Activity Overview
In this activity students will break down what they have learned about ancient Mesopotamia in a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart. There are many different acronyms that can be helpful when analyzing ancient civilizations and this one is widely used. However, teachers may use whatever they prefer and can simply change the titles in the template.
Using a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart to organize information about ancient Civilizations is a useful tool to enhance students' analysis of the characteristics and contributions of a society. Going further and including visuals helps students to better retain the details of each category.
When learning about ancient Civilizations, students may need teachers to provide a variety of resources. The use of diverse resources such as primary sources, videos, songs, readings from textbooks, encyclopedias and literature can be helpful for students to gain an accurate and complete picture of the time period. Students can use graphic organizers to write notes about the different categories as they learn.
Students Can Collaborate!
Teachers may wish for students to work together on this lesson which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature! With Real Time Collaboration, students can work on the same storyboard at the same time which is perfect for this lesson! As teachers know, collaborating on assignments allows students to think on a deeper level while increasing their communication and problem-solving skills. Collaboration can also help cut down on the time it takes to complete a storyboard. While there is no set limit to the number of users who can work on a storyboard at once, we recommend five users or fewer for optimal performance. All of our assignments default to individual. To make this lesson collaborative, teachers must enable collaboration for the assignment within the "Edit Assignment" tab.
GRAPES Chart
G: Geography
- Where was ancient Mesopotamia located?
- What physical features did it have?
- What was the climate like?
- What natural resources were present?
- How does the location or environment affect the development of ancient Mesopotamia civilization? (How does where they live affect how they live?)
R: Religion
- What type of religion did ancient Mesopotamians practice?
- Who were the religious leaders?
- Who were their god(s)/goddess(es)?
- How did people worship?
- Were there any unique burial practices or beliefs about the afterlife?
A: Achievements
What were some key inventions or contributions of ancient Mesopotamia in the areas of:
- Art
- Architecture
- Writing
- Irrigation
- Inventions
- Mathematics
- Astronomy
P: Politics
- What type of government did ancient Mesopotamia have?
- Who were the leaders?
- How were decisions made?
- What role did people play in the government?
- What was the structure of the government?
E: Economics
- What were ancient Mesopotamia’s natural resources? What did they make and grow?
- With whom did ancient Mesopotamia trade? What were their imports and exports?
- What jobs were available?
- What type of currency exists?
S: Society
- What were the social classes of ancient Mesopotamia?
- What were the roles of men, women and children?
- What groups have rights and what rights do they have?
- What groups don’t have rights?
- What were people’s daily lives like?
Please note: Further activities utilize spider maps to expand on each category. By focusing on just one category, students are encouraged to include more information. Students can come together after they’ve created their storyboards to share what they’ve learned. The full G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart can be used as a pre or post assessment as well.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a chart that describes the different aspects of ancient Mesopotamia: Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economy and Social Structure.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Write a 1-3 sentence description of each cell.
- Create an illustration that represents each category using appropriate scenes, characters, and items. To find images that relate to ancient Mesopotamia, type “Mesopotamia” into the search bar.
- Save and exit when you're done.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Text and images include a clear explanation of the 6 important categories: geography, religion, achievements, politics, economy, and social structure. | Text and images include an explanation of important facts, but the explanation may lack clarity or there may be some inaccuracies. | Text and images do not explain important facts. Information is mostly missing or inaccurate. |
| Storyboard Images and Effort | Student clearly shows effort to convey the facts through appropriate scenes, characters, items, symbols or infographics. Illustrations clearly show that time, care and effort have been put in. | Student attempts to convey facts through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail. | Student does not clearly convey facts and the depictions are inaccurate or inappropriate. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors. | Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar. | Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar. |
Activity Overview
In this activity students will break down what they have learned about ancient Mesopotamia in a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart. There are many different acronyms that can be helpful when analyzing ancient civilizations and this one is widely used. However, teachers may use whatever they prefer and can simply change the titles in the template.
Using a G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart to organize information about ancient Civilizations is a useful tool to enhance students' analysis of the characteristics and contributions of a society. Going further and including visuals helps students to better retain the details of each category.
When learning about ancient Civilizations, students may need teachers to provide a variety of resources. The use of diverse resources such as primary sources, videos, songs, readings from textbooks, encyclopedias and literature can be helpful for students to gain an accurate and complete picture of the time period. Students can use graphic organizers to write notes about the different categories as they learn.
Students Can Collaborate!
Teachers may wish for students to work together on this lesson which is possible with Storyboard That's Real Time Collaboration feature! With Real Time Collaboration, students can work on the same storyboard at the same time which is perfect for this lesson! As teachers know, collaborating on assignments allows students to think on a deeper level while increasing their communication and problem-solving skills. Collaboration can also help cut down on the time it takes to complete a storyboard. While there is no set limit to the number of users who can work on a storyboard at once, we recommend five users or fewer for optimal performance. All of our assignments default to individual. To make this lesson collaborative, teachers must enable collaboration for the assignment within the "Edit Assignment" tab.
GRAPES Chart
G: Geography
- Where was ancient Mesopotamia located?
- What physical features did it have?
- What was the climate like?
- What natural resources were present?
- How does the location or environment affect the development of ancient Mesopotamia civilization? (How does where they live affect how they live?)
R: Religion
- What type of religion did ancient Mesopotamians practice?
- Who were the religious leaders?
- Who were their god(s)/goddess(es)?
- How did people worship?
- Were there any unique burial practices or beliefs about the afterlife?
A: Achievements
What were some key inventions or contributions of ancient Mesopotamia in the areas of:
- Art
- Architecture
- Writing
- Irrigation
- Inventions
- Mathematics
- Astronomy
P: Politics
- What type of government did ancient Mesopotamia have?
- Who were the leaders?
- How were decisions made?
- What role did people play in the government?
- What was the structure of the government?
E: Economics
- What were ancient Mesopotamia’s natural resources? What did they make and grow?
- With whom did ancient Mesopotamia trade? What were their imports and exports?
- What jobs were available?
- What type of currency exists?
S: Society
- What were the social classes of ancient Mesopotamia?
- What were the roles of men, women and children?
- What groups have rights and what rights do they have?
- What groups don’t have rights?
- What were people’s daily lives like?
Please note: Further activities utilize spider maps to expand on each category. By focusing on just one category, students are encouraged to include more information. Students can come together after they’ve created their storyboards to share what they’ve learned. The full G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart can be used as a pre or post assessment as well.
Template and Class Instructions
(These instructions are completely customizable. After clicking "Copy Activity", update the instructions on the Edit Tab of the assignment.)
Due Date:
Objective: Create a chart that describes the different aspects of ancient Mesopotamia: Geography, Religion, Achievements, Politics, Economy and Social Structure.
Student Instructions:
- Click "Start Assignment".
- Write a 1-3 sentence description of each cell.
- Create an illustration that represents each category using appropriate scenes, characters, and items. To find images that relate to ancient Mesopotamia, type “Mesopotamia” into the search bar.
- Save and exit when you're done.
Lesson Plan Reference
Rubric
(You can also create your own on Quick Rubric.)
| Proficient | Emerging | Beginning | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Facts | Text and images include a clear explanation of the 6 important categories: geography, religion, achievements, politics, economy, and social structure. | Text and images include an explanation of important facts, but the explanation may lack clarity or there may be some inaccuracies. | Text and images do not explain important facts. Information is mostly missing or inaccurate. |
| Storyboard Images and Effort | Student clearly shows effort to convey the facts through appropriate scenes, characters, items, symbols or infographics. Illustrations clearly show that time, care and effort have been put in. | Student attempts to convey facts through use of graphics, but the depiction may be confusing, disordered, or lack some detail. | Student does not clearly convey facts and the depictions are inaccurate or inappropriate. |
| Spelling and Grammar | Student uses exemplary spelling and grammar. There are no errors. | Student makes one or two minor errors in spelling and grammar. | Student makes multiple errors in spelling and grammar. |
How To Prepare a Comprehensive Research Report on Ancient Mesopotamia
Perform Initial Research
Assign the students to perform initial research to acquaint themselves with the subject matter they have selected. To obtain knowledge, use scholarly publications, textbooks, and reliable websites. Teachers can also have an initial discussion in the classroom where they can explain some important facts regarding Ancient Mesopotamia and encourage the students to perform their own research once they are familiar with the facts.
Form an Outline
Help students develop a well-organized report outline. Included here should be an introduction, background data, methodology (if any), key findings, analysis, and conclusion. Ask the students to narrow down a research topic. Students can focus on one topic for their research, but for a comprehensive report, they can also focus on other aspects to show interconnectedness.
Arrange Visits (Optional)
Encourage the students to check out any nearby museums or exhibitions that feature items from Mesopotamia. Their comprehension can be improved and insightful information can be gained from this practical experience. Also, ask the students to collect data from primary sources if available as it can give a more interesting aspect to the report.
Conclude and Give Analysis
Students should be encouraged to clearly and concisely convey their major results and analysis. This might be talking about Mesopotamian accomplishments, societal structures, technical developments, or anything else pertinent to their study issue.
Reflect and Discuss
Once all the students finish their reports, they can share their major findings and insights with the rest of the class. Students with similar topics can build on each other’s analysis and share their perspectives to create a healthy class environment for discussion.
Frequently Asked Questions About Ancient Mesopotamia G.R.A.P.E.S. Chart
What were the primary accomplishments of the Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization?
The development of mathematics, the establishment of the first written code (the Code of Hammurabi), the invention of writing (cuneiform), and the construction of architectural marvels like ziggurats were among the accomplishments of ancient Mesopotamia. Since this civilization was the first civilization in the world, their contributions hold a significant place in history.
Which religious customs were common in Ancient Mesopotamia?
Religious polytheism was prevalent in Ancient Mesopotamia. The city-states had their deities, and among their religious customs were building temples (ziggurats) and performing rituals and sacrifices.
What effects did Mesopotamia's geographical location have on its agricultural practices and patterns of settlement?
Agriculture was made easier by the topography, especially the rivers and the rich soil. In order to regulate the flow of water and enable the growth of crops and the development of permanent populations, irrigation systems were created. These irrigation systems have been contributing to the agricultural systems for thousands of years all over the world.
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