Lesson Focus

This lesson and the next one will introduce your student to the first true civilization, that of ancient Sumer. The geographic area we call Mesopotamia provided fertile ground for the development of agriculture on a large enough scale to enable some farmers to feed more than just their own families. This created the potential for diversification – some people could become artisans, builders, religious leaders, and warriors.

For a town to become a city and a city to be called a center of civilization involves many factors. This lesson’s focus is on the growth of agriculture, the domestication of animals, and the technology of irrigation that made large-scale farming possible. There are activities as well, to explore the beginnings of written language and the artifacts of early civilization. The next lesson will focus on the political and religious aspects of this first civilization, and will include the first codification of law – the Code of Hammurabi – and the development of mathematics. The reading for both lessons will be from many of the same sources.

The skill focused on in these two lessons is that of taking notes while reading a book. When looking for specific information or using a book to research a topic, being able to take notes from a nonfiction book is a valuable skill for all students, but especially valuable for college work. Time spent practicing this skill in high school is an investment in the future.

Lesson 1. The Fertile Crescent

Discussion Questions

1. Ancient vs. modern Agriculture. Compare and contrast ancient agricultural methods with those in use today around the world. Where are ancient agricultural techniques still being used? What are some technologies used in modern farming that make the biggest difference in crop yield today? Discuss the benefits and costs of modern farming methods (high yield, agribusiness, loss of family farms, chemical pollution).
2. The Story of Noah. Discuss the consequences of the Great Flood on the world, on Noah, and on his family. What are the costs of following God in a sinful world, and what are the benefits? What would your family’s response be if you were called to a great work for the Lord? Do you think it was easier for Noah to do God’s will in his time than it is for us today?
3. Writing is considered one of the most significant achievements of the human race. What benefits does written language bring to our world? What in our life would be difficult or impossible without written language and what would remain essentially the same? Imagine for a moment if we had only an oral Scripture available to us. How would that change our experience of God’s Word? Share your familiarity with cultures who have recently had Scripture translated into their own languages.

Evaluation Questions

1. What did the Sumerians believe about the afterlife? Compare and contrast the Sumerian beliefs with what the Bible teaches. Are there similarities as well as differences?
2. The Epic of Gilgamesh contains an account of the great Flood. In what ways is the account given by the Sumerians similar to the Genesis account? What are the differences?
3. What are the major characteristics of a “civilization” and how does Mesopotamia from 3500 to 1600 B.C. fit these characteristics? How is a civilization different from a culture?
4. The development of metallurgy changed the nature of technology, tool-making, and warfare. Describe the process of smelting copper ore and the process of making bronze. Why was bronze such an important advance in metallurgy?
5. Historian Arnold Toynbee believed that all civilizations began as a result of a successful response to the challenge of the physical environment. How did the Sumerians respond to the environment of Mesopotamia, and how did their response shape their civilization?