Classroom Connections

For each learning module, high school educators have created two lesson plans with guiding questions for student research and classroom discussion.

The Question of Identity: Ethnicity, Language, Religion, and Gender

Before Islam: Mesopotamia  »  Module Overview

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Lesson Plans & Guiding Questions

LESSON 1
The Role of Women in Ancient Mesopotamia

Development of a short (2-3 page) essay using primary and secondary sources.

For Grade Level(s):  9–11

Time Needed:  Two class days of computer lab time, or two evenings of research time for students with Internet access outside of school. Two class days of discussions in groups of three.

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GUIDING QUESTIONS
1. How do artifacts or excerpts from primary sources indicate the different gender roles in ancient Mesopotamia?

2. How do these artifacts or excerpts support the information included in “The Question of Identity”?

3. How can a student use primary sources to support an academic argument?

LESSON 2
Migration into Ancient Mesopotamia, a Mapping Lesson.

Students will be told to think like members of the Art Department of a scholarly journal. The Editor has decided that a particular article needs something to go with it, and it is their job to produce it. Ultimately, the thing they will need to produce is a map, though this information is initially withheld from the students.

For Grade Level(s):  6–12

Time Needed:  One evening to read the passage and take notes. One full period to produce draft maps, compare them with peers, and produce a final draft of the map.

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GUIDING QUESTIONS

1. Which groups of people inhabited the Mesopotamian region in ancient times, and from where did they migrate to the region?

2. How did new arrivals to ancient Mesopotamia impact the dominant systems of written and spoken communication?

3. How did the Empires and Kingdoms located in Mesopotamia reflect the migration of different groups to the region?

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