Grade 1 - Early world Civilizations

Early World Civilizations: Supplemental Guide 2 | Writing in Mesopotamia 39

Note: Introducing the Read-Aloud and Extensions may have activity

options which exceed the time allocated for that part of the lesson.

To remain within the time periods allocated for each portion of

the lesson, you will need to make conscious choices about which

activities to include based on the needs of your students.

Exercise Materials Details

Introducing the Read-Aloud (10 minutes)

Where Are We? Map of Mesopotamia and Ancient
Egypt;
world map or globe

You may wish to have students locate

Mesopotamia on their own map.

What Have We Already
Learned?

Early World Civilizations Chart You may wish to have students refer to

their own chart as you review using the

class chart.

Image 1A-8: Close up of canals

and/or additional images of canals

Refer to these images when talking about

canals.

Images of King Hammurabi of

Babylon

Students may be interested in seeing

what King Hammurabi looks like. Explain

that were no cameras in ancient times,

so the images are statues of what artists

thought he looked like.

Essential Background
Information or Terms

Image 2A-1: Warad pointing to

cuneiform

Use this image to introduce the new

character in the read-aloud, Amur, Iddin’s

older brother.

Image 2A-2: Cuneiform and/or

additional images of cuneiform;

examples of writing systems (e.g.,

Greek, Arabic, and Chinese)

Use images of cuneiform to expose

students to what it looks like.

Show examples of other writing systems,

and compare them to English.

Invite students to tell about or show

systems of writing that they know, other

than the English alphabet.

Vocabular y Preview:
Cuneiform; Laws/Code of
Hammurabi

Image 2A-2: Cuneiform and/or

additional images of cuneiform

Have students describe cuneiform.

Explain that cuneiform is made with

wedges. Identify the wedges in the

cuneiform.

examples of a few laws from the

Code of Hammurabi (paraphrased,

optional); list of classroom rules

You may wish to give students examples

of some of the laws from the Code of

Hammurabi.

This lesson can be an excellent tie-

in to reviewing or creating additional

classroom rules.

Purpose for Listening Response Card 1 Invite students to point to the image that
refers to the main topic of today’s read-
aloud.