Ethan testing

Warm-Up

Section 1

00:00:00TEACHER: Hold on tight. We're sailing down the Nile River, the center of life in Egypt. Did you know most ancient civilizations had something in common? Many started in river valleys like this one. Along the Nile, a narrow strip of land

00:00:18gave rise to the ancient Egyptian civilization. This river provided fresh water. Its yearly flooding brought nutrients to the soil that made the land good for farming. As you can see by the boats, the river also makes a good sort of highway. It was vital for transportation and trade in ancient Egypt. The Nile connected people to other people and countries.

00:00:43In this lesson, you'll journey down the Nile and learn how it became a center of settlement, trade, and culture in North Africa. At the end of the lesson, you'll answer the lesson question, how did the geography of the Nile River Valley influence life in ancient Egypt? Let's look at the lesson goals.

Section 2

00:00:00TEACHER: Here are today's lesson goals. We are going to identify the major physical features of the Nile River Valley, describe the importance of the Nile River to the ancient Egyptians, and analyze the influence of the natural environment on economic growth in ancient Egypt. Now, let's take a look at your important vocabulary words.

00:00:24Here are some important words you'll learn in this lesson. These words in purple are specific to world history-- barter, cataract, delta, drought, famine, fertile, irrigation, and silt. Take a few moments to add these words to your notes. Don't forget to look up their definitions.

Section 3

00:00:00[WIND BLOWING] TEACHER: On the continent of Africa, at the eastern edge of the great Sahara Desert, lies the birthplace of one of the most remarkable and longest-lived civilizations on Earth-- ancient Egypt.

00:00:26How did a civilization that numbered in the millions survive amid one of the driest, hottest, and least forgiving environments? The answer is the Nile River. Herodotus, a Greek historian, once said of Egypt, "It is a gift of the river." Why? The Nile begins far to the South.

00:00:47It flows down from the highlands of central and eastern Africa for more than 4,100 miles to empty into the Mediterranean Sea. You can see the mouth of the Nile where it spills into the seaway that borders three continents. There the river fans out into branches that feed the Nile River delta. The delta itself stretches about 100 miles.

00:01:12Today the Nile passes through 11 countries. But 5,000 years ago, it was home to the ancient Egyptians. They lived in the Nile River Valley. With treacherous desert to either side, they built early settlements where they could farm and access the river. Those settlements grew into the great cities like Thebes, Memphis, and Tanis.

00:01:35The famed great pyramids stand along the river's Western banks at Giza, and the modern city of Cairo faces Giza from the river's eastern side. Even today, most of Egypt's population lives within the Nile's narrow valley.

Section 4

00:00:00TEACHER: The Nile River Valley provided many valuable natural resources like those you saw on this map. The Nile River Valley contains several resources-- fish. For example, this perch could be found in the waters of the Nile. Lots of other animals and wildlife

00:00:20could be found in the Valley too. The Nile provided salt, which help to preserve food and make medicines. Limestone and sandstone used to build shelters was also in the Nile River Valley. The ancient Egyptians also had reeds to use to make mats, sandals, and even paper. As you can see, the Nile River Valley

00:00:49really was a perfect place for settlement. Let's take a moment to check your understanding of Egyptian resources.

Instruction

Section 1

00:00:00TEACHER: Remember, the geography of the Nile River shaped the civilization that developed there. It still influences life in the region today. In this lesson, you'll learn how physical features affected Egypt. You'll start by identifying those physical features.

00:00:19What's the geography like? Then, you'll examine the importance of the Nile River. Finally, you'll learn about the influence of the Nile. How did the Nile affect life in the Nile River Valley? Are you ready to learn about the geography of Egypt? Let's go.

Section 2

00:00:00TEACHER: So what is geography anyway? Well, geography is the study of the Earth's surface. This includes identifying locations and describing places, analyzing the relationship between people and the environment, analyzing the movement of people on Earth, and comparing and contrasting regions and analyzing the ways they change.

00:00:27Now let's take a look at this image. Where is it? What physical and human features do you see? Why did people settle there? How did they live? What's the weather like? These are all questions answered by geography. First, let's explore the concept of location.

00:00:52Location refers to a position on the Earth's surface. So here is Egypt right there. In geography, we describe location in two basic ways. First, we use lines of latitude and longitude. Lines of latitude are horizontal lines, so they go across maps and globes, as we can see right here.

00:01:19Lines of longitude are vertical, so they go up and down on maps and globes. And we can see that right here. Latitude lines run east and west around the globe, while longitude lines run north and south. They are measured using degrees.

00:01:45These provide an absolute location. An absolute location uses these lines to tell you a specific position. So let's draw the lines right here to give us the exact absolute location. In contrast, relative location tells where something is located in terms of something else, like the ancient Egyptians lived along the Nile River.

00:02:14the Nile River's like right here. That's relative location. Often, when we talk about location, we use directional words. The cardinal directions are north, south, east, and west. We can see that right here with north, south, east, and west. Intermediate directions like northeast and southwest fall between the cardinal directions.

00:02:44For example, the Nile River lies south of the Mediterranean Sea and east of the Sahara Desert. Now let's practice describing absolute and relative locations. This map shows modern Egypt. Let's use the latitude and longitude lines to find the absolute location.

00:03:07We give the absolute location in terms of coordinates where latitude and longitude lines intersect or cross over one another. Latitude is given as degrees north or south of the equator labeled 0 degrees. Longitude is given as degrees east or west of the Prime Meridian labelled 0 degrees. Now let's locate Giza, which is where the great pyramids are.

00:03:35Giza is next to the Nile, as we can see right here. To find its absolute location, we find the lines of latitude-- 30 degrees north. Then we find the lines of longitude-- about 31 degrees east. So the coordinates of Giza are 30 degrees north latitude

00:04:04by 31 degrees east longitude. You just used a map to find an absolute location. Great job. Now, let's identify some relative locations in Northern Africa. Relative location uses cardinal and intermediate directions. Egypt is in northeastern Africa, and modern Egypt

00:04:31is north of the country of Sudan. It's east of the country of Libya. It's also south of the Mediterranean Sea and west of the Red Sea. These statements all describe Egypt's relative location.

00:05:03Next, you'll look at the concept of place. How does place differ from location? But first, let's check your understanding so far.

Section 4

00:00:00TEACHER: Place and location sound like the same thing, right? But they're actually a little bit different. While location refers to position, a place is described by its physical and human features. Human features include things that are made by people, like roads and cities.

00:00:21Physical features are naturally occurring parts of the Earth's geography. Physical features include landforms like mountains, plains, and valleys, as we can see right here; vegetation or plant life and animal life; bodies of water or waterways, such as oceans and rivers; elevation, or a place's height above sea level.

00:00:56Mountains tend to have higher elevation than other land forms. Climate or weather patterns. This includes temperature and rainfall. Climate affects what plants and animals live in a place. Rainfall especially helps determine what a place's vegetation is like.

00:01:23Now, let's look at some physical features of Egypt and the Nile. The Nile River flows more than 4,100 miles from its source in central Africa all the way to the Mediterranean Sea. The ancient Egyptians called the river valley through which the Nile flowed the black land because of its dark silt, as we can see in this picture right here.

00:01:52Silt is rich in soil deposited by the river. Silt was important to the rise of the ancient Egyptian civilization. Most Egyptians, past and present, live in the black lands created by the Nile. Beyond the black land of the valley stretch the red land, as we can see in this picture right here or sandy, rocky desert.

00:02:15The red lands are hot, dry, and barren. This means that they don't have much plant life. They made travel and settlement outside the river valley very difficult. As the Nile flows north from its source, it passes through rocky lands that cause cataracts. And we can see that in this picture right here. Cataracts are rapids and waterfalls.

00:02:43Cataracts make river travel very difficult. Most of the river's cataracts are found in the south. The place where a river ends is called its mouth. The Nile River empties into the Mediterranean Sea. But before it does, the river fans out into several smaller branches. This creates a fan-shaped area of wet, fertile land called a delta.

00:03:07Egypt's earliest settlements begin in the Nile Delta. Let's check what you've learned so far.

Section 6

00:00:00TEACHER: Let's take a look at Egypt on a map. This is northern Africa. It's bordered by the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea to the north. You can see the Atlas Mountains along its northwestern edge.

00:00:22Across this narrow waterway is Spain and the rest of Europe. Here is Egypt in the northeastern corner and the Nile River. East of Egypt is the Red Sea and the Sinai Peninsula, which connects Egypt to southwest Asia. West of the Nile extends to the great Sahara.

00:01:12It covers most of the northern part of the continent. Smaller desert regions within the Sahara are also labeled, including the Western Desert in Egypt. Desert lands have hot and dry climates with little plant life. Mostly they contain sandy and rocky terrain. They can get bitterly cold at night, especially

00:01:38during the winter, but they receive little rainfall. Green areas show where most vegetation or plant life grows. Notice the green of the Nile River in eastern Egypt, as we can see right here. The source of the Nile lies farther south. To the north of the Nile creates a delta where it empties into the Mediterranean Sea,

00:02:09and we can see that right here. More desert lies east of the river all the way to the coast. Take a minute to study this map because next you will be labeling the physical features of northern Africa on a map.

Section 8

00:00:00TEACHER: Why do physical features matter? Because they affect the plants and animals, including people who live near them. Natural resources are another important element of physical geography. These are things found in nature that people can use to meet their needs.

00:00:18Most people might not think of bees as being useful to humans, but they're a natural resource. They help plants grow and make honey. The ancient Egyptians considered bees sacred. They used their honey for food, medicine, and even skin care. Natural resources include water, particularly freshwater, for drinking and other needs; land and soil, especially fertile soil for farming;

00:00:49plants, including trees; animals, including bees and fish; minerals like stone and metal; and sources of energy, such as coal and oil. Maps can show us where natural resources can be found. Let's look at a map of Egypt and the Nile to find natural resources. This map shows where natural resources are located in Egypt. You can see the limited areas of land suited for farming

00:01:21located along the Nile. This resource is shaded. Sand, found in desert, is a natural resource. The ancient Egyptians used sand to make glass. The land around the Nile also had important mineral resources. Salt, as we can see right here, is found in the sea and in salt flats, or dried-up desert lakes.

00:01:49Stone, such as limestone and sandstone, are found along the Nile, also. Egypt's waterways, too, provided resources other than water. Fish are abundant in the seas and rivers, and reeds or grasses, such as papyrus, grow along the river banks. Papyrus was used to make paper. The ancient Egyptians used these valuable natural resources

00:02:16to build their civilizations. You might notice gold here and there, south of the first cataract. This resource belong to another ancient civilization, Nubia. You'll learn more about Nubia later in this lesson. Let's look at the two landscapes in Egypt. Which looks like a better place to settle? The first image shows a desert landscape west of Giza.

00:02:43Remember from the maps that the Western Desert covers much of the land west of the Nile River. Few people live or build permanent settlements there. That's because the desert lacks enough fresh water to support large number of people. The second image shows a fertile landscape on the Nile River delta. Fertile means that the soil is rich with nutrients.

00:03:10Fertile soil is needed to grow crops. You can see fresh river water, green vegetation, and even more animals grazing. River lands gave rise to the ancient civilization. Today, they still support large populations, because they have more of the resources people needed to survive. Next, you'll take a closer look at a population and settlement

00:03:33in one corner of Northern Africa, Egypt. The earliest civilization of Northern Africa developed in the Nile River Valley near freshwater and fertile soil. This includes ancient Egypt. Where did most of those people live? Population density, or the number of people per unit,

00:03:59is one way to measure human settlement. A high density means that many people live in the area. The ancient Egyptians built villages, towns, and cities along the Nile. So the population density was the highest in the Nile River Valley and on the Nile delta. You can see the color shading population density is the darkest here.

00:04:22The shading gets lighter farther south in the valley. The map doesn't show any shading in the deserts either west or east of the Nile. So over here, there's nothing, and there's nothing over here. How does that compare to the population density of Egypt today?

00:04:49Let's find out. The population of ancient Egypt has been estimated to be about 5 million around 2,000 years ago. Today, Egypt is home to more than 100 million people. Most of those people live in the nation's cities. More than 10 million live in Cairo, its capital. And we can see that on the map right here.

00:05:16While the overall population is much higher today, look closely at where people live in Egypt. You'll see the spread of people today is about the same as it was in ancient Egypt, as we can see with the shading on both maps. The only notable difference is that areas of higher population density have spread a little, especially along the seacoast.

00:05:40Technology has made it possible for more people to live a little farther from the river. Let's check what you've learned.

Section 10

00:00:00TEACHER: Political maps show human features, like towns and cities, including capital cities and country and political borders. Political borders show the territory over which a government rules. Let's look at political maps of ancient and modern Egypt. Ancient Egypt fits within much of the larger

00:00:20boundaries of modern Egypt. If we were to make a map like this, they can fit right into modern Egypt. The current Egyptian government controls more land to the west, east, and south, especially to this west. The Sinai Peninsula is now part of modern Egypt, and other modern nations now border Egypt. These modern political borders were drawn

00:00:51by an international agreement. You can see more towns and cities on the map of modern Egypt, including some in the deserts. That's because more people live in Egypt today, and they found places in the desert where they can build and survive. Those are differences. But what about similarities?

00:01:10The capital of modern Egypt is Cairo. But look, it's located not far from the ancient capital of Memphis. Like Memphis, it sits where the Nile River Valley meets the Nile delta. Most of Egypt's population still lives on the delta and in the valley. You can see that by all the towns and cities located

00:01:31along the river. Next, you get to compare ancient and modern Egypt.

Section 12

00:00:00TEACHER: Wow! We are moving right along in answering the lesson question, how did the geography of the Nile River Valley influence life in ancient Egypt? You learned about the major physical features of ancient Egypt, including its landforms, waterways, and climate, as well as its location.

00:00:20Next, you'll learn why those physical features were so important to the rise of the ancient Egyptian civilization. First, the fish like the ones on these ancient Egyptians in the picture are carrying were one important source of food, and we can see that right here. You'll learn ways that the ancient Egyptians

00:00:44met their needs. Let's start by talking about the seasons and the climate of ancient Egypt.

Section 13

00:00:00TEACHER: The Nile River was so important to life in ancient Egypt that its flooding and receding determined the three seasons of the year. Each season lasted four months on the Egyptian calendar. The first season was flood. It lasted from what we call mid-July to mid-November. During that time, the river flooded the Nile's delta

00:00:25and valley. The ancient Egyptians mostly lived by fishing and traveled a great deal by boat during the flood season. Next came the growth season from our November to the end of March. That's when the Nile receded or drew back to its banks.

00:00:53The ancient Egyptians turned the soil, planted their seeds, and looked after their crops during these months. Important crops included wheat, barley, flax, vegetables, and fruits, such as figs and dates. Finally, the harvest season lasted from April through the start of July. The Nile was at its lowest levels during this season.

00:01:21Before the floods return, the ancient Egyptians harvested or collected their crops from the fields. Next, let's take a closer look at how their calendar compares to ours. This is an example of an ancient Egyptian calendar.

00:01:44Hieroglyphics symbols describe each season. You'll learn more about hieroglyphics later. This calendar shows the days of the harvests. Near the bottom, you can see the symbols change. See the boat? This shows the beginning of flood season. Each season lasted four months with 30 days per month.

00:02:16Three seasons of four months adds up to 12 months and 360 days. Five extra days were added as in between period after harvest to reach 365 days in a year. How does that compare to the calendar used in many parts of the world today? Unlike the ancient Egyptian calendar, our modern calendar has 12 months of different lengths

00:02:40to reach 365 days. We have seasons, but they don't shape our calendar. But both calendars have 365 days and 12 months. That's kind of cool. Let's look at how climate impacted the growing season. The climate of ancient Egypt impacted the growing season in several ways. Egypt gets direct sunlight throughout the year.

00:03:07This keeps the country warm to hot most of the year but cool to mild in the winter. Coastal areas receive moderate or some rain but not a great deal. And rainfall decreases as you move away from the coasts. Desert lands receive little to no rain throughout the year.

00:03:31This is largely because of hot, dry winds that blow across the region. That hot air evaporates, or dries up, a lot of the moisture in the air before it can fall as rain. So the temperature is good for growing, but crops need more water because there's not much rain. That's one reason the Nile was so important.

00:03:57Let's talk about why. Each year, the Nile River floods and recedes on a fairly regular schedule. Each summer, during our month of July, rain water and melting snow from the highlands of eastern Africa swell the river. Its waters rise above the banks and flood the surrounding valley and delta.

00:04:19Then, as the water recedes or redraws, the river leaves behind a valuable gift-- silt. This fertile soil is perfect for farming. In ancient Egypt, farmers relied on this regular cycle. During flooding, they fished and worked on building projects and other tasks. When the river receded, farmers planted seeds in the rich layer of silt and spent the rest of the year

00:04:45tending and harvesting their crops. Each year, the cycle repeated. The ancient Egyptians believed in many gods and goddesses. They believed the flooding of the Nile was one of the ways these gods showed that they were happy with the Egyptians. The Nile also provided water for crops.

00:05:06Next, we'll learn how the ancient Egyptians were able to control the Nile to water their crops. Though the flooding of the Nile was fairly predictable, it sometimes flooded too much or too little. Too much water can destroy fields and settlements. Too little might mean that farmers couldn't grow enough food. So the ancient Egyptians developed ways

00:05:29to limit damage from flooding and store water. They built dams to limit flooding by preventing too much water from swamping surrounding lands. Dams blocked and slow the flow of water. They also built earthen dikes or embankments to trap and store water in natural basins for later use. A basin is a low-lying area of land like a bowl.

00:05:51Finally, they dug channels and canals to drain excess water and carry fresh water to fields and settlements. The ancient Egyptians were really smart. Let's talk a little bit more about the canals they built. Even though the ancient Egyptians settled in the Nile River Valley, they couldn't always count on having enough fresh water.

00:06:17The same methods they use to control flooding also helped them during droughts, or periods without enough rainfall. They dug trenches or channels and canals like this one to carry fresh water to their fields, especially those farther from the river. They used basins as reservoirs to store freshwater.

00:06:42Finally, they used shadufs and water wheels to bring up water from the Nile. Shadufs, like the one shown here, used weighted poles with baskets to lift water out of the rivers. Water wheels turned by workers or animals could lift many baskets at a time to fill channels that carry the freshwater to fields.

00:07:06Irrigation helped the ancient Egyptians adapt to their environment. Let's check your understanding of how the ancient Egyptians used the Nile River.

Section 15

00:00:00TEACHER: Natural disasters are destructive and deadly events that result from natural conditions. Each year the Nile River floods, but sometimes it floods too much. Its swells with so much water that it washes away fields and reaches towns. This destroys the fields, homes, and other structures,

00:00:22and people die. Another natural disaster associated with the Nile is drought. Too little water can cause a different kind of natural disaster. Ancient Egypt suffered periods of drought when there was not enough rain to cause the Nile River to flood.

00:00:41Without the flooding of the Nile, not enough silt was deposited for farming. The soil was not fertile enough to grow the needed crops. There was also not enough water for crops. So many crops failed. Without water plant and animal life declined.

00:01:02During a drought the land becomes very dry and cracked, as we can see in this picture right here. This causes crops to fail. When drought lasts too long, famine results. Famines occur when there's not enough food to feed everyone. This can lead to starvation and death. Famine taught the ancient Egyptians

00:01:26to store water and food for hard times and also to raise crops and animals that could survive longer with less water. Let's do a quick check on the effects of the natural disasters.

Section 17

00:00:00TEACHER: We're almost finished answering our lesson question, how did the geography of the Nile River Valley influence life in ancient Egypt? We've explored the importance of physical features like the Nile River, as well as plant, animal, and mineral resources in Egypt. These features and resources encourage growth in ancient Egypt.

00:00:24Their resources allowed Egyptians to travel, trade, and interact with other civilizations. In this part of the lesson, we will analyze the influence of the natural environment on the Egyptian civilization.

Section 18

00:00:00TEACHER: The ancient Egyptians travelled long distances to trade or barter. They sailed the Nile to trade. The Nile River connected settlements throughout Egypt. Also, it was connected to Asia by crossing land. And we can see the trade route on land right here joined Mediterranean trade

00:00:26routes with European and Asian civilizations. The Egyptians loaded boats and barges. And we can see the trade route on water right here, and it's the broken line on the map right here. Also, they shared beliefs and ideas as they traveled. For example, many Egyptian statues showed the influence of Greek art.

00:00:54So what did the ancient Egyptians trade? Let's find out. Early Egyptians used natural resources to meet their own needs and wants. They grew food crops, such as grains and figs. And we can see the grains right here and the fig trees right here.

00:01:17They harvested reeds like papyrus that grew along the Nile to use to make paper, sandals, baskets, and other things. And we can see them pulling the reeds right here. They grew flax and used the fibers to make linen cloth for clothes. And we can see her making clothes right here.

00:01:42They mined limestone for their own buildings and monuments and traded it for things they lacked like wood. Also, notice the blue border on the image, as we can see right here all along. It shows the most important resource. The Nile River provided water and other resources and served as the main method of moving people and goods. Resources enabled the ancient Egyptians to meet their needs

00:02:12and accumulate wealth. Let's take a closer look at ancient Egyptian trade routes. The ancient Egyptians had valuable natural resources to trade. Other civilizations had different resources. They grew different crops, had different metals, and made different goods.

00:02:34That's why trade developed. Egyptians traded their limestone, linen, papyrus, salt, and grains and other foods for wood from Southwest Asia-- so right over here. Egypt had little wood, and they needed it to make ships. Turquoise and other materials from the Sinai, and they used the turquoise to make jewelry.

00:03:03Gold, silver, and iron from Nubia, which is located right here. Notice that Nubia too developed along the Nile. Ivory, ebony, spices, and animal skins from distant lands. Trade enabled the ancient Egyptians to get the resources and goods that they lacked.

00:03:27It also enriched and strengthen the power of Egypt's rulers helping ancient Egypt grow and spread its culture. Let's talk a little more about Nubia and Egypt's trading relationship. The people of Nubia were an important trading partner for ancient Egypt. Like ancient Egypt, Nubia developed along the Nile River.

00:03:52It was located along the Upper Nile, south of the cataracts that marked the southernmost part of ancient Egypt. Merchants from across the desert and cities even farther away south came to Nubia to trade. Nubia traded these goods as well as its own rich natural resources with Egypt. Aswan, the last stop in Egypt before the cataracts,

00:04:18became a major center of trade. There, Egyptians and Nubians met to barter goods. Next, you'll answer a question about trading in ancient Egypt.