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This site can be used to address the following themes of World History as recommended by the New York State Regents.
1. The Development of Language - Much of our knowledge of Nebuchadnezzer and the Ishtar Gate come from readings of cuneiform tablets describing the public works of Babylon.
2. Early Religion - The worship of Ishtar was part of a very complex polytheistic practice characteristic of many early societies
3. River Civilizations - Early societies first developed due to predictable rivers, which could be relied upon for the production of food to support the society. The Euphrates supplied such reliable subsistence for the people of Babylon, allowing them the food security to focus on the higher pursuits of government, education, art and religion.
4. Government and War - Although King Nebachadnezzer managed to keep Babylon safe and protected during his reign, the need to build such an extensive protective system around the city of Babylon, shows us the high risk of attack he perceived as a threat to the city. This warring among civilizations characterized much of the area's early development. The Code of Hammarabi can be used to illustrate the type of governmental system and values, which may have existed in ancient Babylon.

In English this site can be used to teach about the epic poem and discuss the origins of writing and the characters that form it.
      The earliest known piece of literature is the Epic of Gilgamesh, a flood story found written in cuneiform characters on a stone tablet. Even this earliest epic, displays the characteristics of epic poetry including a hero who makes a long quest away from his or her home against great odds, finds self-knowledge and returns in triumph. Gilgamesh may also be useful in teaching about the history of literature, which arose from an oral story telling tradition and the similarities between many of the early written stories, such as the obvious similarities between the story of Gilgamesh and that of Noah. These comparisons might also lead to a discussion of fables and other morality writing designed to teach a lesson by telling a story.
      The Epic of Gilgamesh, the Code of Hammarabi and other writings of the first civilizations were all written using a cuneiform alphabet. Straight lines laid at various angles and intersecting with each other in prescribed ways form these characters. These letters were generally carved into clay or stone tablets. Under Nebachadnezzer, the construction history or Babylon was recorded in much the same way. The system of writing under Nebachadnezzer may have included as many as 500 cuneiform characters. At this time writing was considered an important art and scribes were trained from an early age. Each city had a building specifically dedicated to writing and keeping records. You may wish to ask students to create their own new alphabets and consider the hurdles necessary to change over to this new form. How would the new alphabet be taught, how long would it take before everyone knew the new alphabet, how would it relate to the spoken language, etc..

Connections between this site and science are the beginnings of human kind and civilization, the nature of science and medicine.
      Babylon represents the transition from nomadic life to settled civilizations and can teach the inter-connectedness of early civilizations and their natural environment. It was only with the predictable flooding and flow of the Euphrates River that Babylon was able to achieve greatness and carry out its extensive building campaigns.
      Also the Babylonians can be used to teach about the nature of science. In early civilizations, religion was used as a way to explain everyday occurrences and unique events. Today we largely explain these events with the use of observation, hypothesis and the scientific method, though some still rely on religion for such explanations. Early religions were very connected to the earth and usually have an earth goddess (Ishtar) as one of the principal deities. Also many deities are represented as animal forms or human forms incorporating some animal features, showing the importance of the animal kingdom to these early peoples.
      The Babylonians had a highly detailed system of medical practice, which has been recorded due to the profuse documentation produced by this society. Much of this early medical practice was based on divination and looking to the gods for answers, however, early observation of the human body and it ailments led to accurate descriptions and understandings of various diseases. These diseases and their cures have been recorded by the Babylonians and might be worth reviewing. Ask students to imagine what they would do if they came across a classmate with a disease unlike any other they had seen. How would they begin to observe, record and treat this new ailment? How might we compare this to the beginnings of the AIDS epidemic and our early understandings of the disease (i.e. many turned to religion and morality to explain it and we were at a loss early on as to how to treat it)?
      The Babylonians were also known for early astronomy, astrology and other technological advancements.

Connections between this site and mathematics are early mathematics and weights and measures.
      Due to the small number of texts dedicated specifically to mathematics, we do not know a great deal about the origins of Babylonian mathematics. However, we do know that it was a highly developed area in Babylonian society. Babylonian math included multiplication, division, calculating squares and square roots, cubes and cubed roots, reciprocals, exponential functions and the sums of squares and cubes. The Babylonians are known to have kept tables of such factors. Babylonian math included both algebraic and geometric equations, employed in such endeavors as canal building, military engineering, earth moving, etc.. Babylonian mathematics seems to have used a base 60 rather than 100 and had not yet developed a symbol for zero. How would these changes affect the way we do mathematics today?
      Babylonians had a well-developed system of weights and measures, used to conduct trade. Many weights have been discovered in the excavations of Babylon including a number that are shaped as ducks. This system, like all Babylonian mathematics relied on a base of 60. The system of measures was based on the weight of grain, as well as an estimation of the weight one man could carry.

Some recommended activities to use with the site are to ask students to design their own dream city. This is exactly what Nebachadnezzer was able to do. Beyond the system of defenses, Nebachadnezzer also built an extraordinary palace, the famous hanging gardens believed to be a gift to his rural wife who longed for the countryside of her youth, and the famous Tower of Babel.
      Discuss archeology, its methods and the kind of information that has been yielded as a result of archeological explorations. Students might also like to discuss the issues of ownership and national protection of archeological sites. For example, many pieces of the Ishtar Gate have been taken out of Iran, one even resides in New York City, but today would be protected by the government of Iran.
      Students might study the maps and drawings of the archeological remains of Babylon and create their own conjectural drawing of the city. Students might also consider the way that our understanding of the site has evolved over time and consider the ways in which our understanding of the world has expanded and become clarified in their lifetime.

Some local buildings which relate to themes addressed in this unit and could be used for additional study are:
      The Metropolitan Museum of Art - houses a piece of the Ishtar Gate Grand Arches - such as those at Washington Square Park or Brooklyn's Grand Army Plaza

Some recommended activities to use on a visit to this site are:
      Measure the fragment of the Ishtar Gate housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art and create a scale drawing of the entire gate. Look at the blazed bricks and molded ornament and compare Babylonian artistry to the building arts of today.

Some other ideas, which could be explored or expanded on having to do with this site are: symbolism of the animals ornamenting the gate and the Processional Way; other aspects of Babylonian culture such as the production of goods; the social hierarchy and building techniques; other early cities and civilizations including Ur and Sumer; the relationship of these early cultures to the cultures in this part of the world today; the evolution from polytheism to monotheism; ziggurats which are the earliest monumental architecture; the story of the Tower of Babel; the Hanging Gardens of Babylon and travelers descriptions of the ancient cities.