Students will be assessed on the material for Chapters 4 and 5 this up coming Wednesday, November 13th. The study guides are below:

Chapter 4 Assessment: Study Guide

Directions:  This is your study guide.  You do NOT need to turn this in!  However, you may NOT use this on the assessment.

Why were Sumerian communities called city-states? (sec 1, 6)

1. What does the name Mesopotamia mean? 
2. What allowed Neolithic people to farm in the foothills of the Zagros Mountains? (sec 3)
3. What caused food shortages in the Zagros foothills? 
4. Why did the Tigris and Euphrates rivers flood in the spring?  (sec 4)
5. What were some factors that made farming difficult in Sumer? 
6. Describe the environment of Sumer (sec 2, 4)
7. What was the solution to the food shortage for the people in the Zagros foothills?
8. Why was silt a problem for the people of Sumer? 
9. Why did the villages of Sumer depend on each other?  (sec 5)
10. What were the purposes of levees? 
11. What were the purposes of dams and reservoirs?  (sec 4)
12. Why did the people of Sumer construct moats?  (sec 6)
13. What were the walls surrounding the cities made out of? (sec 6)

• ALSO:  Be familiar with the map on page 34, all the physical features and names
• ALSO:  Know all of the BLUE vocab from chapter 4 (fill in the blank, no word bank)

Chapter 5 Assessment: Study Guide

Directions:  This is your study guide.  You do NOT need to turn this in!  However, you may NOT use this on the assessment.  

Which people would have most likely lived in a two-story house near the center of the city?  (Sec 4)

1. A society has a stable food supply if it has enough food for who?  (sec 3)
2. What responsibilities did the Kings have in Sumer?  (sec 5)
3. What was the Sumerian belief that helped make Kings powerful and restore social order?  (sec 5)
4. What were the two inventions that dealt with food supply?  (sec 3)
5. Who lived in mud-brick houses at the edge of the cities?  (sec 4)
6. What was the purpose of the ziggurat (sec 6)
7. Why were scribes important in Sumerian government?  (sec 5)
8. What kinds of things did the Sumerians have for entertainment?  (sec 7)
9. Which invention made it possible for Sumerians to use chariots?  (sec 8)
10. What did Sumerians use to write cuneiform?  (sec 9)
11. What evidence found by archaeologists shows that Sumerians were not prehistoric (remember definition)?  (sec 9)
12. Records of the goods people exchanged were made on what?  (sec 9)
13. Which invention added strength and beauty to Sumerian buildings?  (sec 8)
    • ALSO:  Know all the BLUE words from chapter 5 and 4
    • ALSO:  Know the 7 characteristics of a civilization and their meaning
    • ALSO:  Know map from chapter 4 on Mesopotamia/Sumer- p. 34

Here are the questions for the Ch. 4 Section assignment:

4.2. Mesopotamia: A Difficult Environment

1. List three reasons why it wasn’t easy to live in the part of the Fertile Crescent called Mesopotamia.
2. What were the four major problems Mesopotamians faced as they tried to survive in this environment? 
3. What were two Neolithic farming communities found in the Mesopotamian region? 
4. How many city-states were found in the area known as Sumer?
5. List those city-states. 

4.3. Food Shortages in the Hills

1. In the rolling foothills of what mountain range did Neolithic people start farming?
2. List three reasons why these foothills were a good place to build a Neolithic community?
3. What problems began to arise around 5,000 B.C.E.?
4. Why did the plains around the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers hold promise as farming land? 
5. What was the main reason people moved out of the foothills and onto the plains? 
6. What was the name of this region? 

4.4 Uncontrolled Water Supply in the River Valley

1. What was the biggest problem farmers that moved to Sumer faced? 
2. What happened in the plains of Sumer every spring?
3. What was Sumer like the rest of the year?
4. How did the Sumerian farmers solve their problem of an uncontrolled water supply?
5. How do levees work? 
6. What other ways did Sumerians control the water supply? 

4.5. Building and Maintaining a Complex Irrigation System

1. What problem arose as the Sumerians built irrigation systems? 
2. What became a constant problem with the canals?
3. Why was this issue with canals  a problem?
4. What were farmers eventually forced to do?
5. What happened in the villages between 3,500 B.C.E. and 3,000 B.C.E.?
6. About how many people lived in these cities? 

4.6. Attacks by Neighboring Communities

1. What was the major reason the Sumerian cities had conflict with one another?
2. Why were those people living downriver at a disadvantage?
3. How did Sumerians begin to protect their cities?
4. Where did most of the cities citizens live?
5. What happened to the farmers who lived outside the city walls during an attack? 
6. What do historians call these walled cities? 

4.7. From Small Farming Villages to Large City-States

1. What is the basic challenge that needs to be solved by any group of people? 
2. List four specific details that can be seen in the illustration in this section.
3. Looking back at the map in section 4.2, answer the following questions:

• About how many miles long is the Euphrates River according to this map?
• The Tigris and lower Euphrates rivers flow in a generally_________________direction until they reach the body of water called the___________________.
• What major physical feature lies between the waters of the Caspian Sea and the Persian Gulf? 

Below is the rubric for the Ch. 2 summative project that students will begin working on today:

Hominid Comic Book Poster Project

Directions:

On a separate sheet of paper (looseleaf or computer), create a fact-filled comic book poster for the hominid group you found most interesting! The poster should focus on the capabilities of the hominid you select.

 Your poster needs to include:

This is a Summative grade!  Each category will scored out of 5 points.  5 = excellent, 4 = Very Good, 3 = Good,         2 = Fair, 1 = Poor. ATTACH to back of your project!

Due on Wednesday, Oct. 9, 2019

Hello Everyone,

Below are important events happening this week:

• Open House is on Wednesday, September 11th at 6:00 p.m.  There will be a short parent meeting to review 2019-20 Title I and School Improvement initiatives at 5:30 p.m. in the auditorium.  
• Chapter 1 Test is tentatively scheduled for Thursday, September 12th. Students are currently working on projects that will provide the important chapter information to them. The study guide is as follows:

Chapter 1 Assessment Study Guide

Investigating the Past

People who study the past are commonly referred to as what?

What do we call an object made or used by people in the past?

Why are ancient handprints found on cave walls very small?

What do cave paintings help us know the most about the past?  

 A prehistoric object is one that comes from a time before we had what?

What is the evidence that prehistoric cave artists built wood structures  (scaffolding) to stand on?

What questions do scientists ask when they discover ancient paintings?  

Which clue to the past has been found near the artwork displayed in 

parts of caves. 

 About how long ago were the objects and art described in this chapter 

 created?

  Which of activities would an archaeologist most likely do? 

How did ancient cave artists create different colors of paint?

 Name one human made thing a geographer might study?

Scientists believe the spear throwers were used for what kind of purpose?

1. ALSO:  know ALL vocabulary from chapter 1 (blue and black terms!!).  You may NOT use your vocabulary notes on the test!

Students will bring home two important documents for parents and families to review, discuss, add information and to sign a signature. Due on Wednesday, August 28th.

They are the following:

Class Syllabus– worth 10 formative points

Student Information Sheet– front side only- worth 5 formative sheets.

On Wednesday, August 28th, students will take the Ancient World History and Geography pre-test. Please have a discussion with your students about taking this pre-assessment seriously and trying their very best.

Hello Everyone,

Welcome back to Bryant Middle School for the 2019/2020 school year. I hope you all had a fun and relaxing summer. Below are the suggested school supplies for Mr. Farkas’ 7th Grade Ancient History class:

• 11” x 8 1/2” 1 subject notebook
• single subject folder
• black or blue pen
• brown paper grocery bag- to protect our textbook cover
• colored pencils/crayons/ markers

See everyone soon!

Mr. Farkas

Hello Everyone,

We will begin our final project tomorrow, Thursday, June 6th. The final project is described below:

Ancient Rome Project Directions

For the Ancient Rome unit, you will be choosing three activities that interest you. You will be learning about life in ancient Rome as you complete your chosen activities. You can use the resources provided by me and by also referencing the social studies book to help you complete your work.

REQUIREMENTS:

• You must complete THREE activities.
• At least ONE activity will be a quiz, BUT you cannot create more than one quiz.
• You must complete your activities by each activity deadline.
• Each activity is worth TWENTY­-FIVE  (25) summative points.
• Review the rubric for grading.
• You will be given class time for these projects. ______________________________________________

Deadlines for work completion

Activity One­ Due by end of class Friday, June 7th.

Activity Two ­Due by end of class Monday, June 10th.

Activity Three­ Due by end of class Wednesday June 12th.

ANCIENT ROME INDEPENDENT PROJECT SELECTIONS

1. Interview a Famous Roman Person

Directions:

• Research a famous Roman person who made an important contribution to the history and legacy of ancient Rome. Some choices are as follow: Julius Caesar, Octavian/Augustus, Constantine, Marcus Aurelius, Mark Antony, Cassius, Claudius, etc. Take notes as you research.
• Using the notes from your research develop an interview format for your “famous Roman person”.
• You may choose to interview and “be” the famous person, but this will take some planning and creativity.
• Develop a script for your interview. This should be preapproved by a teacher before recording your interview. The script must include significant personal details of the person as well as this person’s impact and major contributions to Roman history.
• Your interview should be no longer than five minutes.

2. Create a timeline of Ancient Rome from the Roman Republic (500 B.C. to the collapse of the Roman Empire ( 500 A.D.)

Directions:

• The timeline should be organized by DATE. Enter a title for your Timeline­ –Ancient Roman History.
• Your LABEL should be your date of relevance ( 500 B.C.)
• Short Description should be the event itself ( Roman Republic Founded)
• Long Description­ Two to four sentences regarding the event.
• You should add images. At least four
• Your timeline should have 8­-10 events ( dates)

3. Roman Government vs. American Government

Directions:

Research ancient Roman government and compare it to the United States government. How is our government similar and different from ancient Roman government? Write a four paragraph compare/contrast paper. I will provide your planning blueprint.

4. Complete Map of Ancient Rome ­

Directions:

Draw and label a map of Ancient Rome at its greatest size. Be sure to include all of the most important cities, landforms and bodies of water. A map key and compass rose must also be included.

5. Make a quiz for any of the following chapters: Ch. 33, Ch. 34, Ch. 35

Directions:

First read the entire chapter and take a minimum of 15 notes on the chapter (informative, substantial). Then design a 20 question quiz that is broken down to the following categories: 5 matching, 10 multiple choice, and 5 True and False. You must present an answer key with your completed quiz.

6. Newspaper Article on the eruption of Mt. Vesuvius

Directions:

Using the resources below as well as your textbook,  write a newspaper article about the eruption of Mt.Vesuvius. Be sure to include a personal account of some sort from an eye witness. Also, include a picture of some sort. You should have a catching headline as well. Your article should be at least 350 words in length. The article, picture, and headline should fit on one typed page. Be sure that your article aims to answer the essential who, what, where, when, why style of questions.

https://www.harcourtschool.com/activity/pompeii/pmpMsStb.html

https://www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/pompeii.htm

https://www.cotf.edu/ete/modules/volcanoes/vmtvesuvius.html

https://www.windows2universe.org/earth/interior/Mt_Vesuvius_ad79.html

7. Make an Advertisement or Poster about the Roman Chariot Races

Directions:

• Read up on chariot racing at the Circus Maximus using the resources below.
• Create an advertisement/poster about the races. Include a picture, dates, times of the races as well as who will be racing. Be sure to include information on where and how to purchase tickets.
• Remember you want a full house at the races. Make your advertisement colorful, interesting, and descriptive.

https://www.pbs.org/empires/romans/empire/chariot.html

https://spartacus-educational.com/ROMchariot.htm

We will discuss these directions tomorrow, and I will answer any questions you may have.

Thank you!

Hello Everyone,

We will continue this week with our exploration of Greek Mythology. Tomorrow students will begin working on their Greek God/Goddess or Hero Wanted poster. The rubric for this project is below:

Greek Mythology God/Goddess/Hero Rubric

________ Title with the character’s name prominently displayed- 2 points

________ AKA- Roman name- 2 points

________ Description of god/goddess’/ hero’s appearance- description of how he/she would be recognized- 5 points

________ What is this  god/goddess/hero wanted for- could be something terrible or commendable- 5 points

________ Tool or weapon of choice- 2 points

________ God or goddess of- where does he /she spend most of their time- location  Hero too!- Where were they last seen?- 2 points

________ Relationships with other gods or heroes/ known associates- 2 points

________ Other interesting facts- 2 points

________ Picture- can be drawn or printed, but it must be colored in crayon or colored pencils– 10 pts

The following links are the only links I will allow students to visit for their research:

https://greece.mrdonn.org/myths.html

https://www.ducksters.com/history/ancient_greek_mythology.php

https://www.historyforkids.net/ancient-greek-gods.html

We will end our study of Greek mythology with a compare/contrast writing task.

Have a great evening!

There will be a quiz on Chapter 25: The Geography of Ancient Greece this Wednesday, April 24th. No student notes will be allowed during this quiz.

For students who are interested, there will an opportunity to retake the Chapter 24 test: The Silk Road on Friday, April 26th at 7:00 AM.

7th grade students will be taking the M-STEP Assessment on Tuesday, April 30th and Thursday, May 2nd.

Have a wonderful week!

We will have a test on Chapter 24- The Silk Road-  Monday, April 15th. Students are creating a study guide for this assessment. This testing information was added to student planners during class today.

Thank you!