Weekly Workbook

Unit: World History Era 1

11/01-11/05
Essential Question: Why do people live the way they do?

1(a.)What are some important physical features you see around the Mesopotamia region?
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1(b.) Out of the physical features you listed for 1(a.), which ones would be important for allowing
cities to grow?
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Guided Reading for Chapter 2, section 1

2.a)What is a scribe?

2.b)Scribes were important because they

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3.What were major attractions for people to migrate to Mesopotamia?

4. What is Sumer?

5. What does Mesopotamia mean? What two rivers is it located in?

6. The _________________ & ____________________ rivers were the source of life for the peoples
of Mesopotamia. In the Spring, the _________________________
picked up tons of topsoil as it rushed down from the _________________ and
_______________________ the land.

7. The floods did not always happen at the __________________ each year. They sometimes
would
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_____________ & _____________ that the next flood would not be so destructive.

8. A city-state is:
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____.

Comprehension Check:
7.Why did the first civilizations start in the Fertile Crescent region?
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8.How does the subtitle “Rivers of Life and Death” reflect the effects of the Tigris and Euphrates
rivers? (Check page 36 if you're not sure.)
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Hammurabi's Code
Page 48 & 49 in World Studies book.
9. What is Babylonia? Why did it become an important center of trade?
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10. Who was Hammurabi?

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11. What was Hammurabi's Code and why was it important?

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Phoenicians
Pages 52-54.

12. Why did Phoenicia become a thriving and wealthy region? (Hint: what did they specialize in and
trade?)
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13. The Phoenician alphabet made it easier for people in the ancient world to:
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14. Based on what you see in this map and what you now know about Phoenicians answer the
following:

The Phoenicians helped spread civilization throughout the Mediterranean area by: (Hint, what
do the arrows show?)