Fertile Crescent Review Worksheet
CKLA Knowledge • Early World Civilizations Grade 1 Review
Fertile Crescent Review
Part 1: A Father and His Son in Mesopotamia
Name:
Date:
Read the Story: Warad and Iddin
Long ago, a boy named Iddin and his father, Warad, lived in Mesopotamia. Mesopotamia was a land located between two great rivers: the Tigris River and the Euphrates River. The two rivers were very important to farmers because the water helped water crops like wheat, barley, and dates. Because there were few trees or stones in the land, people built their houses and city walls with bricks made of mud and straw dried in the warm sun. Warad was a merchant who traveled down the river in a wooden boat to trade goods like grain and wool cloth with other towns.
Directions: Look back at the story above. Fill in the bubble next to the best answer.
1
Warad and his son Iddin lived in Mesopotamia, a land between two great rivers named the:
A) Nile River and Red Sea
B) Tigris River and Euphrates River
C) Mississippi River and Amazon River
2
What was Warad’s job as a merchant when traveling down the river on a boat?
A) He caught giant ocean sharks for pets.
B) He traded goods like grain and wool cloth with other towns.
C) He drove a train across the hot desert sand.
3
Because there were few trees or stones, what did people use to build their houses and city walls?
A) Bricks made of mud and straw dried in the warm sun
B) Giant blocks of shiny ice and snow
C) Tall metal towers and glass windows
4
Why were the two rivers so important to Mesopotamian farmers?
A) The river water helped water crops like wheat, barley, and dates.
B) The water turned all the farm fields into salty ice.
C) Farmers only used the water to wash their bicycles.
Turn over for Part 2: Writing in Mesopotamia Page 1 of 2
CKLA Knowledge • Early World Civilizations Lesson 3 Review
Writing in Mesopotamia
Part 2: Scribes, Clay Tablets, and Cuneiform
Review Sheet Continued
Read the Story: Cuneiform and Scribes
In Mesopotamia, people needed a way to remember information. They invented a special wedge-shaped writing system called cuneiform. Boys went to school for many years to become scribes. Scribes learned how to read and write. They used a pointed reed stylus to press wedge shapes into soft, damp clay tablets. After writing, the clay tablets were dried in the hot sun to become hard permanent records. Writing was very helpful to merchants and kings because it helped keep records of trade goods, grain, and laws.
Part A: Look Back and Choose the Best Answer
5
What was the special wedge-shaped writing system invented in Mesopotamia called?
A) Hieroglyphics
B) Cuneiform
C) English alphabet
6
What tools did a Mesopotamian writer use to write down words?
A) A reed stylus pressed into soft, damp clay tablets
B) Yellow pencils and wide-ruled spiral notebooks
C) Steel ink pens and glossy paper
7
Why was writing so helpful to merchants and kings in Mesopotamia?
A) It helped keep records of trade goods, grain, and laws.
B) It gave people games to play on their tablets.
C) It was only used to draw funny cartoon animals.
Part B: Think and Write in Complete Sentences
8
Who were scribes, and why was their job so special?
Sentence helper: Scribes were people who learned how to...
9
What happened to the soft clay tablets after a scribe finished writing on them?
Sentence helper: The clay tablets dried in the sun to become...
Great work reviewing ancient Mesopotamia! Page 2 of 2
