Cuneiform Writing

A couple weeks ago in history (at school), Marvel was learning about Cuneiform writing and the Sumerians.  If you don't know what cuneiform is, here's an example of a cuneiform tablet (aka a Sumerian pictograph):

(image from here)

Each of the kids got a piece of clay and made their own tablet.  Marvel was so excited about it.  He's all about secret codes and such.  It came time to take their tablets home, but Marvel's broke, so he said he had to throw it away.  He was pretty bummed about it, so the next day at homeschool, I whipped out the play dough (the only clayish stuff I had) and he made himself a new cuneiform tablet.

Here's what we used:

Play-doh, the end of a paint brush, and a chart Marvel brought home from school that had a chart of cuneiform writing

Yes, Marvel IS still in his p.j.'s...not a usual sight in our classroom (I'm a stickler),

but for some reason this day he never got dressed.

And here it is.  Marvel's very own cuneiform tablet.

In case you're wondering, he wrote his name.

**For any and all of you who are interested in doing this activity, you can download the Mesopetamian writing chart via the Oriental Institute Museum  here!