SS21 Early Civilizations

1. SS21 Early Civilizations Important Rivers Fall 2013

2. Welcome Start by setting up your paper for Cornell notes:

3. IMPORTANT RIVERS Your Name IN EARLY CIVILIZATIONS Details to remember PRODUCT test questions VOCAB

4. If you don’t have all the information in your notes by the time you leave class, go to my web page to see this PowerPoint and copy them down before class tomorrow. Thank you 

5. Read this: “There are many geographic characteristics that help shape civilizations.” “There are mountains. There are deserts. There are oceans and seas. There are forests.” “The most important to the very first civilizations were rivers.”

6. Write this under the details to remember: Geographic Characteristics *mountains*deserts*oceans & seas*forestsMost Important are RIVERS!

7. Read this: “The rivers framing Mesopotamia are the Tigris and Euphrates. They flow southeastward to the Persian Gulf. The Tigris and Euphrates rivers flooded Mesopotamia at least once a year. As the floodwater receded, it left a thick bed of mud called silt. Farmers planted grain in this rich new soil.”

8. Write this under details to remember:*Rivers of Mesopotamia = Tigris and Euphrates*SE = downstream to Persian Gulf*Flooding = silt*Good for farming

9. Read this: “From the highlands of East Africa, the Nile River brings its water to Egypt from distant mountains, plateaus, and lakes. It is the longest river in the world. Like Mesopotamia, the yearly flooding brought silt to a floodplain which formed a narrow strip along both sides of the river. The early civilizations of Egypt would not have survived without it and are clearly a “gift of the Nile”.

10. Write this under details to remember:*Nile = longest river*from East Africa to the Mediterranean*Narrow floodplain*Gift of the Nile

11. Read this: “In India, mountains guard the enormous Indo-Gangetic plain. It is formed by (and named after) two rivers – the Indus and the Ganges. The Indus flows Southwest while the Ganges flows Southeast. Like the Tigris, Euphrates, and Nile, these rivers carry water and silt which produces rich land for agriculture. This was the Harappan Civilization.

12. Write this under details to remember: *Indo-Gangetic Plain formed by Indus and Ganges*Indus flows SW and Ganges flows SE*Water and silt like others*Good farming for Harappan Civ.

13. Read this: “In China, the Huang He (Yellow) River and the Chang Jiang (Yangtze) River fed their earliest civilizations.” “The silt there had a special name called loess.” Ancient China, known as the Han Civilization, had more invaders than other civilizations and more problems with disastrous flooding.” “Still, they adapted and grew throughout history.” “Today they are an economically powerful nation.”

14. Write this under details to remember:*China’s Rivers = Huang He (aka: Yellow) & Chang Jiang (aka: Yangtze)*silt = loess*called Han Civilization*problems w/ invaders & floods*money power today

15. Write these 12 words under VOCABTigris Euphrates IndusGanges Nile siltIndo-Gangetic Plain agricultureloess Huang He (Yellow)Chang Jiang (Yangtze)

16. Use these notes to prepare for the test questions (like you wrote under “product”). Listen for when, if ever, you might need to turn them in. Thank you 

17. Reminder: If you don’t have all the information in your notes by the time you leave class, go to my web page to see this PowerPoint and copy them down before class tomorrow. Thank you 