Mesopotamia Web Quest
Choose 6 of the 8 Tasks to complete. Due FRIDAY AFTER FALL BREAK- Oct. 15th. You are an archaeological historian and are about to embark on a fantastic journey into the past to discover the mysteries of ancient Mesopotamia. Your goal is to achieve an understanding of what life was like, what the culture consisted of, how the government developed, details about the religious beliefs, the development of trade, the development of specialization and social classes, and how the first written language looked. You will discover that much of what we in the twenty-first century take for granted in our civilization has roots in the Mesopotamia of 5000 years ago. You will be asked to explore a number of web sites and find specific information that you will use to perform a number of tasks that you will adapt into a finished project to be turned in. It is possible for this web quest to be accomplished as an individual or as a group. Your teacher will tell you if you are to function in a small group or as an individual. You will be directed to a variety of web sites and will be asked to complete a variety of tasks. It will be stated in the instructions if each individual must complete a task. Task 1
Go to the website on cuniform writing listed below http://www.penn.museum/documents/education/cuneiform.pdf
Use this website create a title page for your packet with your name written in cuneiform. _______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
Go to It Happened First in Ancient Mesopotamia http://news.bbc.co.uk/cbbcnews/hi/world/newsid_2955000/2955531.stm In this article are a number of “firsts” that Mesopotamians achieved. Select two of these and design a visual that depicts each of the achievements and how each could have been used. Your visual should have labels, be colorful, and be accurate. Add this page to your packet of information with the cuneiform cover.
Task 3 A. Go to http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/gods/explore/exp_set.html B.
Read Gods and Demons of Ancient Mesopotamia C.
On a piece of paper list the following gods and goddesses names: Enki, Gula, Istar, Ninurta, andAnzu. Explain who they were and what their power was.
Go to The Code of Hammurabi http://wsu.edu/~dee/MESO/CODE.HTM Listed on this page are the laws of Hammurabi as translated from cuneiform. Select two laws. Print them out and include them in your cuneiform packet.
Task 5 Go to Ancient Mesopotamia http://hypermedia.educ.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html
Go down to where it says “Student Area” Click on “Important Vocabulary.” Read the important vocabulary. These terms are important to your understanding of ancient Mesopotamia. You may want to copy and paste these words to a Word document for studying purposes. Spend some time learning these terms and what they mean. Click on Home at the end of the Vocabulary section. Scroll down to the “Teacher Area.” In this section click on “Vocabulary Exercises.” You have a copy of these exercises. Complete vocabulary exercises. The finished document should be added to your packet of materials with the cuneiform cover. Click on Home. Task 6 Go to http://hypermedia.educ.psu.edu/k-12/edpgs/su96/meso/mesopotamia.html Click on “Sumerian City-State.” Read the material provided. Be sure to click on the underlined blue terms and read the linked text. Continue to read the section entitled “The Ziggurat.” Click on the “Ziggurat Game” and “Ziggurat Humor.” Click the back button after each of these two steps. Read the section on “Cuneiform.” Always click on the blue underlined terms and read the accompanying text. Read the section “Gilgamesh.” Read the section “Sargon I.’ Read the section “Hammurabi of Babylon.” Read the section “Contributions.” Click on Home. Scroll down to “Teacher Area.” Click on “Study Guide.” Using your copy of the study guide complete the eighteen questions. A copy of the completed form must be added to your cuneiform packet.
Task 7 Go to http://www.mesopotamia.co.uk/writing/home_set.html Click on story. Read all the pages. Click on the word Explore. Read all the pages. Be sure to click on the colored words to understand the terms. Click on the word Challenge. Read all the pages and colored terms. Define the following terms: pictogram, cuneiform, scribe, and excavation. Under Explore allow yourself ten minutes to complete the Never Ending Puzzle. At the end of ten minutes print out what you have successfully put together and add to your cuneiform packet.
Task 8 Go to http://www.crystalinks.com/assyrian.html In the section “Assyrian” there is a map. Using a piece of white drawing paper create a copy of the map of the Assyrian Empire. Be sure to draw it to scale and to use the whole piece of paper. (You may print the page off of the computer and complete the map at your work area.) Color the Fertile Crescent Green and the water blue. Label all cities, rivers, and bodies of water that are labeled on the map on this page. Add this finished document to your cuneiform packet. Final Product Turn in the completed cuneiform packet. Turn in any projects that you chose that are three-dimensional. Make sure they are clearly labeled with your name.