DO NOW Get into your groups from our

DO NOW: Get into your groups from our previous class!!! You will be presenting your work!!!!

UNIT: MESOPOTAMIA AND RIVER VALLEY CIVILIZATIONS October 3, 2012 Aim: Who were the Sumerians and what was the social hierarchy of ancient Mesopotamia?

IN ORDER TO UNDERSTAND HIERARCHIES LETS THINK ABOUT HOW THIS ALL STARTED… Hunter-gatherers Division of Labor Food Producers. Domestication of plants and animals Towns with successful irrigation system Agriculture/farming Population grew

SUMER The world’s first advanced civilization was a land called Sumer, located in ancient Mesopotamia.

SUMER Sumer: was a city-state located in Southwest Mesopotamia made up of cities, such as Ur, Uruk, Babylon and Kish. Sumerians: were the people of Sumer who developed the world’s first civilization.

WHAT DID SUMER HAVE? World’s first cities § System of writing § Advances in science, technology, and mathematics § Religion (very important) � Believed in gods/goddesses and their powers(power over harvests, floods, illness, health and wealth) § Priests conducted religious ceremonies and had high power because the people believed that the priests would help them gain the gods’ favor §

STOP & JOT 1) In learning about Sumer what do you think led to the development of these social hierarchies? 2) What kind of people/jobs would you find in Mesopotamia? 3) What do you think the social hierarchy of Mesopotamia looked like?

SOCIAL HIERARCHY IN MESOPOTAMIA Priests: Made sure everyone behaved in a way that would make the gods happy / doctors of their time King: head of the army/ “gods on earth” Merchants: traded goods to other countries throughout the Tigris & Euphrates, produced wealth that made up civilization Scribe: educated, wealth, able to read a write (worked for palace/government) Slaves: (bought and sold) Slaves worked for the king, the temple and the wealthy.

VOCABULARY 1) Domesticate: Tame (an animal) and keep it as a pet or farm produce. Cultivate (a plant) for food. 2) Social hierarchy: the division of society by rank or class

HOMEWORK Due October 5, 2012 1) Draw a pyramid of the social hierarchy at your school P. S. 49 (label, color, draw pictures) 2) CURRENT EVENTS #2 DUE!!!