We have begun our unit on Ancient Egypt and our first assignment is to create a map. The map is due on Friday, January 15, 2010. We provided some class time on Friday to work on the map and we will work more on Tuesday/Wednesday. Students who do not finish the map in class will need to complete it as homework. Students may check out a World and its People textbook after school to help them complete the map.
Handouts
Coloring the Map
This map should be colored to show the fertile area along the Nile River and the surrounding deserts. Here are several resources to help you find these areas.
Google Map
I created a Google Map showing the locations of the cities and some of the geographic features that need to be labeled on the map. Click here to view the Google Map of Ancient Egypt.
Preview of the Google Map about Ancient Egypt
We are now moving on from the Middle East to Africa. We will begin by creating a map of the physical features of the entire continent. We are beginning this assignment on Thursday, December 17, 2009, but it will not be due for many days after we return from winter vacation. Work time in class will be provided in January so this assignment should not be considered homework during the vacation.
Handouts
- Africa Map Directions – directions listing what features need to be labeled.
- Africa Map Challenge Features – list of additional features to be labeled. This list is required for all 4th period Spectrum students. It is optional for students in periods 1, 2, 3, and 6. If students choose to do the challenge, it counts as an additional assignment, not “extra credit”.
- Africa Map Blank – blank Africa map for labeling and coloring.
Coloring the Map
The map should be colored to show water, desert, savanna, rainforest, and “land” (areas that do not seem to fall into one of the other categories). To help students with the coloring, I’ve labeled the satellite photo below with the major climate zones. For more helpful information, read the Wikipedia article about the geography of Africa.
We have been making maps of the Fertile Crescent to learn about the geography of the land that is home to the oldest civilizations in human history. Recently , we read that the area around modern day Iraq was the location of the earliest big cities. The reading introduced these terms:
Mesopotamia - “the land between the rivers” (specifically, the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers).
Fertile Crescent – the “C” shaped area of land with soil that was good for farming.
The Cradle of Civilization – refers to the idea that this region was the birthplace of complex human societies.
Assignment (Due Thursday, November 5, 2009)
Resources
- Sample map created by Ms. Falls – Ms. Falls created this map, which is based on the map on page 50 of The World and its People, which shows the natural resources of the Fertile Crescent. Students are welcome to refer to this map if they don’t have a book at home.
- Checking out a textbook – students can check out a textbook to take home by stopping by the room after school. Books must be returned before school the next day so we can use them during class.
- Map of Ancient Mesopotamia – this map shows the location of many of the city-states of Mesopotamia.
- British Museum Maps – series of maps about Mesopotamia created by the British Museum showing cities, terrain, natural resources, and more.
- Wikipedia article about Mesopotamia – includes links to Fertile Crescent civilizations and related maps.
We have been working on a map of the world in order to learn skills for making maps clear and informative. These skills will be used throughout the year as we create more complex historical maps. The assignment is due on Tuesday, September 29 for periods 1 and 3 and due on Wednesday, September 30 for periods 2, 4, and 6.
