Daily Skill & Key Concept Based Mini-Review Assessments

Text Investigation

MesopotamiaWarm-ups for

Finding Supporting Evidence ReviewSupporting evidence sentences are fact-based sentences that support a main idea, topic sentence or claim. Throughout these warm-ups, the supporting evidence will add details that support a claim.The evidence consists of examples, quotes, excerpts, facts and reasons that support the claim, or prove that it is true.

Claim: The Sahara desert is large.

See, it supports the claim and provides further detail!

Key Concept: Geography Skill: Finding Supporting Evidence“[1] I am above 5000 feet. [2] I am south of the Caspian Sea. [3] I am a small mountain range. [4] I am the Taurus Mountains” (Mesopotamia Geography Scavenger Hunt 5).1. Which sentence(s) best support(s) the topic sentence, “The

Taurus Mountains are a fairly small in comparison to larger mountain ranges such as the Zagros Mountains which reach above 14,000 feet”?

A. sentence [1] & [2]B. sentence [2] & [4]C. sentence [1] & [3]

Key Concept: Economy Skill: Finding Supporting Evidence“[1] Surplus of crops enabled cities to grow into trading centers. [2] Division of labor leads to specialized, non-agricultural jobs like artisans, builders and metalworkers. [3] Goods were traded as far as Egypt and Pakistan. [4] Developed trade routes which were traveled by caravan. [5] Used animals and wheeled carts to move large amounts of goods” (Mesopotamia Notes and Graphic Organizer 2).

1. Which bullet point from the notes best supports the topic sentence, “The Sumerians of Ancient Mesopotamia invented the wheel”?

A. sentence [1]B. sentence [3]C. sentence [5]

Key Concept: Achievements Skill: Finding Supporting Evidence

“[1] Cuneiform was the form of writing developed by the Sumerians. [2] Earlier writing systems relied on pictographs, in which a small picture represented a thing, like an animal or water. [3] In cuneiform, on the other hand, symbols represented syllables, or parts of words, which could be used to represent more abstract ideas, such as “love” or “power” (Historical Snapshot: Mesopotamia 4). 1. Which sentence best supports the topic sentence, “Sumerians of Ancient

Mesopotamia created the first sound based writing system”?

A. sentence [1]B. sentence [2]C. sentence [3]

Key Concept: Religion Skill: Finding Supporting Evidence

“[1] Sumerians believed that each one of their city-states had its own unique god to look after them. [2] Priests, who performed religious ceremonies, had great status in Sumerian society. [3] They communicated with the gods, made religious offerings, and performed religious ceremonies” (Historical Snapshot: Mesopotamia 5).

1. Which sentence best supports the topic sentence, “The God most revered (respected) in Sumerians society depended largely on the location of where a person lived”?

A. sentence [1]B. sentence [2]C. sentence [3]

Key Concept: Government Skill: Finding Supporting Evidence

“[1] Hammurabi was creating a system of laws known as Hammurabi’s Code. [2] This code was actually a set of 282 laws that governed all parts of daily life, and was written down for everyone to see. [3] Specific laws governed everything from trading, marriage, theft, and injury, to murder” (Historical Snapshot: Mesopotamia 3).1. Which sentence above best supports the topic sentence,

“Hammurabi's Code governed many aspects of of civilians daily lives”?

A. sentence [1]B. sentence [2] C. sentence [3]

Key Concept: Social Classes Skill: Finding Supporting EvidenceAccording to Mesopotamia Notes and Graphic Organizer, Mesopotamia “[1] Had first ever monarchy (king or queen rule). King and royal family were at top of social order. [2] The middle class made up the majority of society. [3] Slaves were common, acquired from conquered territories” (2).

1. Which sentence above supports the topic sentence, “An entire social class of Ancient Mesopotamia was comprised (made up) of those captured from neighboring lands during battle”?

A. sentence [1]B. sentence [2]C. sentence [3]

Key Concept: Religion & Achievement Skill: Interpreting Text“When the gods created Gilgamesh they gave him a perfect body. Shamash the glorious sun endowed him with beauty, Adad the god of the storm endowed him with courage, the great gods made his beauty perfect, surpassing all others, terrifying like a great wild bull. Two thirds they made him god and one third man” (The Epic of Gilgamesh Document Analysis, 1).

1.

A. Considered every human a demi-god (part god, part man).B. Were polytheistic (believed in many gods).C. Neither A or B.D. Both A and B are correct.

Key Concept: Government Skill: Interpreting TextAccording to the Mesopotamia Stations, “The separate city-states were run by their own individual government and led by a king whose line was passed down through heritage. The kings had complete control over their particular city-state, but also hired others to be officials in order to help with the administration of the area. The king and his officials oversaw taxes, food, and law-making, in addition to large building projects” (9).

1. What could you predict from the excerpt?

A. City-states would eventually become part of several empires. B. Officials held a lot of power within their jurisdiction (area of control).C. Sumerian Kings completed many building projects over time.

Key Concept: Government Skill: Interpreting Text

According to the Hammurabi's’ Code, "If a merchant give an agent corn, wool, oil, or any other goods to transport, the agent shall give a receipt for the amount, and compensate (pay) the merchant therefor. Then he shall obtain a receipt from the merchant for the money that he gives the merchant" (24).

1. What could you infer from the primary source excerpt?

A. The economy of Ancient Mesopotamia was based on the trade of goods such as corn, wool and leather.

B. Ancient Sumerians were concerned with documenting trade to ensure fair payment for traded goods.

C. Merchants were in the highest class.

Key Concept: Geography and Economy Skill: Interpreting Text“Mesopotamia, which means “the land between the rivers”, is located in the river valley between the Euphrates and Tigris Rivers. The soil is very rich and fertile in this area, which allows for farming. During Spring the rivers overflow and deposit fertile silt into the land. Mastery of irrigation techniques allowed the people of the region to grow a surplus of crops, and develop cities as trading and governing centers” (Mesopotamia Stations 4-5).

1. What could you conclude from the excerpt and the map (right)? A. Mesopotamian economy centered

around agriculture.B. It was hard to grow food in the fertile

crescent.C. Most of the farming was done in

villages.

Key Concept: Social Classes Skill: Interpreting Text“Amata: Sumerian women have many rights. I divorced my abusive husband and worked hard to become a scribe. I plan to save up money and buy land of my own someday.Dr. Craig Zee: Yes, unlike many other ancient civilizations, Sumerian women were treated with respect and given many privileges that women in other parts of the world were not” (Live Report from Mesopotamia Script 7).

1. What could you conclude from the excerpt?

A. Sumerian women had the opportunity to work in their society.B. Women in some other ancient cultures could not own land.C. Both A and B.

Developing Strong Commentary ReviewIn academic writing, after each supporting sentence the writer should provide commentary. Commentary explains how the evidence supports the claim and often gives further detail about the supporting sentence topic.

Describe how the following supporting sentence evidence relates to the claim, or expand on the evidence by giving further detail.

Here’s How!

You try It! Developing Strong Commentary ReviewClaim: Marco Polo inspired European trade with Asia.

Evidence: “He [Marco Polo] dictated his stories to a writer, who published the work entitled The Travels of Marco Polo in 1299. The circulation of the book throughout early Renaissance Europe lead to the interest and eventual bolstering of Asian trade”(Tour of Italy Renaissance Stations, Destination Rome Station).

You Try it! Try Writing Commentary that supports the claim and adds further detail.

Possible Answer

Key Concept: Economy Skill: Developing Strong CommentaryClaim: Mesopotamian caravans traveled very far to trade.

“ Traders traveled in caravans through trade routes in order to trade other regions for certain resources Mesopotamia lacked, such as metals, wood, and salt” (Mesopotamia Stations 5).

1. Which commentary sentence is best?

A. The Sumerians, the first civilization of Mesopotamia, invented the wheeled cart to carry more resources across the land.

B. Sumerian trade extended to far-off regions like Egypt and Pakistan. These goods were often moved by cart-pulling donkeys and camels.

Why? Because it provides further detail while supporting the claim.

Credit at the end of a Sentence- Citing Supporting Evidence Review

Give Credit at the End of the Sentence

Claim: The Sahara desert is large

Paraphrasing- Citing Supporting Evidence Review

You Try it! Try paraphrasing the Above text.

Answer

Paraphrasing- Citing Supporting Evidence Review

Key Concept: Government Skill: Citing EvidenceSource: Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, Page 4, Author not specified.Excerpt: “North of Sumer laid the Akkadians. Although their civilizations were similar, they were not Sumerians, and spoke a different language. The Sumerians and Akkadians lived in peace for many years until King Sargon, a strong ruler of the Akkadian empire, built a large city on the banks of the Euphrates, near modern-day Baghdad”1. How would this evidence be properly cited?

A. According to the Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, “Excerpt here” (4).

B. “Excerpt here.” (Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, page 4)C. “Excerpt here.” (Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, page 4).

Key Concept: Achievements Skill: Finding Supporting EvidenceSource: Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, Page 4, Author not specified“They installed a King Nebuchadnezzar in Babylon, who rebuilt it into a beautiful new kingdom. Under his rule,[it] again became a place of cultural achievements, including the famous hanging gardens of Babylon, the creation of a calendar system, and advancements in astronomy and geometry.” 1. How would this evidence be properly cited?

A. According to Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, “Excerpt” (page 5). B. “Excerpt” (Mesopotamia Historical Snapshot, 4).C. It is cited correct above.