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1. 3.1 Geography of the
Fertile Crescent
Teacher Copy
Digital Notebook

2. Vocabulary

3. WordPicture
Definition
Plateau
An elevated flatland with
a level surface.

4. WordPicture
Definition
Fertile Crescent
A large arc of rich or fertile
farmland that extends from the
Persian Gulf to the Mediterranean
Sea.

5. WordPicture
Definition
silt
A mixture of rich soil and
tiny rocks.

6. WordPicture
Definition
irrigation
A way of supplying water to an
area of land.

7. WordPicture
Definition
canals
Human-made waterways.

8. WordPicture
Definition
surplus
More than they needed.

9. WordPicture
Definition
division of labor
The type of arrangement in
which each worker specializes
in a particular task or job.

10. WordPicture
Definition
occupation
A job or profession.

11. WordPicture
Definition
nomad
A member of a group of people
who move from one place to
another, rather than living in one
place all of the time.

12. How do you think the Fertile Crescent got
its name? Write at least 2 sentences.

13. Mesopotamia means, “between
the rivers.”
Mesopotamia developed between
the Tigris and the Euphrates rivers.

14. By 7000 BCE people were growing crops
and had formed small settlements.
Water was not controlled and
flooding was a major problem.

15. People began building canals to
protect their houses from flooding
and move water to their fields.

16. With irrigation, the people of
Mesopotamia were able to grow
more food.

17. Food surpluses allowed some people
to stop farming and concentrate on
other occupations, like making clay
pots and tools.
This led to a division of labor, where
each person specialized in a specific
job.

18. .
Over time small farming settlements grew
in size and complexity. Eventually, they
became cities.
These cities became the centers of
civilization.

19. How do you think the development of a food
surplus contributed to the growth of
Mesopotamian civilization?
Food surpluses meant more food for more
people and so the population of people living in
Mesopotamia grew. In addition, food surpluses
allowed some people to stop farming and
become specialists in specific occupations.
This created a division of labor that meant
people could work together to get more done.
Large projects like constructing large buildings,
building walls, or digging large canals could be
done. One project after another led to the
growth of the Mesopotamian civilization.
Please write 3-5 sentences.

21. 1. What is the problem people in Mesopotamia were trying to
solve?
Irrigation STEM Activity
People in Mesopotamia had a flooding problem. They were losing their homes
and crops because the river was overflowing and flooding the area.
2. Insert a picture of the problem here:

22. 3. Work with your team to design a solution to fix
the problem. Make a blueprint of your design and
insert a picture of the blueprint here:
Irrigation STEM Activity

23. 4. Work with your team to build an irrigation
system with the materials provided. Test your
design. Insert a picture of your team’s finished
system here:

24. Irrigation STEM Activity
5. What was the result of your irrigation system? Was your team
able to save your house and crops from flooding?
6. If your system failed, what went wrong? How could you
improve?
7. Reflect. How did irrigation helped farmers in Mesopotamia?
Irrigation provided a way for farmers to prevent flooding and protect their crops
and homes. It also provided a way of supplying water for their crops in times of
need, especially during summer months when the river would go dry.
8. What effects did irrigation have on small farming settlements in
Mesopotamia?
Irrigation made farmers more productive, which led to a food surplus and less
need for people to farm. This in turn, led to a division of labor. Over time,
farming settlements got so large, they turned into cities.