1. Agricultural Revolutions

2. For many thousands of years, people were hunter-gatherers (nomads).
What About Before?
For many thousands of years, people were hunter-gatherers (nomads).

3. Hunters and Gatherers TODAY
There are still a few societies left that follow hunting and gathering traditions:
Spinifex of Australia
Sentinelese of India
Bushman of Namibia and Botswana
Total- about 250,000 of 7B+!
Click if you are curious!

4. Agriculture
the modification of Earth’s surface through cultivation of plants and raising of animals to obtain sustenance or economic gain.
subsistence individual farming to meet own needs
commercial economic gain
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5. Subsistence vs Commercial Ag
COMMERCIAL  *Large areas of land required *Capital intensive
*Fewer farmers *Inanimate power and mechanized *Based on science/technology
*Crops sold for profit- has a business focus 
*MDCs
SUBSISTENCE  *Small plots of land   *Labor intensive
*Many farmers *Animate power *Mostly for family/community consumption
LDCs

6. What Do You See?

7. What Do You See?

8. Three Agricultural Eras
Historians and scientists identify 3 major eras of agriculture:
Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
British Agricultural Revolution
Green Agricultural Revolution

9. 1st Agricultural Revolution The Fertile Crescent
TURN and TALK…What do you already KNOW?

10. Advantages… Disadvantages
Make a quick T chart and take notes as you watch/listen to these videos!
Advantages of Agriculture
Disadvantages of Agriculture

11. 1st Agricultural Revolution
Neolithic Revolution
Fertile crescent … 10,000 years ago
Crops domesticated here: barley, oats, rye
This led to…
PEOPLE STAYING IN ONE PLACE!
- populations grow cities specialization governments
Click to watch

12. Over time… More crops (variety) were domesticated
Animals were domesticated, and integrated into the farming practices as beasts of burden and sources of fertilizer.
Animals were also
- sources of food
- source of fiber/leather
- pets

13. 1st Ag Revolution: Learning with Tim and Moby!

14. Domestication… Why There? Why Now?
Environmental and Cultural Factors
About the same time as the end of the last ice age
Human nature (prefer living in a “fixed” place)
Observation (If I drop a berry a new plant grows)
Note…agriculture was established in multiple places around the world at about the same time in history, resulting in 5 main hearths.

15. Crop Hearths 4 2 3 5 1

16. Agricultural Hearths

17. Check Out North America’s Contributions

18. Animal Hearths

19. Sauer Says Agriculture…
Was started by people who had enough food to remain settled in one place.
Started in regions where many different kinds of wild plants grew.
Started in areas where climates change with differing sun exposure and altitude.
Vegetative planting came 1st then seed planting.

20. Vegetative Planting
Direct cloning from existing plants, such as cutting stems and dividing roots. Plants found growing wild were deliberately divided and transplanted.

21. Seed Agriculture
Reproduction of plants through annual planting of seeds. Seed agriculture is practiced by most farmers today.

22. Subsistence Agriculture
Producing enough food to survive
For thousands of years… this was it!

23. Cool Timeline
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24. 1st Ag Revolution: Review with Crash Course
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25. 1st Ag Revolution Review
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26. 2nd Agricultural Revolution
The British Revolution… linked to mechanization of the Industrial Revolution
17th -18th century Europe (then spread)
Europe was becoming more industrial and urban

27. 2nd Ag Revolution Farmers ↑ farm size Fenced in their land
Field rotation
More efficient machinery
Animal breed selection
Importing food
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28. 2nd Ag Revolution
All this made it possible to feed large urban populations who couldn’t grow their own food!
HELLO COMMERCIAL
AGRICULTURE

29. 2nd Ag Revolution: Key Inventions and Inventors
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30. Review the 2nd Ag (British) Revolution
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31. 3rd Agricultural Revolution
AKA… the “Green Revolution”
1930s- 1960s population boom caused a food shortage in LDCs
Scientists began experimenting with manipulated seeds to increase crop yields.

32. Maize in Mexico
The Green Revolution began in Mexico in the 1940s to expand their crop production to keep pace with the growing demands of a rapidly rising population.
Mexico wanted to become self-sufficient in corn and wheat production.

33. Nobel Peace Prize
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34. In India… IR36 Genetically Modified (GM) strain of rice larger head
stronger stem
resistant against 15 pests
growing cycle of 110 days (3x as fast)
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35. 3rd Ag Revolution Has increased food yield which helps combat hunger.
Criticisms
Genetic modification
Environmental hazards (soil depletion)
High cost of seeds
Increased use of pesticides and fertilizers
Click to watch

36. What Do You See?

37. Awesome Ag Revolutions Review
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