The Mesopotamians built massive ziggurats, which were pyramids that represented mountains. The ziggurat was built in successively smaller platforms until reaching the top, where a temple was located. Students can attempt to build a ziggurat using sugar cubes. Strips of paper, folded accordian-style and then straightened, work well to represent the long flights of stairs that led the way up the front and sides of the ziggurat.
The river was important to Mesopotamian life. It was a means of transportation as well as fertilizing the soil and providing water. The Mesopotamians often traded along the rivers using small canoe-like boats and frequently used barley as a form of currency. Once the wheel, originally used to make pottery, was adapted for transportation, Mesopotamians developed carts pulled by donkeys. Students can create a diorama of a river scene that might include boats being full of barley brought by donkey carts.
The Sumerians, one of the city-states in Mesopotamia, used cuneiform to write in clay tablets. They made the wedge-shaped characters with a sharp piece of reed while the clay was wet and soft. The clay was then baked to harden it and make a permanent record of the writing on it. The people who were responsible for keeping records were known as scribes. Students can attempt to make cuneiform symbols in clay. There are many online sources that have examples of actual cuneiform symbols. After creating their clay tablets, the students can exchange them and try to read what others wrote.
The Babylonians were another Mesopotamian people. King Hammurabi created a famous code of laws that covered all of the society's activities, including criminal law and family law as well as regulating business and trade. Students can attempt to come up with 10 laws that would fit a civilization such as Mesopotamia and then describe why they feel those laws would be necessary.
Homes in Mesopotamia were often created out of mud bricks. Many of the houses were basically square buildings with no windows, but with a central courtyard. The family would sleep on mats on the roofs of the houses. Students can create tiny mud bricks or clay bricks and build a model house.