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

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?
- Waiting for rain to water crops
- Storing grain for winter
- Bringing water to crops through channels
- Planting seeds in rows
6.
Noah reads that Sumer was divided into city-states. What is a city-state?
- A street inside a city
- A river between two cities
- A city that governs itself and its land
- A state with no cities
7.
Southern Mesopotamia has a dry climate. Why did farmers dig canals, Pia asks?
- Because rain flooded the fields daily
- To drain the rivers dry
- To carry river water to dry fields
- To keep boats away from farms
8.
Canals brought water to more fields. What was one effect, Ren asks?
- Farmers could grow more crops
- Rain began to fall more often
- Farmers needed fewer fields
- The rivers moved to the canals
9.
Most of Mesopotamia lies in which modern country, Ari asks?
- Iraq
- India
- Italy
- Egypt
10.
Where do the Tigris and Euphrates have their headwaters, Bo asks?
- In highlands to the north
- In the city-states
- In the desert, far west
- 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?
- Rain falling on the farms for the whole year
- Water for farms and a route for boats
- Cities with their own government
- Channels dug to the fields
2.
Jun's chart has a blank: what are irrigation canals?
- Clouds that bring rain to fields
- Channels dug from the rivers to fields
- Walls of mud brick built around the city
- Two rivers in modern Iraq
3.
Kira's chart has a blank: what were city-states?
- One country with one ruler
- Channels to the fields
- Two rivers
- Cities, each with its own government

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