Tigres River Valley: A  Webquest

You will be traveling back in time to the year 3000 B.C. to the site of ancient Mesopotamia, one of the world's first civilizations.  As you travel your task will be to keep a journal of different things that you see and learn along the way.

The name Mesopotamia means "land between the rivers". Click on the map link. and write down the name of the two rivers that bordered Mesopotamia.

Write down three important things that happened first in this area of the world.  Click this link.

We will begin our journey by visiting the Sumerians, that mysterious people that, for some reason, began building cities in the southern areas of Mesopotamia around 3000 BC.

List six facts about the Sumerians in your Travel Log.  List three different facts from each of the links.

http://www.eliki.com/ancient/civilizations/sumerian/

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MESO/MESO.HTM
Click on the word CONTENTS, then on the word SUMERIANS to access information.

Go to this link and describe a Sumerian city in your travel log.

Around 3500 B.C., a system of writing developed using pictographs.  What simpler type of writing replaced pictographs?  Click this link to find out.  Describe this kind of writing.

Click here to view a cuneiform tablet.  What is the URL (address) of this web site?

After the Sumerians disappeared the city of Babylon rose to power.
Babylon reached its greatest glory in about 1800 BC under King Hammurabi.

Find out what King Hammurabi was famous for by clicking his name.  List it in your travel log.
Where can you see the original code of Hammarabi? Click this link and find out.

In Mesopotamia,  stone vessels, like this decorated bowl, were highly prized and often inscribed as votive dedications to temples or deposited as grave offerings.  Click the link and write down the URL of this page.
Who sponsored this page and when was it last updated?

Describe the religious practices of this area by viewing the links below.  List at least three in your travel log.

http://www.emory.edu/CARLOS/ODYSSEY/NEAREAST/myth.html

http://www.wsu.edu:8080/~dee/MESO/MESO.HTM
Click on the word CONTENTS, then on the word SUMERIANS to access information.

http://www.eliki.com/ancient/civilizations/sumerian/

The ancient people of Mesopotania build beautiful palaces.  Human-headed lions and bulls decorated the gateways and supported the arches.  Here is a picture of a human-headed lion.  How many legs does it have?  When was it created?  In what museum can I find this ancient sculpture?



You have completed the first part of your journey.  Please have Mrs. Szeliga or Mrs. Naslund initial your Travel Log in order to be eligible for an Internet License.  Use the information contained in this travel log for your research report.


Created October 1999 by Gail M. Szeliga and Cheryl T. Naslund , Library-Media Specialists, and Elizabeth Scalcione, Social Studies Teacher at Union Endicott High School Library Media Center.  Last updated October 14, 1999 by Gail M. Szeliga.  Your comments and suggestions are encouraged.