to have been chosen by the gods.
Because of their leadership, they
were called great men.

The EN help absolute authority, or

complete control, over his citystate.

Sumerian rulers needed help to rule

over many people and large areas of
land successfully. They created the
worlds first known bureaucracy. A
bureaucracy is a governing group made
up of nonelected officials.

Most important duties included

leading the military, arranging trade,
settling arguments, and directing
public events, including religious
ceremonies.
Priests or religious leaders
Their duties included choosing and marking lands
for farming as well as distributing food to people in
the cities.

Civilization in Sumer

Divisions in Society
KING

Civilization in Sumer
workshop
Instruction: complete the workshop
according to the story. page 97.

Civilization in Sumer
Exercise
Instruction: find on the word puzzle the word that corresponds to each
definition.
Definitions

Civilization in Sumer
exercise in class
Instruction: answer the questions according to the story. (add this
to the blogger)
1. What innovations helped the Sumerians grow enough food?
2. What form of government did the Sumerians have?
3. What innovations did the Sumerians develop for measuring?
4. What were Summers social classes?

Civilization in Sumer
Activity in Class
students must choose an agricultural product and explain
by means of a graph can be transformed as an innovative
way to sell the market today.
Due date: Wednesday, April 15th