Unit 2: Human Origins Through the Neolithic Age
Major Events Time Line
a. 500,000 BCE - Early humans learn how to control fire.
b. 33,000 BCE – Cro-Magnons appear
c. 9,000 BCE – Domestication of animals begins
d. 8,000 BCE – Last ice ages ends
e. 8,000 BCE – First agriculture takes place
f. 7,000 BCE – Improved farming methods lead to larger settlements, such as Catal Huyuk.
g. 5,000 BCE – People by the Euphrates River begin to irrigate crops
h.. 4,000 BCE – A dry period in Africa begins, causing the Sahara to spread.
GRAPES
Geography
-Early humans adapted to their environment.
Religion
-Early humans began ceremonial burials and left evidence of early religions on their cave art.
Achievements
-Weapons and tools helped hunter-gatherers to survive.
-New technologies developed to support the agricultural revolution.
-Early humans developed language and art.
-Agriculture changed how people lived
Political system
-Bands of hunter-gatherers settled into simple farming villages.
-Simple farming villages developed into complex villages
Economic system
-Hunter-gatherers lived a nomadic life in pursuit of animals
-Farming developed in many parts of the world.
Social structure
-Different classes began to emerge once a group embraced specialization.
Key Understandings
-Archaeologists have found evidence that our species became human beings in central-eastern Africa more than 200,000 years ago. Our evidence is “Lucy” – an apelike creature who had pelvic bones that suggest she stood upright on two legs.
-Humans during the Paleolithic Age were hunter-gathers who lived in small groups, were nomadic, used stone tools, and created cave paintings.
-Paleolithic Age ends when humans discover agriculture – this starts the Neolithic Age.
-Neolithic humans began to settle down in permanent shelters as they experimented with farming techniques.
-Climate changes during this period (ex: the Ice Age) led humans to begin using fire, begin domesticating plants and animals, and create new sources of clothing and shelter.
-As Neolithic humans began to settle in permanent communities they began to specialize in jobs other than farming. This specialization of labor led to the beginning of cities.
-As cities grew and specialization expanded to new jobs, humans began to manipulate their geography (ex: irrigation), develop religious beliefs, produce achievements in culture and technology, form political systems, create economic systems, and develop their own social structure. We call groups of humans that do this a “civilization.”
-We use BCE (before the Common Era) and BC (before Christ) to signify years before the year 1. We use CE (Common Era) and AD (anno domini) to signify the year 1 and years after that (we are currently in the CE/AD era.
Vocab
Primary source: document or artifact created by a person who witnessed a historical event
Secondary source: work produced about a historical event by someone not actually there
Hunter-gatherers: people who hunt animals and gather plants for food
Nomads: members of a group of people who have no set home but move from place to place
Migration: process of relocating to a new region
Technology: people’s application of knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs
Religion: the worship of God, gods, or spirits
Domesticate: to adapt or breed plants or animals for human use
Agriculture: cultivation of soil to produce crops
Bands: small groups of families living and acting cooperatively
Irrigation: watering dry land by using ditches, pipes, or streams
Surplus: amount produced in excess of what is needed
Specialization: skill in one type of work
Artisans: people trained in a particular skill or craft
Social class: group of people with similar customs, backgrounds, training, and income
Government: organization set up to make and enforce rules for a society
Fertile: good for plants to grow it
Inhabitants: residents of a place
a. 500,000 BCE - Early humans learn how to control fire.
b. 33,000 BCE – Cro-Magnons appear
c. 9,000 BCE – Domestication of animals begins
d. 8,000 BCE – Last ice ages ends
e. 8,000 BCE – First agriculture takes place
f. 7,000 BCE – Improved farming methods lead to larger settlements, such as Catal Huyuk.
g. 5,000 BCE – People by the Euphrates River begin to irrigate crops
h.. 4,000 BCE – A dry period in Africa begins, causing the Sahara to spread.
GRAPES
Geography
-Early humans adapted to their environment.
Religion
-Early humans began ceremonial burials and left evidence of early religions on their cave art.
Achievements
-Weapons and tools helped hunter-gatherers to survive.
-New technologies developed to support the agricultural revolution.
-Early humans developed language and art.
-Agriculture changed how people lived
Political system
-Bands of hunter-gatherers settled into simple farming villages.
-Simple farming villages developed into complex villages
Economic system
-Hunter-gatherers lived a nomadic life in pursuit of animals
-Farming developed in many parts of the world.
Social structure
-Different classes began to emerge once a group embraced specialization.
Key Understandings
-Archaeologists have found evidence that our species became human beings in central-eastern Africa more than 200,000 years ago. Our evidence is “Lucy” – an apelike creature who had pelvic bones that suggest she stood upright on two legs.
-Humans during the Paleolithic Age were hunter-gathers who lived in small groups, were nomadic, used stone tools, and created cave paintings.
-Paleolithic Age ends when humans discover agriculture – this starts the Neolithic Age.
-Neolithic humans began to settle down in permanent shelters as they experimented with farming techniques.
-Climate changes during this period (ex: the Ice Age) led humans to begin using fire, begin domesticating plants and animals, and create new sources of clothing and shelter.
-As Neolithic humans began to settle in permanent communities they began to specialize in jobs other than farming. This specialization of labor led to the beginning of cities.
-As cities grew and specialization expanded to new jobs, humans began to manipulate their geography (ex: irrigation), develop religious beliefs, produce achievements in culture and technology, form political systems, create economic systems, and develop their own social structure. We call groups of humans that do this a “civilization.”
-We use BCE (before the Common Era) and BC (before Christ) to signify years before the year 1. We use CE (Common Era) and AD (anno domini) to signify the year 1 and years after that (we are currently in the CE/AD era.
Vocab
Primary source: document or artifact created by a person who witnessed a historical event
Secondary source: work produced about a historical event by someone not actually there
Hunter-gatherers: people who hunt animals and gather plants for food
Nomads: members of a group of people who have no set home but move from place to place
Migration: process of relocating to a new region
Technology: people’s application of knowledge, tools, and inventions to meet their needs
Religion: the worship of God, gods, or spirits
Domesticate: to adapt or breed plants or animals for human use
Agriculture: cultivation of soil to produce crops
Bands: small groups of families living and acting cooperatively
Irrigation: watering dry land by using ditches, pipes, or streams
Surplus: amount produced in excess of what is needed
Specialization: skill in one type of work
Artisans: people trained in a particular skill or craft
Social class: group of people with similar customs, backgrounds, training, and income
Government: organization set up to make and enforce rules for a society
Fertile: good for plants to grow it
Inhabitants: residents of a place
Lessons By Topic |
Day 1 - Human Origins in Agrica: u2d1cw_humans_origins_in_africa.docx
Day 2 - Life During the Paleolithic Age: u2d2cw_life_during_the_paleolithic_age.docx Day 3 - Humans and Geography: u2d3cw_humans___geography.docx Day 4 - The Neolithic Revolution: u2d4cw_the_neolithic_revolution.docx Day 5 - Metallurgy and the End of the Neolithic Age: u2d7cw_metallurgy___the_end_of_the_neolithic_age.docx Day 6 - Paleolithic Age vs Neolithic Age: u2d8cw_paleolithic_age_vs_neolithic_age.docx Day 7 - Amazing Race: u2d9cw_-_amazing_race.docx Stone Age Review HW: stoneagereviewhw.docx Human Origins HW: human_origins_review_hw.docx |