Lesson 2: The Assyrian Empire

Activity: Exploring the Assyrian Empire

Setup:
Divide learners into four groups and assign each group to a station. Each station will focus on a different aspect of the Assyrian Empire through a lens of context. Learners will use their passports to record what they discover. Set a timer for 5 minutes. When time is up, groups rotate to the next station.

Station 1: History (5 minutes)

Let’s discover the story of the Assyrian Empire!

1. Read Together: Start by reading the information provided about the Assyrian Empire.

2. Timeline Activity:

• Open your passport to the timeline section.

• Mark when the Assyrian Empire began and ended in the space provided.

3. Word Puzzle:

• Use the clues in your passport to solve the crossword puzzle. Work as a team to find the correct answers based on the reading.

The Assyrian Empire

A long time ago, there was a powerful kingdom called the Assyrian Empire. It lasted for nearly 2,000 years, but was most powerful from 900 BC until 609 BC

The Assyrians were super smart builders. They made giant stone palaces, changed the direction of rivers, and even created beautiful gardens. Their capital city, Nineveh, was incredible! It had 18 huge gates and was known for its library full of clay tablets with writing on them.

The Assyrians believed in many gods. Their main god was named Assur. They built tall, pyramid-like buildings called ziggurats as temples for their gods.

The Assyrians had a very strong army. They were pioneers in siege warfare (when an army surrounds a city) and invented important weapons for battle, like battering rams and towers to break through walls. They were also one of the first to use iron weapons, which were much stronger than bronze ones.

Their cities had big walls for protection, and they built amazing statues and palaces. But when they conquered other places, they were often very harsh to the people there.

Around 720 BC, the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and took the ten tribes of Israel as captives. But eventually, in 605 BC, the Assyrian Empire was conquered by Babylon.

The Assyrians were great at inventing, building, and creating, and they left behind a fascinating history!

Puzzle Questions and Answers: 

Down: 

1. The capital city of Assyria had ____________ huge gates.

2. The Assyrians built tall, pyramid-like buildings called ____________.

3. The capital was known for its ____________ full of clay tablets.

4. That capital of the Assyrian Empire was ____________.

Across: 

1. Assyrians were one of the first empires to use ____________ weapons.

2. The Assyrians were pioneers in ____________ warfare.

3. In 605 BC, the Assyrian Empire was conquered by ____________.

4. Around 720 BC, the Assyrians conquered the Northern Kingdom of ____________.

Station 2: Geography (5 minutes)

Let’s explore the map! The Assyrian Empire was in a place called Mesopotamia, which we now call Iraq. At its most powerful, the Assyrian Empire stretched all the way from the Mediterranean Sea to the Persian Gulf.

1. Find Your Home and Iraq:

   • Look at a globe or map. Can you find where you live?

   • Now, find Iraq! That’s where the Assyrian Empire was located.

2. Color the Assyrian Empire:

• On the map in your passport, color in the area where the Assyrian Empire once ruled. Use bright colors to show how big it was!

Station 3: Linguistic (5 minutes)

Let’s learn about language! The people of the Assyrian Empire spoke a language called Akkadian. They wrote it using cuneiform, which were special wedge-shaped marks pressed into clay tablets. Akkadian cuneiform had about 600 signs for words and syllables.

1. Decode a Famous King’s Name.

   • Use the cipher to figure out the name of a famous Assyrian king!

King ______________ (Sennacherib) ruled Assyria from 704-681 BC. He was the king during the time of King Hezekiah in the Bible and the prophet Isaiah’s lifetime.

2. Now Write Your Name.

• Use the cuneiform cipher to write your name in Akkadian.

Station 4: Culture (5 minutes)

Let’s dig into the past through artifacts! Archaeologists are like detectives of history. They learn about ancient empires and the people who lived in them by studying special objects, called artifacts, that are buried in the ground. These artifacts tell us amazing stories about life long ago.

1. Read through the artifact posters together.

2. Pick an Artifact:

   • Choose one of the artifacts described in the reading.

   • Look closely at what makes it special and imagine what it was used for.

3. Draw It:
   In your passport, draw a picture of the artifact you chose. Be creative and add lots of detail!

4. Write One Cool Fact:
   Write down one interesting thing you learned about the artifact. 

The Taylor Prism: The Taylor Prism is a famous ancient artifact named after the archaeologist who discovered it in 1830 at the Assyrian capital of Nineveh. This six-sided clay object is covered with cuneiform writing, an ancient script, on each of its faces. The language used is Akkadian. The prism was created by King Sennacherib to boast about his military achievements, including the destruction of 46 cities in Judah and the removal of over 200,000 people from Israel.

Lamassu: A lamassu was a special protector in ancient Assyria. It was a statue that looked like a mix of animals: it had the body of a strong bull, the wings of a giant eagle, and the head of a person. People believed lamassu could keep them safe from bad spirits and enemies, so they put these statues at the entrances of important places like palaces, temples, and city gates.

Assyrian Star Chart: Studying the planets and stars was an important part of the Assyrian Empire. This Assyrian star chart records observations about celestial objects like planets, stars, and galaxies and how they impact people’s lives. The writing used is cuneiform writing. This chart shows each month and the constellation that is associated with it. The star chart was found in a library from the ancient Assyrian capital city of Nineveh.