Fertile Crescent: area in the Middle East where the first farms and cities started.
River: a natural flow of water that goes to the sea or a lake.
Dam: a wall built to stop or control water.
Canal: a man-made water path for boats or irrigation.
Plow: a tool used to prepare land for planting crops.
Farmer: a person who grows crops or raises animals.
Cuneiform writing: one of the first types of writing, used in Mesopotamia.
Hieroglyphic writing: ancient Egyptian writing with pictures and symbols.
Priest: a person who leads religious ceremonies.
Official: a person who works for the government.
Slave: A person who is forced to work without freedom.
Ziggurat: a big temple in Mesopotamia with steps like a pyramid.
Theocracy: a government ruled by religious leaders.
Polytheistic: believing in many gods.
Pyramid: a big triangular building, often for tombs in Egypt.
A long time ago, people lived in the Fertile Crescent, near a river. The river was very important for water. People built a dam and a canal to control the water and bring it to their fields. They used a plow to grow crops.
Most people were farmers. Some people could read and write. They used cuneiform writing in Mesopotamia and hieroglyphic writing in Egypt.
Cities were like small countries. These city-states had their own rules. A priest worked in the temples, and an officialhelped the government. Some people were slaves and had to work without freedom.
In Mesopotamia, there were big temples called ziggurats. In Egypt, people built big pyramids. Many people believed in many gods. They were polytheistic. Some cities were ruled by priests. This kind of government is called a theocracy.
Life was difficult, but people learned to work together, grow food, and build amazing buildings.