
Ancient Egypt and the Near East Unit: Applying the Code of Hammurabi to Babylonian Court Cases
Assignments to hand in: Stop Here & Discuss Questions for Two Court Cases (See Below) | Judging Babylonian Court Cases Graphic Organizer | Comprehension Questions (See Below)
Essential Questions, shared learning target & introduction:
Step 1: Court Cases - Choose TWO court cases from the list below and read the Laws from the Code of Hammurabi as they relate to your court cases. Answer the questions for your two court cases under "Stop Here & Discuss":

Court Case: Citizen Accused of Stealing an Ox
Court Case: Commoner Accused of Harboring a Runaway Slave
Court Case: Commoner and Soldier Claiming the Same Piece of Land
Court Case: Nobleman and Slave Involved in a Brawl
Court Case: Builder Accused of Faulty Construction
Court Case: Man Seeking Divorce Without Financial Settlement
Court Case: Farmer Refusing to Pay Rent
Court Case: Woman Seeking Damages for Her Father's Wrongful Death
Court Case: Dispute Between Nobleman and Doctor over Patient Death
Step 2: Judging Babylonian Court Cases - Complete the Judging Babylonian Court Cases graphic organizer by reading through the court cases above.
Step 3: Comprehension Questions: On a lined piece of paper, answer the following questions about the Code of Hammurabi.
a. What did you find most interesting about each case?
b. Which laws do you believe were fair? Unfair?
c. Which laws from the Code of Hammurabi are similar to laws we have today?
d. Which laws are different from laws we have today?
e. Which Babylonian values do you think are similar to American values? Which values are different?
f. How would you feel about living in a community that used the laws from the Code of Hammurabi?