Stepping Into Ancient Mesopotamia: A Living History Experience in Mrs. Thompson’s IDS Class

Posted Date: 11/07/25 (5:00 PM)

Yesterday, our third graders in Samantha “Tessa” Thompson’s IDS class at Canyon View Elementary School invited families to travel back in time—way back—to one of the world’s earliest civilizations: Ancient Mesopotamia. Over the past five weeks, students have been researching, designing, practicing, building, and preparing to bring the “Fertile Crescent” to life in an immersive Living History Fair.

To begin their historical journey, each student selected a role commonly found in Mesopotamian city-states: scribe, merchant, king, farmer, or priest. Students studied what daily life looked like for people in these roles, wrote first-person monologues, and prepared artifacts to share. On presentation day, students dressed in costume and stayed in character as families visited their stations to learn about government, trade, farming, writing systems, and religious traditions of the ancient world.

One of the project's highlights was the hands-on integration of technology. Students used Tinkercad and Canyon View's 3D printers to design and print custom clay stamps—inspired by ancient cylinder seals—that represented their role or identity. During the Living History Fair, visitors received a “Travel Passport” and collected stamp impressions at each station. Parents, teachers, and staff enjoyed the interactive experience of learning with students and seeing their knowledge expressed through creative design and storytelling.

Throughout the unit, students practiced deep learning skills, including:

Communication: Speaking clearly and confidently to different audiences
Creativity and Innovation: Designing artifacts and 3D-printed stamps with intention and symbolism
Systems Thinking: Understanding how geography, government, religion, and trade shaped early civilizations

The result was a classroom transformed into a vibrant ancient city, and students who spoke with pride and ease about the history they had studied.

A special shout-out to Mrs. Thompson for creating such an engaging, meaningful learning experience that blended research, performance, art, history, technology, and fun. And thank you to our families for attending, asking thoughtful questions, and traveling back in time with us!

We are so proud of our young historians.