4th Grade - LEAP Ancient Sahara Desert

Identify the Nile River

Identify the Sahara Desert

Use Source 1 to answer the question.

Which physical characteristic is most closely related to Egyptian settlements near the Sahara Desert?

• Rich soil near rivers

• Many herds of wild animals

• Underground springs providing water

• Seas surrounding the area

Use Source 2 to answer the questions.

Part A: Which conclusion about the purpose of the sakia can best be made from Source 2?

• It allowed people to stop the rivers from flooding.

• It allowed people to find new sources of water.

• It allowed people to lift water for irrigation.

• It allowed people to make the rivers deeper.

Part B: Four sentences are underlined in the excerpt. Select the one sentence that best supports the answer to Part A.

• • It is a device that lifts water from wells or canals.

• • It has a large wooden wheel with buckets attached.

• • As the wheel turned, it scooped water from wells or canals.

• • This water was then poured into irrigation channels, helping farmers water their crops.

Use Source 3 to answer the question.

Which statement about life in ancient Egypt does Source 3 best support?

• Law codes made sure that farmers had plentiful harvests.

• Citizens who owned land could ignore the law codes.

• Law codes gave people rules in order to create a stable society.

• Citizens who were wealthy could change the law codes.

Complete the chart by choosing one correct description for each advancement to show how the advancement helped agriculture in ancient Egypt.

Groups:

(a) Sakia (Water Wheel)

,

(b) Irrigation Canals

,

(c) Underground Wells

,

(d) Plow

• Helped distribute water to crops

• Helped loosen soil for planting

• Allowed water to be lifted efficiently for irrigation

• Helped bring water from deep underground

Use all of the sources to answer the question.

Which statements best explain how agriculture affected the development of civilization in ancient Egypt? Select the two correct answers.

• It allowed people to settle in desert regions with access to water.

• It led to the invention of the first stone tools, allowing people to do important tasks more easily.

• It led to a surplus of time, allowing farmers to do more hunting and gathering.

• It led to the creation of settled communities, allowing large populations and governments to form.

• It led to the discovery of fire, allowing the development of new methods to cook and prepare food.

Use the sources to answer the question.

Explain two different ways that advances in agriculture affected the development of Egyptian civilization.