MR. ROE6T H GRADE

SOCIAL STUDIES

The Nile Valley

Review

You studied early humans and the technology that they invented to make life easier (irrigation, farming, specialization etc…)

You looked at the first civilizations, and realized that much of what they developed are still part of our lives today (writing systems, religions, calendars, government and army organizations etc…)

BIG IDEA (s)

Egyptian civilization begin in the fertile Nile River valley where natural geographical barriers kept invaders out

The Egyptians depended on the Nile River to survive

Egyptian society was divided into social groups based upon wealth and power

3100 B.C., Upper and Lower Egypt were combined into one empire

By the end of this section, you will submit:

Reading Notes (Activity) *Summarize ActivityCornell Notes * Pyramid ActivityCause and Effect ChartIrrigation Organization ChartVocabulary List/DefinitionsMain Idea ListMesopotamian/Egyptian Organization ChartMap ActivityOther Assigned Work (you will be told if there is any)*We will talk about how I want you to submit these towards

the end of the section. Just know that you must keep everything we work on, or you will have to do it again!

Academic Vocabulary

CataractDeltaPapyrusHieroglyphicsDynastyFeatureTechnologyLabor

Important Places (Maps)

Map Activity

Interesting Facts About the Nile

Longest river in the worldFlows to the north, into the Mediterranean

SeaThe Nile allowed Egyptians to make paper

(papyrus) instead of using stone tablets

Timelines

5,000 B.C. Agriculture begins in the Nile Valley

c. 4000 B.C. Egypt is made up of two kingdoms

c. 3100 B.C. Narmer unites Egypt

Settling the Nile

Remember, civilizations (like those in Mesopotamia as well) arose in river valleys

Used the Nile for EVERYTHINGBegins as two separate rivers (The Blue and

the White)Large Cataracts (rapids) form where the two

rivers meet Effect: Ships can only use the last 650

miles of the Nile

A Sheltered Land

Nile looks like a flower, with it’s “petals” being the delta (large fertile land where the river flows into the sea)

Nothing but deserts on both sides of the valley

To the west is the Sahara (your book says the largest desert in the world, but actually, Antarctica is the largest desert in the world)

The deserts were great natural barriers, keeping armies out of Egypt for a long time

Geographic Features

So….To the west and the east of the ancient

Egyptians , there were vast desertsTo the south, there were large cataracts

(prevented enemy ships from coming down the Nile)

To the north, the delta didn’t allow enemy ships to have safe harbors (places where they could launch attacks from)

They had great natural barriers!!!

Cause and Effect

Cause: Ancient Egyptians had great natural barriers

Effect: Egyptians didn’t face many outside threats and could grow and prosper

Cause

Natural Barriers

Effect

No Outside Invaders; Growth and Prosper

Activity

Lets make a list of adjectives that describe the Nile

After, you will write a paragraph about the Nile and share with the class

Similar yet Different

Like Mesopotamia, the Egyptians built their civilization in a river valley

Unlike the Mesopotamians, the Egyptians had frequent friendly interactions with each other

The River People

Egyptians depended on the flooding of the Nile

Floods were more gentle and more consistent than the Tigris or Euphrates flooding

Egyptians called their land “kemet” or “the black land” because of the silt (soil) that was left behind after the flooding

Egyptian Technology

Basin BowlsCanals and DikesShadoof PapyrusHieroglyphics

Hieroglyphs

Combination of Sounds and SymbolsAdvanced Writing System

How Can We Understand Hieroglyphs?

Rosetta Stone

Says the same thing in hieroglyphics, Demotic, and Greek. Thus, we can translate and learn

This is where we get the term

“Ah, it’s the Rosetta Stone”

A United Egypt

Farming led to a surplus and thus specialization

Specialization meant goods were producedThis led to tradeThere may have been interactions with

Mesopotamia because of trade (and ideas spread, like how to govern!)

Rise of Government

Earliest rulers were village chiefsStrong eventually overpowered the weakNile delta was Lower EgyptTo the south was Upper EgyptIn 3100 B.C., Narmer led armies north and

conquered Lower Egypt (Unification)

Narmer

Wore Double Crown to Symbolize Unification

What do you think this is symbolizing?

•Family ruled after his death=dynasty

Early Egyptian Life

Look at page 163-Who is at the top of the pyramid?

-Who is at the bottom? -Where would a scribe be?

What does this pyramid represent? Why do you think it is shaped like a pyramid?

Where would you like to be if you were an Egyptian?

Partner Work

Complete Your Reading Activity Notes

Partner Reading ActivityStudy Skills: Summarizing Text

Turn to Page 163Read the Section on Egyptian Social ClassesSummarize what you readWhat is the main idea? What supports that

idea?

Individual Work

Compare Mesopotamia to EgyptUse Page 162

Meso EgyptDefenses

Rivers

Floods

Economy

Government

Artisans

Advances