SWBAT explain how early writing forms influenced the lives of Mesopotamians as well as recognize the word Cuneiform.

Calisthenics: Take out your social studies binder, a pen/pencil, colored

pencils and sit absolutely silently.

DO NOW page 63 IAN

• What do you think the world would be like without writing? How does writing affect your daily life?

A written language

• By 3,000BCE the Sumerians invented writing to meet business needs– As trade expanded, merchants needed records of

exchanges.

• Labeling goods– Marked outside of container with symbols of

product inside

Pictographs!• These symbols are called Pictographs!

• Pictographs means “picture writing”– In time the Sumerians began writing pictographs on clay tablets

• At first they showed objects later they showed ideas and sounds

• By combining sounds they could create more words• Over time they stopped using pictures and began using

wedged shaped symbols.

Cuneiform

These wedge shaped symbols were called Cuneiform.

They had about 600 different symbols learning all of these took YEARSAs a result few people could read/write

Scribes

• People who could read/write were called scribes.

• Scribes were professional record keepers

• They were highly respected

Video!

• http://player.discoveryeducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=9EB01043-6FC4-45BD-BD39-D5414CA3D012&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

• Scribe: • http://player.discoverye

ducation.com/index.cfm?guidAssetId=9EB01043-6FC4-45BD-BD39-D5414CA3D012&blnFromSearch=1&productcode=US

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TCAP practice

• 1. As ancient societies became more complex, what invention helped people organize and keep track of their activities?– A. the epic– B. fire– C. writing– D. the wheel