Warm Up – Subcontinent – a large landmass that is part of a continent but is considered a separate region – Caste System – in India, a social class that a person belongs to by birth – Aryan – one of a group of Indo-European nomadic herders who are believed to have migrated to the Indian subcontinent – Monsoon – a seasonal wind system that produces a wet or dry season in a region, sometimes with heavy rainfall – Mohenjo Daro – an ancient city along the Indus River

Cornel Notes EgBk4 EgBk4

Example Notes From Africa to Southwest Asia Around 80,000 years ago, an ice age triggered dramatic changes in the Earth’s climate. These changes caused the lush African grasslands to transform into dessert. Much of the water dried up. This harmed the early humans, who were hunter-gatherers. They survived by following and hunting the vast herds of animals that migrated across the lands. As they traveled, they would also gather edible nuts, fruits, and plants form the local vegetation they passed. As the water dried up, the plants began to die out, and the animals they hunted moved on in search of water. These early humans needed to find food and water, so they crossed the Red sea into what is not Yemen in search of a better place to live. In what is now Israel, human fossils have been found that date back to the time of this first human migration.

Example Notes Spreading Through Asia and into Europe After crossing the Red Sea, groups of hunter-gatherers spread out into several different regions. Monsoons in India and Arabia caused the rivers of the area to flood. To avoid the flooding rivers, game moved north and east. The hunter-gatherers followed the game, which was still their main source of food. Some groups of humans followed the coastline around India and Southeast Asia until they came to modern-day China and Russia. Other groups stayed in Southwest Asia, following the Tigris and Euphrates rivers up into what is now known as the Fertile Crescent. It was here that the earliest complex human civilizations would arise. Homo sapiens did not live in Europe during the Ice Age, because the climate was too cold. However, when the ice Age ended around 40,000 years ago, the climate of Europe grew milder and more hospitable. This, along with their mastery of fire, enabled modern humans to travel further north.

RAFT Role – Settler on the Indus River Audience – Nomadic Pen Pal in the Thar Desert Format Letter Topic – Move to the Indus River Valley. Write about the advantages of living in the Indus River Valley and invite your nomadic friend to come live with you in the Indus River valley.