Creating Cuneiform Clay Tablets and Cylinder Seals

After examining a replica of a Babylonian school boy's practice tablet, the students created their own cunieform tablet or cylinder seal. Using the earliest known complete alphabet system, called the Ugaritic alphabet, the 8th grade ancient history scholars used these fourteenth century BCE symbols to write a message about Mesopotamia on clay. They then translated another scribe's work.  Ask an eighth grader why it was like reading license plates! They are not ready to give up their laptops.

From the Royal Tombs of Ur in Sumer

Use your class notes and this video to write your summary paragraphs.
Standard of Ur Video: Please watch this 8 min. video before you write your Standard of Ur Summary Paragraphs.

THE STANDARD OF UR: What was the role of women?  What did fashionable men wear?  What type of technology was used? Musical instruments? Did they take live captives after war? What was the social structure? After examining the artifact carefully and analyzing all images, the 8th Grade Ancient History scholars are writing a summary paper explaining their inferences about Sumerian society based upon the evidence found on this primary source. (Click on image to enlarge.)

MESOPOTAMIA!

Watch these for FUN and INFO!

MR. NICKY'S MESOPOTAMIA

                                                                             

LEGO MESOPOTAMIA PART #1

LEGO MESOPOTAMIA PART #2

4 River Valley Civilizations

JUST FOR FUN!

Culmination of Archaeology Unit - Let's Dig!

THE DIG!

Using proper excavation techniques (at least at the beginning), the Eighth Grade Ancient History Scholars made measurements, recorded field notes of their observations, plotted coordinates, and were, at first, puzzled by what type of artifacts might be in their dig site.  Before long they recognized that they had found a terracotta warrior made to protect the first emperor of China, Qin Shi Huang, after his death.

The Terracotta Warriors and the First Emperor of China

*Here are two China Videos.  Please use your earbuds to watch these and answer the questions on your paper.  Please do as much as possible during class. Write a five-sentence paragraph about one of the topics on the back of your question sheet. Do not print it, just save it to your History Folder.

#1 Video Terra Cotta Warriors – National Geographic

4 Min.

#2 Video  Secret History New Secrets - Of The Terracotta Warriors Documentary HD     

47:31   Min.