CHAPTER 2 – LESSON 3PLANNED CITIES ON THE

INDUS

SOCIAL STUDIES

7TH. GRADE

SECOND PERIOD

Outline• Environment

Indus flooding unpredictable.Natural barriers: mountains and deserts.Monsoon winds.

• Power and authorityStrong centralized government.Planned cities

• Science and TechnologyWriting (not yet deciphered).Cities built on precise grid.Plumbing and sewage systems.

TERMS AND NAMES

• Subcontinent: A large landmass that forms a distinct part of a continent.

monsoon

• A wind that shifts in direction at certain times of the year.

Harappan civilization

• Another name for the Indus Valley civilization that arose along the Indus River, possibly as early as 7,000 B.C.; characterized by sophisticated city planning.

What is one conclusion you can draw about the Indus Valley civilizaton?

• Cities – Central planning, advanced plumbing and sewage systems.

• Language – Written with symbols and phonetic sounds.

• Trade – Thriving trade by river, overland, and sea.

• The Indus Valley civilization had a high level of culture and organization.

What problems can monsoons cause?

• They can dump excessive rain, causing flood damage, or they may not come, causing crops failures.

How were the planned cities of the Indus Valley different from other early cities?

• They were laid out on a grid and had sewers; other cities had winding streets and lacked sewers.

What reasons are suggested for the disappearance of the Indus Valle civilization?• Tectonic plate shifts altered the

course of riveers, which changed agriculture and trade.

What evidence suggests Indus Valley cities were run by a strong central government?

• Planned cities, standard building materials, sanitation systems.

What skills would the construction of planned cities require? Explain

Central government.Standard building

materials.

Engineering and architectural skills.

How were the people of the Indus Valley connected to Mesopotamia?

• They were linked through the Indian Ocean trade. They also could go overland.

What does the attention the Indus people gave to plumbing and sewer systems suggest about their culture?

• The Indus people valued personal cleanliness and social sanitation.

• They may have known that poor sanitation could spread disease.

What is the main reason Harappan language has not been deciphered?

• No bilingual texts have been found to help in the translating of the symbols.

What do planned cities of the Indus Valley people tell us about their culture?• High level of cooperation.• Strong central government.

What are some characteristics of the Harappan culture?

• They were peaceful, organized and clean.