1. Cornell Notes… Topic/Objective:
~identify and locate the Fertile Crescent.
~identify reasons why people settle close to rivers.
Essential Questions:
~ Why was Mesopotamia a great place to live?

2. The Geography of the Fertile Crescent
The Middle East: “The Cradle of Civilization”

3. Mesopotamia
The land between the two rivers was called Mesopotamia. “Meso” means middle, “potamia” means river. Even though the land was a desert there was something that made agriculture possible there.

4. Geography of the Fertile Crescent
After the Neolithic Era (Stone Age) people became much more advanced, or smarter. They learned that the best place to build a city was along the side of a river.

5. Can you think of why this area would be a good place to live?
Turn & Talk!
Can you think of why this area would be a good place to live? 9 10 8 12 13 7 11 6 1
End 2 3 5 4 14 16 26 25 27 28 30 29 24 23 18 17 19 20 22 21 15

6. Rivers
Rivers gave people water for their crops. Rivers were used for trade and transportation. Rivers gave people a good supply of drinking water and fish to eat. Also, people could use the river’s water to keep themselves clean.

7. Fertile Crescent
In an area of the world known as the Middle East, a new civilization (society) began to develop. This civilization was called the Fertile Crescent. Fertile is a word that means good for growing. Crescent is a shape that looks like this…

8. Fertile Crescent
Two rivers flowed through the area of land called the Fertile Crescent. These rivers were called the Tigris River and the Euphrates River.

9. Fertile Crescent
These two large rivers started in a mountain range called the Taurus Mountains. The rivers flowed to the southeast. The rivers flow into the Persian Gulf. The Fertile Crescent is an amazing area of land. It is located in a very hot, dry desert.

10. The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers carried special dirt in them called silt. Silt is tiny bits of sand and soil that gets deposited along the sides of a river.
The Tigris & Euphrates rivers would flood often. When the rivers flooded they would deposit the soil on the land. Farmers would then plant their seeds in this silt.
Can you
find the
silt?

11. Summarize by turning & talking!
What is the name of the two rivers that flow through the Fertile Crescent?
What are the benefits of living next to a river?
What does the word Mesopotamia mean? 10 9 11 13 14 8 12 6 2 1
End 3 4 15 5 7 17 26 25 27 28 30 29 16 24 19 18 23 20 21 22

12. Day 2- Mesopotamia

13. Mesopotamia
Sometimes the rivers were wild. They would flood and deposit too much water. They would destroy buildings and sometimes kill people and animals.
Other times the rivers would not flood enough. This would make a drought, or land that was too dry and not good for planting crops.

14. Cause and Effect Cause Effects
Too much water is called a ____________.
~______________________________
Too little water is called a ____________.
~_______________________________

15. Water Control P
Look at the diagram called “Water Control in Mesopotamia” on the bottom of page 56 for a few seconds…
In order to control the flooding the people of Mesopotamia built levees. Levees were walls made of dirt that would hold back the flowing water.

16. Water Control
Farmers also built a system of canals to bring water to crops and fields. This is called irrigation. Farmers were very smart. When the river was too far away from the field, they would create an artificial lake to help them water the crops. (This lake was made by humans, not nature. FAKE LAKE!!!)

17. What conclusions can you make about Mesopotamian farmers?
Wrap it up…
What conclusions can you make about Mesopotamian farmers?
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