To Teach Is to Stare in Wonder (The Ariel and Hammurabi post)

As part of our social studies curriculum, we do a unit called Urbanization in which we examine, at a Grade 6 level, the historical development of cities and the elements of a healthy urban environment. We study the emergence of the great Mesopotamian/Sumerian city states of the Tigris-Euphrates river valley because they are, to date, the oldest known urban societies and because the pattern of their development was basically followed by every other urban society that followed.

That pattern in summary:

discover a staple crop > gradually give up a hunter-gatherer lifestyle and settle down > greater population density > (and now in varying order) >

• increasing specialization of labour
• accumulation of wealth by some leading to social hierarchy
• clearly defined government structures (usually with power concentrated in the hands of a few)
• formal codification of law
• formalization of culture and arts
• development of infrastructure projects (like irrigation systems) that require pooled labour and resources (and directed by the government)
• organization of the means to preserve/protect public safety (armies, city walls etc.)
• monumental architecture
• systems for keeping records

Recently a group of my students was reading a pretty substantial excerpt of Hammurabi's Code, likely the oldest existing document codifying a society's laws.  Like any system of laws, it reveals a lot about the culture that produced it.  Here we see the primacy of the view of slaves as property rather than people:

"If any one take a male or female slave of the court, or a male or female slave of a freed man, outside the city gates, he shall be put to death."

Later we see the emphasis placed on respect for elders and familial roles:

"If a son strike his father, his hands shall be hewn off."

Those laws leapt (understandably) out at the kids for their violence and the cultural norms that went with them.  But then it happened [and this is where this becomes The Ariel Post].  

excerpt of Hammurabi's legal code

Ariel raised her hand and said, in her usual direct and confident way, "It's interesting how many of these laws seem to deal with controlling women's behaviour."  

Whoa.  I had to pause in wonder and because it sometimes makes me teary when students do amazing things.  

Ariel had, with no guiding question to lead her there, noticed an incredibly important aspect of Hammurabi's Code and, by extension, Mesopotamian culture.  This sent the discussion in a fabulous new direction and provided some of the boys in the class (who are sometimes a bit resistant to examining gender issues/sexism) a context that seemed to make some of them much more open to the topic.  

We had already established that Mesopotamians had not only set the pattern of urbanization that would be repeated time and again, but we had also noted some of the important cultural legacy we inherited from them.  These include aspects of law and religion, so the idea that we had not reached gender equality somehow seemed easier to accept for those students who reacted against the notion of it.  After all, if gender inequality goes back to the beginnings of our civilization, it's not about fault but instead about history.  Addressing the issue, therefore, isn't about blame but about making changes and correcting the errors of the past.   

This Ariel moment of brilliant analysis had an impact on a fair number of her peers.  Ten years down the road, they may not remember it, but I guarantee you I will.  Thanks, Ariel.