~ MESOPOTAMIA

The Fertile Crescent

 

INTRODUCTION

 

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have been invited to join Berkeley’s Archaeological Research Team!

 

As part of a new grant funded by the school’s patrons, members of this team will embark on a journey to the past. On this trip you will travel back in time to a world known as the FERTILE CRESCENT.

 

There are a few tools that you will need to take with you while you travel to make the trip successful.

1)   A laptop is a MUST!

2)   An open mind ready to take in a wealth of information is imperative!

3)   A "team effort" attitude is a necessity!

4)   A cooperative spirit and a willingness to work with others are definite requirements!

5)   A creative and imaginative mind is essential!

6)   An understanding of your job description as well as the jobs of your team members will make the trip easier for you.

 

While in this ancient world, you are to learn as much as possible, and then when you return to the present, you will share your knowledge with others.

 

Each member of your team will take on a certain role and complete tasks. This will require a team effort, and in many cases you can take information that one of your teammates has uncovered and use it to help you complete your own tasks.

 

THE TASK

 

While you are on your journey, all of the members on your team will be finding ways to answer these questions:

 

1)   Why did people settle in the area known as the Fertile Crescent?

2)   How did the Mesopotamians live?

3)   What sort of technology did the Mesopotamians have?

4)   Would you want laws like the Code of Hammurabi to exist today?

5)   How did these ancient people communicate?

6)   What were some of the Mesopotamians’ religious beliefs?

7)   What caused the Mesopotamian civilization to collapse?

8)What legacies did the people of the Fertile Crescent leave the world?

9)What did you think of your research journey?

 

ROLES

 

As a member of the team, you will assume a role as either one of the historians,  the cartographer, or the museum curator. You will make sure that you follow through on the commitments that this person has to the team, but at the same time, you will work together as a team. As you fulfill the duties of your role, you will see that there are ways to help each other.

 

Historians: Two historians are needed to complete the work. Your job is to research and take

                     notes on a variety of areas pertaining  to Mesopotamia. Click here to see the

                     requirements for your job and to get your instructions.

 

Cartographer: Your job is to be the official cartographer (map-maker) for the team. Click here and scroll down to find out more about the requirements of your job and to learn what jobs you have.

 

Museum Curator: Your job is to find artifacts and bring them back to Berkeley’s Museum to be housed in a section called “Ancient Civilizations.” Click here and scroll down to learn what the requirements are for your job and to find out about the things that the museum wants you to find and catalog.

 

PROCESS

 

  • Step 1 ~ Decide as a team who will be the historians, cartographer, and curator. Give serious thought to your team as a whole and who will be best at each position. All roles are equally important, and even though you each have an individual role, you must all act as a team! At the end, you must all work together to answer the questions in the TASK section, so everyone must participate and complete their jobs. Click here and scroll down to see the requirements of each job.
     

  • Step 2 ~ Once you know your role for the team, begin your research. Use the instructions for your role to guide you. Manage your time carefully! Click here for a list of sites to help you with your research. IMPORTANT: You must give credit to any sites or any other resources that you used on a Works Cited page for each item that is handed in for this project. Use the link on our web page to learn the correct way to cite sources.
     

  • Step 3 ~ Complete the tasks assigned to your particular role. Click here and scroll down to see the tasks. Be available to your team at all times.
     

  • Step 4 ~ Once your research is completed, work with your team to make sure all parts of the webquest are completed correctly.  Working as a team, you will all answer the initial questions in the Process section.
     

  •  Step 5 ~ Be ready to share your new-found knowledge enthusiastically with your class.

CONCLUSION

 

At the conclusion of this web quest, you hopefully will have gained a keen insight into understanding this ancient world. It is essential for you to see the importance of the birth of this earliest civilization. What sorts of connections can be made from our modern world to this ancient one? What modern day countries comprise the ancient area of the Fertile Crescent now? Are some things in world today similar to those in the ancient world? If so, what? How could you find out? Who could you contact today in that area to help you make the connections? Will you take the time to make the connections?

 

 

Credits:

The Detroit Institute of Arts (Thank you for the pictures!)

A special thank you goes out to all the people who created the websites about Mesopotamia used in this project! The gathering of information by those people is invaluable.

 A thank you goes out to John Weinshel who created a wonderful web quest that gave me the inspiration to create this one!

 

Web Quest created by: Catherine Herb. Email me with questions or comments. herbcat@berkeleyprep.org

 

 

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