Opener: 8/20 - #5

COPY the questions on your own sheet of paper. **skip a couple lines between

each one**

1. How did Egyptians view afterlife?

2. What was a pharaoh?

3. What was built during the Old Kingdom?

Ancient Civilizations of North Africa & Southwest Asia - #6

• Directions: Fill in your graphic organizer by writing the key information that is in bold.

What is a civilization?

The most advanced stage of human social development and organization

What do they have in common?

Civilizations of MesopotamiaFertile Crescent, “land between the rivers”

MesopotamiaLocation:• The Sumerians were among

the first societies to develop in this area between the Tigris and the Euphrates Rivers.

Agriculture:• They raised crops year-round.• They made efforts to improve

water distribution to the land in order to create more fertile land.

MesopotamiaRecord Keeping (Writing System):• They created a form of writing

called cuneiform.– They would carve wedge-shaped

symbols on wet clay tablets; then they would baked the tablets in order to harden them.

Egypt

Location:• Egyptian civilization

grew along the Nile River.

Agriculture:• Because of the climate

and irrigation techniques developed, the Egyptians could have 2-3 harvest per year.

EgyptThey built pyramids as tombs for their leaders.

EgyptRecord Keeping (Writing System):• The developed a 365-day

calendar.• The developed a form of

picture writing called hieroglyphics.

Label and color {+ key} the early civilizations on your map:

Ethnic Groups of North Africa & Southwest Asia

What is an ethnic group?• An ethnicity, or ethnic group, is a group of

people sharing a common and distinctive culture, religion and language.

Arabs• Arabs are the primary (largest) ethnic group

in the entire region• Religion - Islam (Muslims)• Language - Arabic

Bedouins• Bedouins are nomads

in the deserts of NA & SWA.

• They are considered to be “true Arabs”.

• Speak Arabic

Nomads - people who live in different locations, moving from one place to another

Persians• Persians are a non-Arab ethnic group• Persians primarily live in Iran (and some of

Afghanistan)• Persians are primarily Shia Muslim• Language - Farsi

Kurds• Kurds are a non-Arab

ethnic group• Kurds primarily live in

Turkey, Iran, Syria & Iraq– They want their own

homeland - Kurdistan

• Their religion is primarily Sunni Muslim

• Speak Kurdish (related to Farsi)

Turks• Turks are a non-Arab ethnic group• Turks primarily live in Turkey• The religion is primarily Sunni Muslim• They speak

Turkish

Berbers• Berbers are a non-Arab ethnic group• Berbers primarily live in Morocco,

Algeria, Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt• Their religion is primarily Sunni Muslim• Primarily spoken language w/many dialects

Disappearing because they are assimilating with Arabs

Jews• Jews are a religious group living mostly in

Jerusalem (southeast corner), Israel, and part of the Golan Heights.– Jews claim Palestine (modern-day Israel) as their rightful homeland

• Religion – Judaism• Jews speak Hebrew

Write your name in Hieroglyphics!