Neolithic revolution Essential Question: What was the significance of the Neolithic Revolution? Neolithic revolution

Class Activity Overview: You & your team are members of an ancient clan What do you think a clan is? Working with your clan, complete the following activities in order: Step 1: Your clan can bring nothing with you, but you will be stranded at four different locations. After each slide, a person in your clan will be asked to use what they can see in the picture to determine: How they will feed their clan? What resources will you use? What tools can you see or make? What kind of things qualify as a food source?

Exotic Island

Woodland Forest

Mountain Setting

Plains

Step 2:As a whole group, answer the question: What role does the environment play in what people eat? Step 3:As a whole group, answer the question: How would your plan change if you had to provide food for the whole class rather than just your group? Inquiry: Why did hunter gather societies change to agricultural societies?

Neolithic Revolution Some hunters & gatherers were advanced, but were never able to develop complex societies because they had to migrate to find food Early humans were nomadic hunters & gatherers & had to move around to find their food

Neolithic Revolution Farming changed the way humans lived: Around 8,000 B.C., the Neolithic Revolution occurred & early humans discovered how to farm & domesticate animals People no longer had to be nomads Food surpluses led to population increases Farming villages became established along river valleys for their good soil & irrigation

Neolithic Revolution: Spread of Agriculture

Neolithic Revolution Around 3,000 B.C., some farming villages became complex civilizations. Brainstorm: What characteristics are needed to make people a “civilization”? ? Advanced cities

Characteristics of Civilizations ? ? ? ? ?

Civilizations must have cities that are centers of trade for large areas

Civilizations must have technologies that make their lives easier

Civilizations must have writing in order to keep records of taxes, laws, or trade

Civilizations must have specialized workers that create a class system

Civilizations must have complex institutions like government & religion to keep order

Closure Activity Now that we have defined “civilization”: Is the United States a civilization? Give evidence to support your answer.