Cumulative Project: Your Empire
Project Directions
You and your group have just created an empire in ancient Mesopotamia! In this cumulative project you will describe in detail what its like to live in your empire. Where is your empire is located? How and what do people eat? What kind of jobs are there? How does the government operate? What role does religion play in your empire? What type of social and cultural elements are present in your new empire? Be creative, but make sure everything is relevant to the time period. This project will be completed in groups of three. Each group member will be responsible for a written component and an art component.
Written Component
Each group member will write approximately one page double spaced describing how your new empire will deal with one element of civilization. You can choose from one of the three different elements of civilization below. Make sure to address each of the bullets points in detail. Also, write the paper from the perspective of someone from the new ruling party!
Art Component
Then each group member will create an art project depicting something about their chosen aspect of the empire. The students will be allowed to utilize traditional art supplies (construction paper, glue, scissors, markers) as well as less commonly used materials (paper towel rolls, cloth, beads, straws).
Written Component
Each group member will write approximately one page double spaced describing how your new empire will deal with one element of civilization. You can choose from one of the three different elements of civilization below. Make sure to address each of the bullets points in detail. Also, write the paper from the perspective of someone from the new ruling party!
Art Component
Then each group member will create an art project depicting something about their chosen aspect of the empire. The students will be allowed to utilize traditional art supplies (construction paper, glue, scissors, markers) as well as less commonly used materials (paper towel rolls, cloth, beads, straws).
Geography
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Society/Culture
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Government
- Who is in charge of the government?
- What type of power does the government hold?
- What type of civic projects does the government do and for what purpose?
- Is there law, and how is it justified?
Project Rubric
Sample Project
Written Component: Geography
The empire we have created stretches from the city of Akkad in the north to Ur in the south. The territory includes all lands between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and several miles outside. The rivers are extremely violent and unpredictable. They flood enough throughout the year to obtain enough silt to farm crops to support our growing population. Our government is setting up irrigation projects that will manipulate our physical environment in a way that will improve our survival and well-being. These irrigation projects will include dams, reservoirs and canals.
We have developed and adopted several farming techniques that have improved our crop yields and allowed us to obtain crop surpluses. Our farmers use iron plows and sickles to process our crops. Crop varieties including wheat and barley. The wheat we grow is removed from the husk, then ground into a fine flour that is mixed with water and baked in clay ovens to make bread. This bread is a staple in our diet since it is cheap to easy to produce. The food surpluses allow some of our people to engage in useful activities besides food production. These activities include art, iron works and trade.
The city-states we recently invaded have their own cultures and customs. We plan to adopt only the cultural practices that are better and more useful than our own. Any other practices we think are destructive will be discouraged by our religion and government. The building projects we have planned will improve communication and trade throughout the expanding territories of our empire. The newly built roads will improve our ability to collect taxes and improve trade. By manipulating our physical environment, through roads and irrigation we are able to settle and improve our prospects of survival.
Art Component: Geography and Culture
The empire we have created stretches from the city of Akkad in the north to Ur in the south. The territory includes all lands between the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers and several miles outside. The rivers are extremely violent and unpredictable. They flood enough throughout the year to obtain enough silt to farm crops to support our growing population. Our government is setting up irrigation projects that will manipulate our physical environment in a way that will improve our survival and well-being. These irrigation projects will include dams, reservoirs and canals.
We have developed and adopted several farming techniques that have improved our crop yields and allowed us to obtain crop surpluses. Our farmers use iron plows and sickles to process our crops. Crop varieties including wheat and barley. The wheat we grow is removed from the husk, then ground into a fine flour that is mixed with water and baked in clay ovens to make bread. This bread is a staple in our diet since it is cheap to easy to produce. The food surpluses allow some of our people to engage in useful activities besides food production. These activities include art, iron works and trade.
The city-states we recently invaded have their own cultures and customs. We plan to adopt only the cultural practices that are better and more useful than our own. Any other practices we think are destructive will be discouraged by our religion and government. The building projects we have planned will improve communication and trade throughout the expanding territories of our empire. The newly built roads will improve our ability to collect taxes and improve trade. By manipulating our physical environment, through roads and irrigation we are able to settle and improve our prospects of survival.
Art Component: Geography and Culture