Houghton Mifflin Social Studies
Chapter 8, Lesson 1, The Indus Valley Civilization (pp. 222-228)
I. Almost a Continent
B. The Indus River Valley was an ideal place for people to settle because the
river flooded often--spreading fertile soil--and the monsoons brought regular rainfall.
C. Supported by a stable food supply, people settled in the Indus River Valley
and eventually built cities.
II. The Great River Civilization
B. The people of the Indus River Valley also traded with communities as far
away as Mesopotamia and the Persian Gulf.
III. Echoes from Abandoned Cities
B. The Indus River Valley people were the first to raise chickens for food.
Today chicken is eaten worldwide.
C. The Indus River Valley people made jewelry and cotton cloth, both of which
are still made today.
Lesson at a Glance Outline
A. India is a subcontinent, a large land mass that is somewhat separated yet still
part of a continent.
A. The Indus River Valley civilization probably had a strong central government
with information flowing freely between towns.
A. After lasting 1000 years, the Indus River Valley civilization finally declined.
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