Mesopotamia Primary Source Stations

Bring ancient Mesopotamia to life with engaging primary source analysis stations designed for 6th grade social studies.

Students examine the Standard of Ur, Victory Stele of Naram-Sin, and Ashurbanipal's Library to uncover evidence about Sumerian society, Akkadian leadership, and the Assyrian Empire. These artifact-based activities help students practice historical thinking skills, analyze primary sources, and understand how historians learn about ancient civilizations.

This resource helps middle school students step into the shoes of archaeologists while building critical thinking, inquiry, and evidence analysis skills.

What’s Included

• 3 Ancient Mesopotamia Evidence Stations:
• The Standard of Ur (Sumer) – A box that shows scenes of war on one side and peace on the other, giving students clues about government, social classes, trade, music, feasting, and the military.
• Victory Stele of Naram-Sin (Akkad) — Shows the military victories of Sargon the Great's grandson and the rise of the Akkadian Empire.
• Ashurbanipal's Library Tablets (Assyria) — Thousands of cuneiform tablets, including copies of the Epic of Gilgamesh, showing the importance of writing and preserving knowledge.
• Student activity sheets with guiding questions
• Teacher directions for quick setup

Benefits for You and Your Students

• Less Prep, More Learning: Print-and-go format saves you time
• Active Engagement: Students move, think, and discuss instead of passively listening
• Critical Thinking: Learners question, infer, and draw conclusions like real historians
• Flexible Use: Works for whole-class, small groups, stations, or independent work
• Primary Source Analysis: Made Easy

Perfect For

• Ancient Mesopotamia Units
• Ancient civilizations introduction
• Archaeology and evidence analysis lessons
• Middle school social studies

By the end of these activities, your students won’t just know about the Standard of Ur, the Victory Stele, and Ashurbanipal's Library Tablets—they’ll feel like they’ve uncovered history themselves.

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Copyright © Teach Like Midgley

Permission to copy for single classroom use only.