1. September 23rd and 24th Turn in HW and get papers off the bookshelf
NO WARM-UP!
Write homework in agenda

2. Agenda Essential Questions Egypt and Sumer Notes
Go over Geography/Civilizations Quiz
Pyramids Video
Hammurabi’s Code

3. Essential Questions 1. What are the four river valley civilizations?
2. What form of writing was used in Egypt?
3. What was the main difference between the rulers of Egypt and Sumer?
4. What were two Sumerian inventions?
5. Why did Egyptians practice mummification and build pyramids?

4. River Valley Civilizations
Egypt and Sumer

5. Location/Geography Sumer between Tigris and Euphrates Rivers
plain area called Mesopotamia
unpredictable floods
limited natural resources
Ancient Egypt
along great Nile River
called “Gift of the Nile”
cataracts = rapids
delta: broad, marshy triangular area with deposits of soil

7. Religion polytheistic: many gods, about 3,000
gods were all powerful and immortal, humans were servants
souls of dead went to “land of no return”
kings were gods
pharaohs: god-kings
polytheistic: about 2,000
Ra = sun
Isis = ideal mother/wife
Osiris = chose afterlife

8. Writing Epic of Gilgamesh
epic myth about unsuccessful quest for immortality
crude pictographs
hieroglyphics (sacred carvings)
wrote on dried papyrus

9. Government/Law
city-states: each city and the surrounding land it controlled
ziggurats at the center, where priests appealed to gods for well-being
warriors had control of armies
dynasties: when rules were from one family
divided into Upper and Lower Egypt
Menes united in B.C.E.
theocracy: ruler is a divine figure
pharaohs promoted truth and justice

11. Science/Technology invented wheel, sail, and plow first to use bronze
first system of writing: cuneiform
arches, number system base 60, geometry
creation of pyramids from limestone/granite
Mummification (to preserve the dead)
written numbers
medicine and surgery

13. Social Classes
priests/kings were highest, then merchants, workers, slaves lowest
women had some rights, not education
royal families were highest, then government officials, priest and commanders
below them were the merchants/artisans, and the unskilled laborers
women equal to men

14. Intro to Out of Class Essays
Writing Skills and Essay #1

15. Categorization Strategies
When comparing and contrasting, consider using a few of these categories to help organize your essay and provide a solid comparison.
Political
Economic
Social
Cultural
Intellectual
Religious
Geographic

16. Example Outlines
Egypt and Sumer are similar politically, but more different in social and cultural ways.
Political similarities
Social differences
Cultural differences
Egypt and Sumer are different religiously, but more similar with respect to their geography and economy.
Religious differences
Geographic similarities
Economic similarities

17. Essay Scoring Rubric
Topic sentence – introduces the category or point; could be directly from introduction paragraph
Clincher sentence – sums up what you just said and is the main point to take away from that paragraph
Interpretive Commentary – analysis of your evidence and claim

18. Essay Scoring Rubric
Each item listed is 1 point for a total of 18 points.
2 more points will come from having your name and the honor code initialed somewhere on your essay.
Essays will typically be worth points, this first one will only be 20 points.