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I am going to take you to the top of the highest pyramid and I am going to ask that you imagine yourself possessed of the eyes of a hawk. Way, way off, in the distance, far beyond the yellow sands of the desert, you will see something green and shimmering. It is a valley situated between two rivers. It is the Paradise of the Old Testament. It is the land of mystery and wonder which the Greeks called Mesopotamia—the "country between the rivers."

The names of the two rivers are the Euphrates (which the Babylonians called the Purattu) and the Tigris (which was known as the Diklat). They begin their course amidst the snows of the mountains of Armenia where Noah's Ark found a resting place and slowly they flow through the southern plain until they reach the muddy banks of the Persian Gulf. They perform a very useful service. They turn the arid regions of western Asia into a fertile garden.

The valley of the Nile had attracted people because it had offered them food upon fairly easy terms. The "land between the rivers" was popular for the same reason. It was a country full of promise and both the inhabitants of the northern mountains and the tribes which roamed through the southern deserts tried to claim this territory as their own and most exclusive possession.

The constant rivalry between the mountaineers and the desert-nomads led to endless warfare. Only the strongest and the bravest could hope to survive and that will explain why Mesopotamia became the home of a very strong race of people who were capable of creating a civilization which was in every respect as important as that of Egypt.

Directions

Study the lesson for one week.

Over the week:

  • Read and/or listen to the story.
  • Review the synopsis.
  • Study the vocabulary terms.
  • Complete the enrichment activities.
  • Answer the review questions.

Synopsis

Meaning "country between two rivers," the oasis known as Mesopotamia once nestled between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers corresponding mostly to today's Iraq. The Tigris and Euphrates start in the mountains of Turkey and flow to the Persian Gulf. Like the Nile River Valley, Mesopotamia's fertile land provided bounteous crops and became the target of foreign people invading from mountains to the north and the deserts to the south.

Vocabulary

Meso: Greek for 'middle.'
Potamia: Greek for 'river.'
Mesopotamia: A fertile valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers in present-day Syria and Iraq.
Tigris River: A southern-flowing river that originates in Turkey, joins the Euphrates River, and empties into the Persian Gulf.
Euphrates River: A southern-flowing river that originates in Turkey, joins the Tigris River, and empties into the Persian Gulf.
Arid: Very dry.
Fertile: Land capable of growing abundant crops.
Tribe: A society larger than a band but smaller than a state.
Nomad: A member of a society that herds animals from pasture to pasture with no fixed home.

Enrichment

Activity 1: Narrate the Lesson

  • After you read or listen to the lesson, narrate the events aloud using your own words.

Activity 2: Map the Chapter: Tigris and Euphrates Rivers

  • Mesopotamia was situated within the valley between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. Find it on the map.
  • Trace each river from where they start on the map to where they join and flow into the Persian Gulf.

Activity 3: Can You Find It?

Find each of the following:

  • Tigris River
  • Euphrates River
  • The Mediterranean Sea
  • Mesopotamia
  • The City of Babylon
  • Mountains to the North
  • Desert to the South

Trace the paths of the groups of people to Mesopotamia:

  • Phoenicians
  • Jews
  • Aramaeans
  • Cimmerians
  • Hittites
  • Sumerians
  • Persians
  • Chaldeans
  • Babylonians
  • Assyrians

Activity 4: Complete Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art   

Click the crayon above. Complete pages 19-20 of 'World History Copywork, Narration, Dictation, and Art for Third Grade.'

Review

Question 1

What does 'Mesopotamia' mean?
1 / 5

Answer 1

'Mesopotamia' means country between two rivers.
1 / 5

Question 2

In what present-day country is Mesopotamia currently located?
2 / 5

Answer 2

Mesopotamia is currently located mostly in present-day Iraq.
2 / 5

Question 3

What type of land was to the north of Mesopotamia?
3 / 5

Answer 3

The land to the north of Mesopotamia was mountainous.
3 / 5

Question 4

Why did people from the south wish to invade Mesopotamia?
4 / 5

Answer 4

The land south of Mesopotamia was a desert and the people wished to get control over the fertile farmlands of Mesopotamia.
4 / 5

Question 5

Why don't the Tigris and Euphrates flow from the Persian Gulf to the mountains of Turkey?
5 / 5

Answer 5

Rivers always flow downhill from higher to lower elevations. The mountains of Turkey are higher than the Persian Gulf.
5 / 5

  1. What does 'Mesopotamia' mean? 'Mesopotamia' means country between two rivers.
  2. In what present-day country is Mesopotamia currently located? Mesopotamia is currently located mostly in present-day Iraq.
  3. What type of land was to the north of Mesopotamia? The land to the north of Mesopotamia was mountainous.
  4. Why did people from the south wish to invade Mesopotamia? The land south of Mesopotamia was a desert and the people wished to get control over the fertile farmlands of Mesopotamia.
  5. Why don't the Tigris and Euphrates flow from the Persian Gulf to the mountains of Turkey? Rivers always flow downhill from higher to lower elevations. The mountains of Turkey are higher than the Persian Gulf.

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