Ancient River Valley Civilizations

Lesson Plan - Get It!

Audio:

Ancient civilizations developed around rivers.

• With the possibility of rivers flooding, why would people choose to live near rivers?

To answer that question, you must discover how geography, climate, and natural resources led ancient civilizations to develop in river valleys.

As you explore the resources below, take notes either in your notebook or using the Graphic Organizer - Cluster Graph found under Downloadable Resources in the right-hand sidebar.

Think about the following questions as you take notes.

• What was the name of the ancient civilization?
• In what present-day area was it located?
• What rivers were located near the civilization?
• What impact did the rivers have on the civilization?
• How did the rivers help or harm the people of the civilization?
• What were the benefits and drawbacks of the civilization's location?

For an overview an ancient river civilizations, watch the video below.

Next, delve deeper into several civilizations mentioned in the video.

• Ancient Egypt: Life along the Nile
• The Early Middle East: Life in Sumer
• South Asia India and Beyond: Early Civilization in the Indus Valley
• China: Shang Dynasty - China's First Recorded History

When you are ready, continue to the Got It? section to see why people settled where they did.