Mysterious Mesopotamia
A Treasure Hunt on Mesopotamia

created by Nancy Zampelli
Del Dios Middle School

Introduction | The Questions | Internet Resources

Introduction
Ready to explore the ruins of the earliest civilization, mysterious Mesopotamia? Grab your brain and head for the further reaches of cyberspace. There is a lot to learn in this information age. Using the Web allows you to discover tons more than you may have ever known possible. Below is a list of projects about Mesopotamia. Visit the Internet links on this page to complete your selected project. To earn an A, you must have a written project, an artsy project, and an oral or video presentation. Have fun!

Questions
  1. Read the description of the Hanging Gardens which King Nebuchadnezzar built for his wife. Then draw and color what YOU think the uppermost terrace rooftops looked like when the queen was there.



  2. Read about the poisoned farm fields of Ancient Mesopotamia. Write a letter to King Hammurabi warning him about this disaster and explaining it fully. Include scientific details.



  3. Visit the Ziggurat site and sketch one. Write a caption from the accompanying description.



  4. Tour the site of King Cyrus and view the artifacts. Read his own words below the illustrations. Then write a eulogy (speech) for his funeral, praising his government. Include direct quotes from King Cyrus. Perform it for the class.



  5. EXTRA CREDIT FUN! (not a project) Click your mouse on the section that says 'cuneiform.' Take a break from the projects and see your name in cuneiform. Copy or print it and get 10 points extra credit!



  6. Read about the social levels in Mesopotamian society. Draw a pyramid of the social structure with slaves on the bottom and the king/rulers on top. Include workers too! Then make a Venn diagram comparing and contrasting slaves to working people.



  7. Trivia time! Explore this site about Catal Huyuk with a partner. Then each of you make up ten test questions (and an answer key). Trade tests and see who can answer the most questions--or were the questions too hard? Have fun with trivia!



  8. Explore this site about ancient laws. Then write a 2-3 paragraph letter to King Hammurabi expressing your opinions about one of the laws.



  9. Present a tv show about Mesopotamian food. Prepare the food and serve the class!



  10. Create a mobile or collage of inventions from Mesopotamia. Select an ancient civilization of the Middle East. Learn about its significant inventions and discoveries. Make an artistic collage or mobile. Draw, label, and color the inventions and glue them onto the white paper.



  11. Visit this site for fun! (not a project)



  12. Create your own project here! Great links to info about Sumer, Babylon, and Assyria. Investigate anything from astronomy to warfare to ziggurats. A to Z!



  13. Use your textbook and create a timeline of Ancient Mesopotamia. See your teacher for a strip of paper. Or use timelines software.



  14. Use your own imagination! The Phoenicians used pictures before they used an alphabet. Make a rebus (pictures for words) book for a first grader about a nursery rhyme or Gilgamesh myth.



  15. Investigate the religions of the ancient Mesopotamian civilizations. Make a chart comparing the practices of their religions.





The Internet Resources

The Big Question
Civilization is made up of culture, government, a stable food supply, religion, social levels, and specialized jobs. What are three main examples you discovered about these categories in ancient Mesopotamia? How would you chunk what you learned into clusters or a brainstorm map or web?




created by Filamentality Content by Nancy Zampelli, nzampell@eusd4kids.org
http://www.kn.att.com/wired/fil/pages/huntmesopotana.html
Last revised Thu Jul 17 18:39:31 US/Pacific 2008