Humans Discover Farming! Neolithic Age = New Stone Age! Settlement in River Valleys around 10,000 B.C.

I.The Farming Revolution! A. Around 10,000 BC, humans all over Earth begin to settle in one area after discovering how to farm (Farming Revolution) B. Farming needs fresh water so major farming areas are by rivers. C. River Valleys Drawing…

II.Why Settle In River Valleys? A. Rivers provide fresh water that humans + animals can use 2 drink and farm B. Water can also be used to clean, cool, cook, fight fires, enjoyment, bathroom! C. Rivers often flood (danger!) and create rich soil for farmers to plant crops D. Travel also can take place on water (ships) so these areas become places of travel and trade = MONEY!!! D. Travel also can take place on water (ships) so these areas become places of travel and trade = MONEY!!!

III.The Four Major River Valleys of early civilizations 1) Egypt – Nile River 2) Mesopotamia – Tigris and Euphrates Rivers 3) India – Indus and Ganges Rivers 4) China – Huang He and Yangtze Rivers

IV. Farming Revolution A. Farming gave people a consistent supply of food and even leftovers! B. A surplus (an extra amount) of food meant that humans could now live in one area = no longer needed to be “nomads” and hunt/fish everyday. C. People domesticate (tame) animals and use them for food, work, clothing and transportation.

V.Growth of communities A. People began to live together in permanent villages due to farming. B. “Specialization” began to occur – people take on different tasks + roles C. Discovery of how to make metal = increased tools and weapons D. Small villages grow into large cities and civilization begins to occur in the four major River Valleys!

VI.What makes a civilization? A. Government and Laws for social order B. Writing for record keeping and history! C. Class Divisions – rich, middle and poor D. Permanent Cities – usually quite large E. Organized Religion followed by majority of people F. Specialization of Labor – not all are farmers but now you have metalworkers, artists, fishermen…

Civilizations have… Government

Writing

Civilizations have $

Civilizations have… Permanent settlements (Cities)

Civilizations have… Religion

Division of labor (specialization)

VII. History vs. Prehistory! A. Before farming, everyone was too busy + unorganized to develop writing B. Farming allows people to settle down in one place. Now they have time and the need to develop writing. C. That writing can be used to tell us about their society and their history. D. Everything before writing is called Prehistory because we really do not know their history!

Earliest Writing - Cuneiform A. People who wrote about their events are the world’s first historians! B. Should we trust and believe all ancient writing that we find?

Egyptian Hieroglyphics

Development of Metals! A. Humans learn how to mix materials to get stronger metals. B. New metals create new “ages”. Examples: Copper Age, Bronze Age, Iron Age. C. The stronger your metal, the more you can build, the better you can fight, the faster you can do something…

Otzi’s Axe

Paleolithic Age vs. Neolithic Age People wandered and were considered nomads just looking for food People wandered and were considered nomads just looking for food Discovered fire, created a language and made simple tools Discovered fire, created a language and made simple tools No permanent homes and had to do much of the work individually No permanent homes and had to do much of the work individually No written records = prehistory No written records = prehistory Began to farm = stability and villages Began to farm = stability and villages Specialization = creation of other jobs such as craftsman and metalworkers Specialization = creation of other jobs such as craftsman and metalworkers Surplus of goods = trade and growth of small villages into large cities Surplus of goods = trade and growth of small villages into large cities Writing tells us about their civilization!!! Writing tells us about their civilization!!!

Why do we study these people who lived thousands of years ago?

Which ancient civilizations will we study in 6 th Grade? Mesopotamia Civilizations like the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans Mesopotamia Civilizations like the Sumerians, Babylonians, Assyrians, Chaldeans Egypt Egypt Israel Israel Phoenicia Phoenicia Greece Greece Rome Rome Persia Persia China China India India