Ancient Sumer

History | UKS2 | Unit Overview

Introduction
This ancient Sumer unit will teach your class about the early civilisation of ancient Sumer. They will use their geographical skills to locate
where in the world Sumer was and explore why it was such a unique location. The children will also have the opportunity to learn about
different aspects of life during the ancient Sumerian period, including what it was like to live in a city state and how Sumerian inventions
had a lasting influence on the wider world. In addition to this they will learn about the religious beliefs and practices of this ancient
civilisation and analyse a range of artefacts and evidence.

Assessment Statements
By the end of this unit...
...all children should be able to:
• Describe where in the world ancient Sumer
was.
Home Learning
Ziggurats: In this task the children have the opportunity to research • Describe some key features of this early
more about Ziggurats and present their findings in their own unique civilisation.
way. • Describe some artefacts that have been
discovered.
Crossword: In this task the children have to use their knowledge on
a range of ancient Sumer topics to answer clues and complete the
crossword. ...most children will be able to:
• Describe how advances made in ancient
Sumer have impacted on the wider world.
• Communicate their learning by composing
historically valid accounts on different
aspects of the civilisation.
• Ask and answer questions to demonstrate
their understanding.
Wider Learning
This quiz puts the childrens' knowledge about the Royal Game of Ur
to the test. ...some children will be able to:
• Compare and contrast features of the
ancient Sumerian civilisation with other
early civilisations.
• Analyse multiple sources of evidence.
• Understand and explain how and why
contrasting interpretations of the ancient
Sumerian civilisation exist.

To look at all the resources in the Ancient Sumer unit click here.
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Lesson Breakdown Resources

1. Location and Era • Atlases

• World maps
Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of world history, establishing clear
narratives within and across periods they study by
knowing when and where the ancient Sumerian civilisation
first appeared.
• I can say when and where the ancient Sumerian
civilisation first appeared.

2. Life in the City States

Continue to develop a chronologically secure knowledge
and understanding of world history, establishing clear
narratives within and across periods they study by learning
about the ancient Sumer city states and what it was like
to live in one.
• I can explain what the city states were like and
describe the characteristics of a city, the homes and
the lives of the people who live there.

3. Making Their Mark • Clay

• Styluses
Regularly address and sometimes devise historically
valid questions about change, cause, similarity and
difference and significance by comparing the academic
and technological achievements of the ancient Sumerian
people (e.g. in writing, maths, science and technology) with
other early civilisations and the influence on the world
today.
• I can understand how and why the ancient Sumerian
people made an impact on the world with their
inventions and technologies.

4. Gods and Religion • Collage materials

Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful

selection and organisation of historical information by
learning about the religious beliefs of the people of ancient
Sumer.
• I can explain some of the religious beliefs and
practices of the people of ancient Sumer.

5. Artefacts and Culture

Understand how our knowledge of the past is constructed
from a range of sources and that different versions of past
events may exist, giving some reasons for this through
examining artefacts from ancient Sumer.
• I can examine artefacts use by the ancient Sumerian
people and understand what they tell us about their
culture.

6. Agricultural Ambassadors
Construct informed responses that involve thoughtful
selection and organisation of historical information by
finding out about ancient Sumerian farming techniques
and methods.
• I can describe some farming equipment used by the
people of ancient Sumer and say what crops they
grew and what animals they farmed.

To look at all the resources in the Ancient Sumer unit click here. National Curriculum Aim Lesson Context Child Friendly

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