Name: _______________________________________________
Neolithic Revolution
A visual depicting the CAUSES and EFFECTS of the Neolithic Revolution:
Social Hierarchy
Develops
The last ice age ends
10,000-8,000 BCE
Global temperatures rise
and this allows more
plants and animals to
thrive
The Neolithic
Revolution = The
transition from
hunting and gathering
to farming and the
domestication of
animals
Humans begin utilizing
TECHNOLOGY to GROW food
instead of hunting and gathering
Food Surpluses
Population
Growth
Pollution
Urbanization
Specialization
Spread of Disease
DO Now:
Define the Neolithic Revolution.
Identify ONE cause and one effect of the Neolithic Revolution.
Vocabulary and Terminology:
 Food Surplus – A surplus means there is extra.
1. Neolithic Revolution = People domesticate or tame plants and animals = AGRICULTURE!
2. Agriculture allowed people to have access to more food than ever before because they were no longer forced to
FIND food daily.
 Specialization – Perusing a special or particular line of work.
1. After the Neolithic Revolution a handful of farmers were able to produce enough food for everyone.
2. Those who were not farmers got other jobs. They specialized.
a. Some became government leaders
b. Some became doctors
c. Some made clothes
d. Some made tools and developed technology
 Social Hierarchy – A system of ranking people. Usually ranked according to wealth, skin color, power, gender etc.
1. Prior to the Neolithic Revolution people were relatively equal because they all did the SAME job. All humans were
hunter-gathers. In order to survive each and every member of the human race was forced to do the same job
including men and women.
2. After the Neolithic Revolution people were ranked
a. Men above women
b. Rich above poor – This usually had to do with your job
c. Powerful above those with no power
 Population Growth – More people.
1. Because more food was available human populations began to grow substantially for the first time in human
history
2. World populations are now at over 7 billion
Name: _______________________________________________
 Urbanization – The growth of cities (Urban = City).
1. When humans were hunter gathers living spread out in rural areas was the only way to survive. Humans did not
want to compete with each other for food.
2. After the Neolithic Revolution food was available in centralized areas. People began living closer together for
many reasons
a. Socialization
b. Access to food farmers grew
c. Protection
d. More goods were available
 Pollution – Presence in or introduction into the environment of a substance or thing that has harmful or poisonous effects
1. As human populations grew they began producing more waste and other substances that were harmful to the
environment
 Spread of Disease – A disease is a disorder that causes symptoms such as pain, discomfort or death
1. After the Neolithic revolution human populations grew and they began living in urban areas or cities
2. Since there were more people living closer together it became much easier for sickness and disease to spread
Use the 7 Effects listed above to complete the chart below:
The most important EFFECT of the Neolithic Revolution is…
In a complete sentence, identify the effect here:
The second most important EFFECT of the Neolithic Revolution is…
In a complete sentence, identify the effect here:
Explain why the EFFECT is the most important EFFECT here. In this
explanation:
 Explain how this EFFECT influences your life, the world around
you or society as a whole;
 Use evidence from your own life to explain why this effect is
more important than other effects.
Explain why the EFFECT is the second most important EFFECT here. In
this explanation:
 Explain how this EFFECT influences your life, the world around
you or society as a whole;
 Use evidence from your own life to explain why this effect is
more important than other effects.
Name: _______________________________________________
Discussion – Do We Have Control Over Our Political Socialization:
The statement below is meant to be a controversial argument about the EFFECTS of the Neolithic Revolution. You are going
to annotate this statement for portions with which you agree and disagree.
The Statement:
The Neolithic Revolution is the most important event in human history and it defines who we are today. The positive effects of
the Neolithic Revolution far outweigh the negative effects and it is the reason that human life exists as we know it today.
Without food surpluses, advanced societies, including The United States would not exist. This is because culture is completely
lacking in hunter-gatherer societies located in rural and remote locations. Urbanization is what makes civilized life possible.
Cities are the only place suitable for cultural growth to take place in areas such as art, literature and music.
Specialization led to the formation of highly effective and fair Social Hierarchies developing. Social Hierarchy rewards those
who work hard and penalize those members of a society who do not.
In addition, human populations will never increase beyond what the Earth is able to support. Humans have relied on technology
to solve all of humanities great problems and in time issues such as pollution and population growth will be solved as well.
The Question:
1. Based on your personal opinions and the examples/evidence that we discussed during class today, place the different
portions of the statement above in the appropriate columns below. In placing the different portions of the statement
above into the columns below, consider the following:


The effects of The Neolithic Revolution – Are they positive, negative or both
Do the positives outweigh the negatives? Do the negatives outweigh the positives?
I completely agree with this
portion of the statement
(and why)
I somewhat agree with this
portion of the statement
(and why)
I somewhat disagree with this
portion of the statement
(and why)
I completely disagree with this
portion of the statement
(and why)
Name: _______________________________________________
Independent Practice
Name: _______________________________________________
1. Describe what took place during the Neolithic Revolution (Who? What? When? Where? Why?)
2. Explain how the NR effected population growth. (You are connecting two things together either through cause and
effect, categorization, or comparison)
3. Explain how the NR effected human movement. (You are connecting two things together either through cause and
effect, categorization, or comparison)
4. Explain how the NR led to Social Hierarchy. (You are connecting two things together either through cause and
effect, categorization, or comparison)