On this page: General Resources | Myths & Legends
general resources
📖 Life in Ancient Mesopotamia by Shilpa Mehta-Jones. This title in the Peoples of the Ancient World series provides a fine introduction to Mesopotamian culture for elementary kids. Another option is Mesopotamia from DK Eyewitness Books. – Elementary • Middle
📖 The Ancient Near Eastern World by Amanda Podany and Marni McGee. This entry in the World in Ancient Times series gives a great overview of the Ancient Near East for Middle School students. Learn about the growth of towns and cities, the invention of writing, the religion and daily life of ancient Mesopotamians, and the empires and peoples of the region–the Hittites, Israelites, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. – Middle
📖 You Wouldn’t Want to Be a Sumerian Slave!: A Life of Hard Labor You’d Rather Avoid by Jacqueline Morley and David Antram. Learn about daily life and slavery in Ancient Sumer in this title in the You Wouldn’t Want to… series. – Elementary • Middle
📖 You Wouldn't Want to Be an Assyrian Soldier! An Ancient Army You'd Rather Not Join by Rupert Matthews and David Antram. Experience the hardships of the life of a soldier in the Assyrian army in this entry in the You Wouldn’t Want to… series. – Elementary • Middle
💻 Art of the Ancient Near East from Khan Academy. This series of videos and articles covers the history and art of Ancient Mesopotamia. Learn about the Sumerians, Akkadians, Babylonians, Assyrians, and Persians. Study ziggurats, cuneiform writing, the Standard of Ur, the Law Code of Hammurabi, the Ishtar Gate, the Towers of Babel, and much more. The material is presented at a fairly high level; great for upper middle or high. – ​Middle • High
▶️ NEW • The rise and fall of history’s first empire from TED-Ed. Here is an excellent, concise introduction to the rise and fall of the Sumerian empire. – All
▶️ NEW • A day in the life of an ancient Babylonian business mogul from TED-Ed. It’s 1762 BCE. As dawn breaks in the Babylonian city of Sippar, Beltani— a priestess and businesswoman— receives an urgent visit from her brother. He makes a troubling accusation: her tavern keeper has been undermining the business Beltani relies on in her old age. – All
▶️ Who was the world’s first author? from TED-Ed. Travel back in time to ancient Mesopotamia and meet Enheduanna, a high priestess and the world’s first author. This fascinating TED-Ed lesson also gives a glimpse into Mesopotamian life during the time of Sargon. – Middle • High
▶️ The rise and fall of the Assyrian Empire from TED-Ed. “Before the sun never set on the British Empire; before Genghis Khan swept the steppe; before Rome extended its influence to encircle the Mediterranean Sea; there was ancient Assyria. Considered by historians to be the first true empire, Assyria’s innovations laid the groundwork for every superpower that has followed.” – All
▶️ We're the Mesopotamians by They Might Be Giants. TMBG envision Mesopotamian notables Sargon, Hammurabi, Ashurbanipal, and Gilgamesh as musicians in a modern day band. Minimal educational value, but you'll have the song in your head for weeks. – All
▶️ Fertile Crescent Ancient History videos from Crash Course. In Agricultural Revolution, learn how people “gave up hunting and gathering to become agriculturalists, and how that change has influenced the world we live in today.” In Ancient Mesopotamia, learn about the civilizations that arose in the Fertile Crescent. – ​Middle • High
myths & legends
📖 The Gilgamesh Trilogy by Ludmila Zeman. Filling a void in Mesopotamia-based children’s literature is Ludmilla Zeman’s excellent Gilgamesh Trilogy. The three books in the series, Gilgamesh the King, The Revenge of Ishtar, and The Last Quest of Gilgamesh, are wonderful picture book retellings of the Epic of Gilgamesh. The illustrations nicely evoke the feel of Ancient Sumerian art. – Elementary
📖 Gilgamesh the Hero by Geraldine McCaughrean. This version of the Gilgamesh story is written at a level appropriate for older Middle School students. – Middle
📖 Lugalbanda: The Boy Who Got Caught Up in a War by Kathy Henderson. Henderson writes that the epic tale of Lugalbanda is the oldest written story in the world, pre-dating even the Epic of Gilgamesh (Lugalbanda was supposedly Gilgamesh’s father). This retelling is long, but worth including in your Ancient Sumer unit. – Elementary • Middle
▶️ Ancient Mesopotamian Mythology from Crash Course. In these two videos, Crash Course explores the pantheons of Ancient Mesopotamia and Sumer and the Epic of Gilgamesh. – Middle • High