If you are a student coming to

school this week, don’t do this

WEEK 10 Social Studies
reading at home. We’ll do this in
class this week.

NAME _________________________________________ DATE ____________________________

Ancient Inventions

Their motive was simple: Prehistoric

humans wanted to increase their control
over the world around them. That’s why
they carved tools out of stone and made
bows out of wood. It took less effort to
shoot an arrow than it did to throw a
spear. They also found it was easier—and
more effective—to cross rivers and lakes
on logs. A log raft allowed them to float
other lands. On returning home, some
rather than swim across water. But our
Greek travelers were greeted as the
ancient ancestors weren’t satisfied. Next,
inventors of the tools they brought back!
they used fire to burn out the center of
But Theodorus, a Greek artist who lived
logs. Why? To make canoes!
about 530 B .C ., is thought to have actually
No one knows when the first wheel invented the key and the lathe. And a
appeared. But most historians believe Greek called Glaucos is credited with
the Sumerians invented wheeled wagons inventing a means of welding iron.
and chariots. These people lived about
In ancient China, the process of
3,500 years ago in Mesopotamia—now a
making silk was probably developed
part of modern Iraq. Mesopotamians and
before 2700 B .C . This was one of the most
Egyptians invented the plow to increase
important Chinese inventions. Because
their grain crops. They also invented
silk cloth was important in world trade,
metal tools to cut stone. As they acquired
the Chinese carefully guarded their silk-
more knowledge of building methods,
making secrets for thousands of years.
they developed the carpenter’s level. The
About 800 A .D., the fine art of making
Sumerians also invented writing. And
porcelain originated in China. During
they learned to make papyrus reeds into
the 1000s, the Chinese contributed to the
a tough kind of paper.
development of gunpowder. They used the
Ancient Greeks discovered new explosive primarily for rockets, grenades,
technical arts when they traveled to and fireworks.

COMPREHENSION: Write T for true or F for false.

1. _____ Mesopotamia is now part of 2. _____ The Sumerians invented writing.

modern Iran.
3. _____ Two ancient inventors’ names
are mentioned in this article.
Reading Comprehension—Nonfiction 1 45

Reading Comp_NF1_INT.indd 45 10/25/12 4:12 PM