Practice summarizing the article from Khan Academy in 10 words or fewer:

One of the most important works of this First Dynasty of Babylon was the compilation in about 1754 BCE of a code of laws, called the Code of Hammurabi, which echoed and improved upon the earlier written laws of Sumer, Akkad, and Assyria. It’s similar to the Sumerian king Ur-Nammu of Ur’s code, written from 2100 to 2050 BCE. Hammurabi’s code is one of the oldest deciphered writings of significant length in the world. Written in about 1754 BCE by the sixth king of Babylon, Hammurabi, the Code was written on stone stele—slabs—and clay tablets. The Code consists of 282 laws with scaled punishments depending on social status, adjusting "an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth". For example, if a person from a noble class broke an enslaved person’s arm, they would have to pay a fine, whereas if a noble person broke another noble person's arm, the offending noble would have their arm broken. Some have seen the Code as an early form of constitutional government, the presumption of innocence, and the ability to present evidence in one's case.

Summarize the following from Khan academy in as few words as possible.

Mastery of bronze was an important advancement for the Shang militarily, but the combination of horse, chariot, and composite bow were also integral to its success. The chariot, a two-wheeled war cart pulled by horses, allowed Shang soldiers to move vast distances at great speeds and also acted as a mobile archery platform. Shang archers also had composite bows, made by combining animal sinew and horn or bone with wood. These materials gave the bow more power than a wooden bow of the same size. Archers were able to keep their bows small enough to shoot easily while standing in a chariot without losing power.

These military technologies were important because the Shang were constantly at war. A significant number of oracle bone inscriptions show that the Shang used chariots as mobile command vehicles and in royal hunts. Members of the royal household were often buried with a chariot, horses, and a charioteer. Shang armies expanded the borders of the kingdom and captured precious resources and prisoners of war, who could be enslaved or used as human sacrifices. The oracle bones also show deep concern over the "barbarians" living outside the empire, who were a constant threat to the safety and stability of the kingdom; the military had to be constantly ready to fight them.

Summarize the following passage from Khan academy using as few words as possible.

Civilizations evoke images of stone walls, monuments, and roads, but they are more than robust physical infrastructure. To facilitate the organization and administration of these large, dense communities, people began to create social infrastructures: economic, political, and religious institutions that created new social hierarchies. These hierarchies were populated with people playing specialized roles, such as professional administrators, farmers, artisans, traders, merchants, and spiritual leaders. Additionally, due to increased trade and conflict with external civilizations, cities required diplomats, armies, and centralized rulers.

In the foreground, low walls built with tan-colored brick and stone, forming the perimeter of rectangular rooms. In the background, a tall copper-colored stone structure, with a wide base and a tapering top.

The ruins of Ancient Ur of Sumer, one of the world's earliest cities, with the Ziggurat of Ur visible in the background. Located in present-day Tell el-Mukayyar in Iraq. Image courtesy Wikimedia Commons.

Most cities grew out of villages, and some ultimately became city-states, which are self-governing urban centers and the agricultural territories under their control. The surplus food production generated by villages in the vicinity allowed for some residents not to participate in food production, which led to the development of distinct specialized roles and associated classes.

In order to facilitate cooperation between these many different classes and to organize large numbers of people to work together for the large-scale construction of irrigation systems, monuments, and other projects, leaders were required, comprising a new social class. Political leadership would take many different forms in the first civilizations, though powerful states, centralized systems of government and command, were the norm.

What are your Humanities teachers' names?