Chapter 3 - Mesopotamia

Use the helpful instructions below to write your name in one of the first ever writing systems, cuneiform! (P.S. If you bring clay or playdough you can do this assignment on it.)

Step 1

Open this lovely little video game that allows you to write cuneiform in a new tab.

https://myteacherbin.com/games/cuneiform/

Step 2

Notice that when you click the letters on the left the image on the right changes. The image on the right is a translation of our English letters into simple Syrian cuneiform!

Clicking the letter does not change what you write when you click. All of simple Syrian cuneiform is little triangles. Pressing the mouse key places a triangle. To change the direction of the triangle click the arrows on the top to rotate.

Practice rotating and placing triangles for a bit.

Write a single letter correctly.

Then click the RESTART button.

Step 3

Spell out your first and last name by the letter on a piece of scratch paper or another tab.

Slowly and carefully place down triangles in the correct direction to spell out your name.

If you lose track of which letters you've translated, it may be a good idea to cross out letters of your name as you translate it into cuneiform.

When finished click the download button.

Step 4

Go to the assignment on Google Classroom. Click "+ Add or create" in the top right of the assignment page. Click "File". Find the file in the downloads folder. The file will be named "cuneiform". Upload this to Google Classroom. If the picture appears then you've done it! Click turn in.

Extra Credit: Step 5

Write your friends or Mr. Bergh a secret message in cuneiform. If you can write a whole sentence in cuneiform correctly and upload that (in addition to your name) to Google Classroom. I will print out and staple your secret message to the bulletin board outside in the hallways! (Assuming it doesn't say something really bad, thennnnn no.)

Extra Extra Credit: Step 6

Bring your own clay or playdough to class and I will give you a ruler that can be used as a flat stylus to write cuneiform. Write your name in cuneiform on the clay or playdough!