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Unit Essential
Question: What was
life like in early
times, and how did it
change as
civilizations began
to develop?
AIM: What have scholars learned about the
ancestors of humans, and how have they done
so?
Do Now: Type of Learner Survey
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

Setting the Stage: Who are we?
Prehistory – the long period of time before people invented
writing. Roughly about 5,000 years ago.
Evolution vs. Creationism
**We will not take a side but simply look at what has been found.
+ What’s the difference between
creation and evolution?
Informational Text
1.
2.
As a class we will read the short text together.
You will become familiar with the Critical Reading Text
Assignment Sheet
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

Understanding Our Past
Scientific Clues

Scientists work like detectives using excavated sites

Artifacts: human-made objects such as jewelry or tools

Paleontologists study fossils or evidence or early life preserved in
rocks
Investigating Prehistory

Anthropology is the study of the origin, the behavior, and the
physical, social and cultural developments of humans.

Archaeology a field of anthropology where archaeologists study
past peoples and cultures through their material remains.

Use radiocarbon dating to determine the age of an artifact
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
Discoveries in Africa and Beyond
Mary Leakey

Archeologist who led an expedition in Tanzania in East Africa

1978, discovered Laetoli Footprints made by humanlike beings now
called australopithecines, a hominid
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Humans and other creatures that walk upright are called hominids
Lucy

Unusually complete skeleton of
female hominid

Discovered by Donald Johanson
in 1974

Named after Beatles song “Lucy
in the Sky with Diamonds”

Dated to be 3.5 million years old
Laetoli Footprints
Lucy
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
Studying the Historical Past
History – the record of past events.
 Primary Source (eyewitness account) vs. Secondary
Source (second-hand record)
“Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.”
-George Santayana

Historical Dates:

Two formats:

B.C. – A.D.

B.C.E. – C.E.
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Key Terms for Foundations

Culture: the way of life of a group of people (society).
 i.e. – religion, clothing styles, diet, government
 “Blueprint for living”

Cultural Diffusion: the exchange of cultural objects and
ideas. Sometimes a cultural idea or object is adopted by a
different culture.

Ethnocentrism: the belief that one culture is superior to
another culture.
*Not a helpful attitude and can lead to conflict and warfare!

Technology: the skills and tools people use to meet their
basic needs and wants.
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Lucy: The Beginnings of
Mankind
1. Create an annotation key as a class.
2. Individually read and annotate the primary source document.
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Let’s Summarize…
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Aim: What are the basic elements of the
government and the economy?
Do Now: Summarizing Baseline
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Activity

For your assigned government/economic system:

1. Give an overall definition of the system.

2. List 2 advantages and 2 disadvantages.
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3. Explain how this government is just and fair.
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4. Why is this the best type of government system?
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AIM: Why is it important to study geography?
Do Now: Review from last class. Government groups
present.
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Warm Up
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
Geography
the study of the physical features of the earth and its atmosphere, and
of human activity as it affects and is affected by these
Physical Geography
Human Geography
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Physical Geography Human
Geography
 The
surface of the
earth

How people adapt to a
particular environment

Cartographer – map maker
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Five Themes of Geography
 1. Location
 2. Place
 3. Region
 4. Movement
 5. Human-Environment
Interaction
What does this map illustrate?
Physical map- shows geographic features such as mountains,
lakes, deserts etc. (mother nature)
+  List all the geographic features you see in this picture.
What does this map illustrate?
Political map- shows boundaries/borders of countries (man-made)
INTERPRETING MAPS
1. KEY / LEGEND - gives important information that helps to understand the
map. (Ex. * represents capital city)
2. EQUATOR- 0 degree imaginary line of latitude that separates the world into a
northern and southern hemisphere
3. PRIME MERIDIAN- 0 degree imaginary line of longitude that separates the
world into a eastern and western hemisphere
*Each group should have one member write down the answers for
the group to be submitted*
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1.
2.
3.
Activity – Geographic
Features Assessment
List the advantages and disadvantages of living in/by the
following geographic features: mountains, deserts, tropical
rainforests, rivers
What would you have to do to survive in these regions?
Pick which continent you think would be the ideal place to
start a civilization in.
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AIM: How did early humans survive?
Do Now: How do we know people lived thousands of years
ago? Answer in 4-6 sentences.
TRACING THE MIGRATION (MOVEMENT) OF EARLY HUMANS
ACCORDING TO THE MAP, WHERE DID EARLY
HUMANS ORIGINATE?
AFRICA
STANDARDS FOR BEING HUMAN:
1. 90cc skull size
2. Upright vertebrate
3. Thumb for tool making
WHAT ARE THESE IMAGES & WHAT DO THEY TELL US ABOUT EARLY
HUMANS?
Paleolithic Era (Old Stone Age) 2 million B.C. - 10,000
B.C.
1. Hunting & gathering societies – everyone contributed!
*Men- hunted and fished
*Women/Children – gathered.
2. Nomads- people who travel (migrate) from place to place in
constant search of food and water
3. People traveled in small groups (20-30 people)
4. Simple tools/weapons made of stone, bone & wood
5. To endure the cold, used animal skin for clothing. Went through
several ice ages, used fire for warmth and cooking.
6. Took refuge in caves to survive the cold during long winters. Cave
paintings found of animals.
7. Animism- belief system which involves worshipping spirits in
nature
Stone
Age
Tools
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Cave of Lascaux
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http://www.lascaux.culture.fr/?lng=en#/fr/00.xml
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Title: Eviscerated Bison in Lascaux
Caves
+ Title: Traced
Copy of a
Rock Painting
in Pahi,
Tanzania
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Title: Clay Bison Sculptures
+ Two female
figurines from
Malta, an Ice
Age site in
Siberia
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Activity: Source Analysis
Directions:
1. Analyze source #1 and source #2.
2. Answer corresponding reflection
worksheet.
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Let’s Summarize…
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AIM: How was the introduction of agriculture a
turning point in prehistory?
Do Now: What skills did Old Stone Age people develop in order
to adapt to their surroundings to their needs?
+ Describe the differences you see in the above pictures. Label
the picture representing the Paleolithic Age and the picture
representing the Neolithic Age.
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Turn & Talk
 Does
there have to be war in order for there to be a
revolution?
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a.
b.
c.
d.
Neolithic Revolution
Around 10,000 years ago, the Neolithic Revolution
began: the beginning of farming
It started accidentally when some women scattered
seeds near a campsite and noticed crops growing
there when they came back next season
Rising temperatures worldwide provided longer
growing seasons
Farming produces more food than hunting or
gathering
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f.
More food means a higher population, thus more
labor
g.
Due to labor and farming methods, permanent
settlements developed
h.
Permanent settlements turn into villages, villages
turn into cities, cities turn into civilizations
i.
Once you reach a certain population, you can begin
specialization
j.
Specialization: the development of skills in a
specific kind of work (other than farming)
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k.
Slash & burn farming was used (cut a field and
burn it for nutrients)
l.
Domestication or taming of animals began as
well
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Agriculture Revolution
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Group Work
1.
2.
Fill out graphic organizer outlining daily
changes from Paleolithic to Neolithic life.
Each group will work on a different section of
the organizer (i.e. resources) and will then
present to the rest of class.
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Cause & Effect
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Let’s Summarize…
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1. What was the main difference between life in the
Paleolithic period and life in the Neolithic period?

2. How did people's lives change as they began to
domesticate animals and farm during the Neolithic
period?

3. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of
the changes in daily life that occurred as a result of the
development of agriculture?
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4. Some historians refer to the development of agriculture
as a revolution because of the dramatic effect it had on
people's lives. Explain why you agree or disagree with this
statement.
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AIM: How did the world’s first civilizations rise and
develop?
Do Now: Watch the video clip and answer the following question in your
notebooksWhat does it mean to be civilized? What argument does John Green raise
concerning this and do you agree?
+ What does it mean to be civilized? What argument
does John Green raise concerning this and do you
agree?
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yocja_N5s1I
Link to Crash Course #1 Episode
WHAT IS A CIVILIZATION???
CIVILIZATION- (1) group of people living and working
together for the purpose of creating an organized society.
(2) “the highest cultural grouping of people which
distinguishes humans from other species”
(3) “complex systems or network of cities that emerge
from pre-urban culture”
EIGHT BASIC ELEMENTS
OF A CIVILIZATION:
(1) Writing Systems
(2) Infrastructure- public works such as
bridges, roads etc.
(3) Government / Laws
(4) Art / Architecture
(5) Social Classes
(6) Organized Religion
(7) Job Specialization
(8) Development of
Cities
Activity: Rank the eight characteristics of civilization in order of what you
think is the most important, and why.
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Let’s Summarize…