Essential Question:   Geographically, how do the consequences of human advancement compare to the benefits to society?

Formative Assessment #1: Geography and the Growth of Cities

This assignment is a review of map reading and textbook reference skills, an introduction to your next location test (Middle East countries) and an introduction to the geography of our next region of study.

Geography Concepts – Middle East

 Time to Irrigate! website link

Time to Irrigate Handout

Formative Assment #2 – Surplus

Literacy Standards and Geography Handout

History of Money – Handout and Questions

Division of Labor Class Activity

Formative Assessment #3 – Structuring Society

Social Class Activity

Cuneiform Handout

Cuneiform Alphabet

School for Scribes Reading

Formative Assessment #4 – Government and Empire

In-class activity that does not include an assignment that gets turned in.

Summative Assessment Project:     Land and Water Project

Day 1:

Explore the Aral Sea and the Colorado River on Google Earth.  Use the time feature on the top bar to watch how the two  change over time.

Day 2:

Learn about how humans have relied on the Aral Sea and learn about the negative consequences of their actions. Use the links below to guide your research:

Dried up Aral Sea Eco-Disaster (Click on #9, Dried up Aral Sea Eco-Disaster)

Shrinkage of the Aral Sea (Click on #14)

Day 3:

Learn about how humans have relied on the Colorado River and learn about how their actions have effected land and water.  Use the links below to guide your research:

America’s most Endangered River (Click on #6)

Colorado River Delta  (Click on #11)

Smithsonian  If for some reason this link doesn’t work, google “Smithsonian, Colorado River Runs Dry” and you should be able to find the video.