2.2 Inventing Writing

AGE 2. The Time of Greeks and Romans
2.2 Inventing Writing

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This lesson contains 39 slides, with interactive quizzes and text slides.

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AGE 2. The Time of Greeks and Romans
2.2 Inventing Writing

Slide 1 - Slide

What is this lesson about?
Merchants in Sumer started to write down what they traded. The signs they used are called cuneiform and it was soon picked up by priests and people in surrounding countries. The Egyptians developed their own way of writing: hieroglyphs. Writing helps us to remember and to share knowledge. The invention of writing marks the end of prehistory and the start of history.



Slide 2 - Slide

What you can explain /  do after this lesson
  • that both the Sumerians and Egyptians were able to write, ending prehistory
  • who were able to write in Egypt and Sumer
  • explain why writing was developed and why this is an important invention

Slide 3 - Slide

Word Duty





Rosetta Stone: tablet which was used to decipher Egyptian writing
Cuneiform: Sumerian way of writing with symbols and lines
Gilgamesh: legendary king of Uruk, whose adventures are written down in an epic
Hieroglyphs: Egyptian form of writing in which drawings are used instead of letters
Papyrus: plant, the stems of which were used to write on
Scribe: someone who writes as his job
Civil servant: someone who works for the government
Antiquity: time period in history during which people invented writing and the first civilisations arose

Link to WRTS wordlist for all the other difficult words: WRTS HISTORY










KEY WORDS

Slide 4 - Slide

TIMELINE of this CHAPTER

Slide 5 - Slide

1. Read "Unravelling an ancient secret".

a.
Who translated the hieroglyphs, according to the text?


Slide 6 - Open question

1. Read the sticky note and answer the following question:

b.
Why is it not strange that the Rosetta stone was found by a Frenchman?



Slide 7 - Open question

1. Study source 2.10. The Rosetta stone is written in three languages.

c.
Explain why this made it possible to decipher the stone.



Slide 8 - Open question

Slide 9 - Link

1d. Use the website to find out when the Rosetta Stone was made and why it included a Greek text.




Slide 10 - Open question

Teacher's Tip:
If a question asks you to "use the source" it is important that you do so. 
If the source is a picture, you can describe what you SEE. You can start your answer with: 
"In the source I see......", or: "The source shows...."

If the source is a text, you can copy a passage from that text. You can start your answer with:
"The source says:......."
Got it? Now use this to answer question 2a.

Slide 11 - Slide

2. Read "The ancient Sumerians: the inventors of writing". Study source 2.11.

a.
Explain why it was useful for merchants to write.
Begin your answer with: "In the source you can see...."

Slide 12 - Open question

2b. Explain what the first writing looked like and give an example.




Slide 13 - Open question

2c. Explain what is meant by cuneiform. Use the text.




Slide 14 - Open question

3. Imagine that you lived in ancient Sumer and that you had invented writing.

a.
How could you convince others of its usefulness? Think up two arguments. Use words like: useful, remember, list, show, product(s).





Slide 15 - Open question

3. Compare your answer with three other students.

b.
Write down two arguments that differ from the ones that you found.






Slide 16 - Open question

4. Read "Writers in ancient Egypt".

a.
What did the Egyptians write on?







Slide 17 - Open question

4b. Which new profession emerged in Egypt?

(write down one word only)





Slide 18 - Open question

4c. Where did rich Egyptian children learn how to write?






Slide 19 - Open question

4d. Why would a family be proud if a young Egyptian learned to write?






Slide 20 - Open question

Teacher's Tip:
If you need to write DIFFERENCES in your answer it is important that you ALWAYS mention BOTH things that you are comparing.
For example: What is the difference between a fish and a bird?
WRONG ANSWER: "a bird has feathers"
CORRECT ANSWER: " a bird has feathers and a fish has scales"
Got it? Now use this to answer question 4e.

Slide 21 - Slide

4e. Think up two differences and a similarity between writing and learning to write in ancient Egypt, and the way we do that nowadays.






Slide 22 - Open question

5a. Study these hieroglyphs. Some messages are written
on the temple wall. Can you decipher these?







Slide 23 - Open question

5b. Study these hieroglyphs. Some messages are written
on the temple wall. Can you decipher these?







Slide 24 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

a.
sahilgmeg








Slide 25 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

b.
yphogrlsieh








Slide 26 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

c.
yruspap








Slide 27 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

d.
uitynqtia








Slide 28 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

e.
intivl cervas








Slide 29 - Open question

6. The letters of the following key-words are all mixed up.
Write down the correct words.

f.
rimonfcue








Slide 30 - Open question

7a. Which time period ended and which one began
when writing was discovered?








Slide 31 - Open question

7b. Give three arguments from the book that teach us
why writing is important.








Slide 32 - Open question

7c. Explain why we don’t know the thoughts of people in prehistory.








Slide 33 - Open question

8. Study source 2.14 in "Why is writing so special?"

a.
Name a difference between hieroglyphic writing and the other writings.
(remember the "teacher's tip" about "differences"?)









Slide 34 - Open question

8b. Which of the writings seems most useful to you?
Discuss your answer with your neighbour and write it down.


Begin your answer with: "The most useful one to me seems to be ...."









Slide 35 - Open question

8. Four out of five arrows point at rivers on the map.

c.
Discuss with your neighbour and try to explain why most written sources are found close to rivers. Use the word civilisation in your answer.










Slide 36 - Open question

9. In this exercise you will practise Skill 5: Recognising the
influence of the past.

Explain why the discovery of writing still influences the present.











Slide 37 - Open question

Write down one question about something from this lesson that you find difficult.

Slide 38 - Open question

congratulations

Slide 39 - Slide