Mesopotamia Song

Week 3: We learned a Mesopotamia song.


I created this song to help us remember historical Mesopotamian and Persian events. Each verse corresponds with a different empire that lived in Mesopotamia. The kids memorized one verse every few days and then sang it together. It is to the tune of The Ants Go Marching.

The Sumerians were led by Gilgamesh Hooray, Hooray 
The Sumerians were united by Sargon Hooray, Hooray 
They invented the wheel and wrote it down so we know what happened in their town 
And they all were farmers in Mesopotamia

Marsh Arabs were Sumerians Hooray, Hooray 
They lived in reed houses Hooray, Hooray 
Ur and Uruk were their towns and they played games when friends were around 
Saddam drained the marshes in 1973

Babylonians built Ziggurats Hooray, Hooray 
They lived in mud brick houses Hooray, Hooray 
Hammurabi led them all, he wrote down his code which was the law 
And they all were farmers in Mesopotamia

Hittites lived in Hattusa Hooray, Hooray 
They entered Egyptian territory Hooray, Hooray 
They fought at Kadesh in 1274, peace was declared and they were friends once more
Ramses and Hattusha both were mighty kings

Assyria destroyed Bablyon Booray Booray 
Sargon II loved his horses Hooray, Hooray 
Sennacherib sacked the Jews, Ashurbanipal built libraries too 
And they all were leaders of Assyria

Babylon took over again Hooray Hooray 
Enter the city through Ishtar Gate Hooray, Hooray 
Nebuchadnezzer freed the Jews, built the Hanging Gardens too 
Were they watered with buckets or Archimedes' Screws

Cyrus united the Persians Horray, Hooray
He freed the Jews in Babylon Hooray, Hooray
Left satraps in charge, built the Royal Road, human rights on his cylinder wrote
Cyrus the law-giver was a great king

Persians were Zarathustras Hooray, Hooray
Zoroaster was the leader Hooray, Hooray
Ahuramazda and Ahriman, good and bad spirits and also twins
They all were purified with sacred fire

Darius built Persepolis Hooray, Hooray
He fought the Greeks at Marathon Hooray, Hooray
Canals in Egypt, the Royal Road, Immortal soldiers were so bold
Darius has spies all over the world

Xerxes crossed the Hellespont Hooray, Hooray
Boats tied together to make a bridge Hooray, Hooray
He liked his figs and dates to eat and watched battles from his high seat
Ephialtes helped Xerxes at Thermopoly

After learning the song, the kids selected ten timeline elements they felt were the most significant from Mesopotamian history and illustrated each of their elements.

Our other history unit studies can be found on our History Page.

Ancient China Unit Study
Viking Unit Study
Scythian Unit Study
Celtic Unit Study
Greek Unit Study