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Ch. 1 Foundations of Civilization I.Peopling of the World II.Neolithic Revolution
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Early humans were nomadic hunters & gatherers & had to move around to find their food Some hunters & gatherers were advanced, but were never able to develop complex societies because they had to migrate to find food
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Around 8,000 B.C., the Neolithic Revolution occurred & early humans discovered how to farm & domesticate animals Farming changed the way humans lived: 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
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Around 3,000 B.C., some farming villages became complex civilizations. Brainstorm: What characteristics are needed to makes people a “civilization”? Advanced cities ?
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Characteristics of Civilizations? ? ? ? ?
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Civilizations must have cities that are centers of trade for large areas
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Civilizations must have technologies that make their lives easier
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Civilizations must have writing in order to keep records of taxes, laws, or trade
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Civilizations must have specialized workers that create a class system
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Civilizations must have complex institutions like government & religion to keep order
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Closure Activity ■ Now that we have defined “civilization”: – Is the United States a civilization? Give evidence to support your answer.
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THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS I.Fertile crescent II.Lasting contributions
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The discovery of farming during the Neolithic Revolution allowed nomadic people to settle into civilizations
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The world’s first civilizations all began in river valleys The first civilization began in an area known as Mesopotamia Included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires
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Mesopotamia means “land between the rivers” & is often called the “Fertile Crescent” or as the “Cradle of Civilization” The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded once per year, leaving behind fertile soil ideal for farming
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The first civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent: Sumer But, surrounding deserts & the lack of natural barriers attracted outsiders to Mesopotamia & made the Sumerians vulnerable to attack
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■ Advanced cities: – Sumerian city-states were protected by high walls – At the city center was a temple called a ziggurat
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■ Specialized Workers: – At the top of society were priests, and then kings – In the middle were skilled workers, like merchants – At the bottom, were common farmers & slaves
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■ Religion: – Sumerians & Babylonians were polytheistic – The Hebrews in Palestine were the 1 st monotheistic faith in history (Judaism) – The holy book of Judaism is the Torah; God gave Moses the Ten Commandments which serve as moral laws
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■ Government: – Babylonian King Hammurabi created the first legal code – Hammurabi’s Code had 282 laws based on justice & retaliation (an eye for an eye) – The code had different punishments for the various levels of society
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■ Writing: – Sumerians made the world’s 1 st writing called cuneiform – Phoenicians simplified cuneiform to a 22 letter alphabet – Phoenician merchants spread the alphabet throughout the Mediterranean world – The alphabet influenced Greek, Latin, & English
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■ Technology: – Sumerians inventions include the wheel, sail, plow, & bronze metalwork
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Closure Activity ■ Develop a “Hammurabi’s Code” for Limestone High School: – Your code should include at least 5 laws and consequences – Think about things that are important to keep order in a school
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CHAPTER 2 - EGYPT I.TRAITS OF EGYPT II.LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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Egypt began along the Nile River in North Africa Egypt was bordered on both sides by desert which isolated & protected Egyptians from outsiders The Nile River’s annual floods were predictable & provided fertile soil for farming The Nile flooded so predictably that the Egyptians designed their calendar around it I.TRAITS OF EGYPT
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■ Advanced Cities: – Cities developed along the Nile River in “Upper Egypt” & “Lower Egypt” I.LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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■ Specialized Workers: – ? i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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■ Government : – Pharaohs ruled Egypt as “king-gods” & were thought to control nature – Egyptians constructed pyramids & elaborate tombs for the pharoahs i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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■ Religion: – Egyptians were polytheistic & believed the gods controlled all aspects of life i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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■ Writing: – Egyptian hieroglyphics was both pictograms & a phonetic alphabet – Hieroglyphics were translated using the Rosetta Stone i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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■ Technology: – Egyptian ideas included a 365-day calendar, geometry, astronomy, & pyramids i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS
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Class Activity #1 ■ Overview: You & your team are members of an ancient tribe known as “Patrioti” ■ Working with your tribe, complete the following activities in order: – Step 1: Collect at least 4 food tokens & 1 water token – Step 2: Gather resources & build a temple to honor the “food god” ■ Your grade will be based on completing these tasks & the creativity of your temple
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Class Activity #2 New discovery: FARMING! ■ Working with your tribe, complete the following activities in order: – Step 1: Collect at least 4 food tokens & 1 water token – Step 2: Gather resources & build a temple to honor the “food god” ■ Your grade will be based on completing these tasks & the creativity of your temple
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Debriefing Questions ■ Discuss with your team & write down your answers to the following questions: – What were your experiences like during Round 1 of this activity? – How did the discovery of “farming” change your experiences in Round 2? – How do you think these activities relate to early human beings? – What advantages do you think farming gave to early humans?
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