7 About This Module: Mesopotamia Culture

Topics Covered:

• Mesopotamian Civilization to Include
  • Hammurabi’s Code
  • Epic of Gilgamesh
  • Royal Standard of Ur
  • Assyrian Art such as Ashurnasirpal’s Killing Lions
  • The Ancient Israelites
  • The Assyrians
  • The Babylonians

This module introduces students to artistic, religious, and political expressions within Mesopotamian culture that developed between prehistory and the Hellenistic age. Students will determine what cultural artifacts such as Hammurabi’s Code and the Lachish Inscription tell us about their historical contexts. Students will demonstrate understanding of cultural expressions by distinguishing the religious beliefs of the Mesopotamian and Israelites. Finally, students will also demonstrate proficiency in critical thought by assessing whether writing or metallurgy was a greater factor in the development of Mesopotamian civilization. ⁽¹⁾

Learning Outcomes Related to this Module

1. Demonstrate proficiency in critical thinking
2. Recognize the relationships between cultural expressions and their contexts
3. Understand cultural expressions
4. Interpret and evaluate cultural artifacts and/or their contexts for significance

Objectives

Upon completion of this module, the student will be able to:

• Sort events in historical order from Mesopotamian civilization.
• Identify the function of the Ziggurat within Mesopotamian culture.
• Identify the importance of Mesopotamian inscriptions as written records of the ancient past.
• Identify the importance of Mesopotamian inscriptions as windows into the daily lives of ancient persons.
• Identify the impact of the ancient Dark Ages on traditional and peripheral powers in the Mesopotamian world.
• Identify major Mesopotamian figures and their achievements.
• Assess whether writing or metallurgy was a greater factor in the development of Mesopotamian civilization.⁽¹⁾

Assigned Readings

• Learning Unit – Mesopotamian Culture

Assignments | Learning Activities

• Review Learning Unit
• Participate in Discussion 2
• Complete Timeline Assignment 2
• Complete Assessment Module 2