Sumer and Babylon: city-states, irrigation, cuneiform and written law

Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

NameDate

Circle the best answer.

Read this first

Land between two rivers

Feature	What it is	Why it mattered
Tigris and Euphrates rivers	two rivers that run through Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq	?
Irrigation canals	channels dug from the rivers to the fields	carried water to crops in a dry land
City-states	cities, each with its own government and farmland	farm towns grew into busy trading cities

The cell marked ? is blank.

1.
Esme's chart has a blank: why did the Tigris and Euphrates matter?
- Cities with their own government
- Channels dug to the fields
- Water for farms and a route for boats
- Rain falling on the farms for the whole year
2.
Jun's chart has a blank: what are irrigation canals?
- Channels dug from the rivers to fields
- Clouds that bring rain to fields
- Two rivers in modern Iraq
- Walls of mud brick built around the city
3.
Kira's chart has a blank: what were city-states?
- Two rivers
- Cities, each with its own government
- One country with one ruler
- Channels to the fields

Land between two rivers

Feature	What it is	Why it mattered
Tigris and Euphrates rivers	two rivers that run through Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq	water for farms and a route for boats
Irrigation canals	channels dug from the rivers to the fields	carried water to crops in a dry land
City-states	cities, each with its own government and farmland	farm towns grew into busy trading cities

4.
Luz reads that Mesopotamia is a Greek name. What does it mean?
- Land between rivers
- Land of deserts
- Land of the sea
- Land of high mountains
5.
Milo reads the word irrigation. What does it mean?
- Bringing water to crops through channels
- Planting seeds in rows
- Storing grain for winter
- Waiting for rain to water crops
6.
Noah reads that Sumer was divided into city-states. What is a city-state?
- A street inside a city
- A state with no cities
- A river between two cities
- A city that governs itself and its land
7.
Southern Mesopotamia has a dry climate. Why did farmers dig canals, Pia asks?
- Because rain flooded the fields daily
- To keep boats away from farms
- To carry river water to dry fields
- To drain the rivers dry
8.
Canals brought water to more fields. What was one effect, Ren asks?
- Farmers needed fewer fields
- Farmers could grow more crops
- Rain began to fall more often
- The rivers moved to the canals
9.
Most of Mesopotamia lies in which modern country, Ari asks?
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Italy
- India
10.
Where do the Tigris and Euphrates have their headwaters, Bo asks?
- In highlands to the north
- In the desert, far west
- In the city-states
- In the Gulf, to the south

Sumer and Babylon: city-states, irrigation, cuneiform and written law

Answer Key - Grade 6 Social Studies Worksheet - Building Confidence

Circle the best answer.

Read this first

Land between two rivers

Feature	What it is	Why it mattered
Tigris and Euphrates rivers	two rivers that run through Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq	?
Irrigation canals	channels dug from the rivers to the fields	carried water to crops in a dry land
City-states	cities, each with its own government and farmland	farm towns grew into busy trading cities

The cell marked ? is blank.

1.
Esme's chart has a blank: why did the Tigris and Euphrates matter?
- Cities with their own government
- Channels dug to the fields
- Water for farms and a route for boats
- Rain falling on the farms for the whole year
2.
Jun's chart has a blank: what are irrigation canals?
- Channels dug from the rivers to fields
- Clouds that bring rain to fields
- Two rivers in modern Iraq
- Walls of mud brick built around the city
3.
Kira's chart has a blank: what were city-states?
- Two rivers
- Cities, each with its own government
- One country with one ruler
- Channels to the fields

Land between two rivers

Feature	What it is	Why it mattered
Tigris and Euphrates rivers	two rivers that run through Mesopotamia, in modern Iraq	water for farms and a route for boats
Irrigation canals	channels dug from the rivers to the fields	carried water to crops in a dry land
City-states	cities, each with its own government and farmland	farm towns grew into busy trading cities

4.
Luz reads that Mesopotamia is a Greek name. What does it mean?
- Land between rivers
- Land of deserts
- Land of the sea
- Land of high mountains
5.
Milo reads the word irrigation. What does it mean?
- Bringing water to crops through channels
- Planting seeds in rows
- Storing grain for winter
- Waiting for rain to water crops
6.
Noah reads that Sumer was divided into city-states. What is a city-state?
- A street inside a city
- A state with no cities
- A river between two cities
- A city that governs itself and its land
7.
Southern Mesopotamia has a dry climate. Why did farmers dig canals, Pia asks?
- Because rain flooded the fields daily
- To keep boats away from farms
- To carry river water to dry fields
- To drain the rivers dry
8.
Canals brought water to more fields. What was one effect, Ren asks?
- Farmers needed fewer fields
- Farmers could grow more crops
- Rain began to fall more often
- The rivers moved to the canals
9.
Most of Mesopotamia lies in which modern country, Ari asks?
- Egypt
- Iraq
- Italy
- India
10.
Where do the Tigris and Euphrates have their headwaters, Bo asks?
- In highlands to the north
- In the desert, far west
- In the city-states
- In the Gulf, to the south