Unit 1: Early Humans

Part 2: Neolithic
Click each assignment to go to its worksheet.

1.10 The Neolithic Revolution (video notes)

1.11 Early Agriculture (textbook)
1.12 The First Cities (video notes)
1.13 Centers of New Ideas (project)
1.14 Cities and Civilizations (textbook)

What was the agricultural revolution, and how did it help create the first
Essential Question:
civilizations?

Remember!

Only submit this packet when you have finished ALL its assignments
 1.10 The Neolithic Revolution
Directions: Watch the three Neolithic Revolution videos and write down interesting facts that would help you
summarize each topic. Add more facts from the class discussion to the right.

Video Your Notes Class Discussion Notes

Farmer populations shot up Farming went from millions to billions

All the animals died, so they had to learn

to farm,

Birth of Farming When someone dropped a seed into soil

by accident

The landscape became better after the ice Humans select variety
age

They created domestic varieties of plants

Made made the neolithic GMOs
Agriculture
Learned to process wheat
Invested in their future

Many depictions of domestication in

history

Dogs were domesticated the first

History of Domestic Bred to have likable attributes

Animals
Different breeds are bred together to make
more breeds

We started when we were

hunter-gatherers
 1.11 Early Agriculture
Essential Question: What was the agricultural revolution, and how did it help create the first civilizations?

Part 1: Reading
Directions: Read textbook Unit 1: Chapters 1 -2.2 and 2.3 (pages 26-29) to complete the notes.

The Beginnings of Domestication

Summarize how the climate changed It became much wetter and warmer, and ice sheets
14,000 years ago. melted
Changing
What did this result in? Much more agriculture
Climate
How did warmer and wetter weather It’s the perfect environment for growing plants
lead to domesticating plants?

How did humans first domesticate By scattering seeds in the soil, and returning in a year
plants?

Taming Plants What did humans use domesticated Humans used domesticated animals for food and
animals for? transportation mostly
and Animals
Why were estuaries a good location The estuarine environment is very rich in wildlife,
particularly aquatic, but it is very vulnerable to
for early permanent settlement?
damage as a result of the actions of humans.

The Agricultural Revolution

When did the agricultural revolution It began in 10,000 BC and ended in 8000 BC
begin and how long did it last?

Fertile River What defines the Neolithic Age? The time frame between 10000 and 8000 BC
Valleys
Why was the Fertile Crescent a good It was a good place for farming and setting up villages
because it was a rich environment with animals, fertile
place for early villages and farming?
soil, and freshwater

Name four tools that helped early The sickle helped harvest grains, hoes to dig soil,
ploughs for prepping the land, and milestones for
farming and what did they do?
grinding grain
New Farm
Tools and What was the effect of animals on Much more efficiency in farming
tools?
Methods
How did clay pots lead to using Because it could be used to melt metal without
metal?
Part 2: Vocabulary
Directions: Fill in the definition for each yellow highlighted word from the chapter(s).

Domestication Estuary (not yellow -page 27)

● Raise plants and animals making them useful to ● An estuary is a landform where the river feeds
humans into the ocean

Agriculture Fertile
● The practice of growing plants and rearing ● Healthy and life-supporting
animals for food

Part 3: Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions in the boxes using facts from your reading.

1. Why would an increase in forests Because the land would have been more fertile
and grasses have helped farming
begin?

2. How could floodplains have Because they have a lot of water and sun, perfect for farming
helped early farming?

3. Look at the Agricultural Wheat was a common commodity around Europe, while Asia had a lot of
Revolution section’s map, what animals. South America had a lot of everything
conclusions can you make about
how new technologies and ideas
spread?
 1.12 The First Cities
Directions: Watch the “The First Cities” video to answer the questions. Add more facts from the class discussion to
the right.

Question Your Notes Class Discussion Notes

It helped humans to farm through

inventions like ox- driven carts for
How did harsesting ect.
domesticating
animals help humans
to farm?

Irrigation is a system of canals used to

water plants to redirect
What are irrigation
systems and how did
they help villages
have bigger
populations?

An agrarian city is a society that depends

on agriculture, they were around
What is an agrarian mesopotamia
civilization and where
did they first
develop?

They were important, as with food taken

care of they could develop math,
astronomy, arts ect.
Why were surpluses
important to the first
cities?
 1.13 Centers of New Ideas
Directions: Work with your team to create a poster for the early human settlement assigned to you. Each poster
should include the following:
● Name of the settlement with a summary of it
● Images representing 3 things the settlement was known for
● Descriptions of why each of these three things was important
● Yellow vocabulary words and their definitions
You can find each settlement in the textbook Unit 1: Chapter 2, beginning on page 36.
Possible settlements include:
★ Çatalhöyük (Southwest Asia)
★ Oaxaca (Mesoamerica)
★ Faiyum (North Africa)
★ Banpo (China)
Use the space below to take notes that will help you with your poster.

They started growing rice all over China

The north (Where Bansho is) was too cold, so they grew millet there

They built houses along the Huang and Wei Rivers, so they were excellent farmers because of all the water

Their towns consisted of many houses facing a large community building

They grew millet and hemp

Cultivated silk

Made pottery that represented their ancestry

They made pottery by hand and baked it in kilns

Geometric shapes were found on Banpo pottery

Used vessels for food storage

 1.14 Cities and Civilization
Essential Question: What was the agricultural revolution, and how did it help create the first civilizations?

Part 1: Reading
Directions: Read textbook Unit 1: Chapters 2 -2.1 and 2.2 (pages 46-49) to complete the notes.

Göbekli Tepe
Describe the look of Göbekli Tepe. Massive limestone pillars formed into T’s

The World’s What didn’t the builders use? They didn’t use Industrial-grade plastic wrap
First Temple
What two things make Göbekli Tepe It marked the beginning of modern religion and
important and remarkable? agriculture

Traits of Civilization
Cities political, economic, and cultural centers for the surrounding areas

set up to make and enforce rules in a society, with leaders and

Complex Institutions
government

Five Traits jobs other than farming. Such as pottery, metalworking, weaving, or
Specialized Workers
toolmaking.
summarize each
recorded business transactions, important events, customs, traditions,
Record Keeping
and laws

metalworking methods, inventions such as the wheel and the plow,

Improved Technology
and tools to create everyday items, such as the potter's wheel.

Part 2: Vocabulary
Directions: Fill in the definition for each yellow highlighted word from the chapter(s).

Civilization Religion

● the belief in and worship of one or more ● the belief in and worship of one or more
gods and goddesses gods and goddesses

Trade Government

● the exchange of goods ● the exchange of goods

Part 3: Analysis Questions

Directions: Answer the following questions in the boxes using facts from your reading.

1. How do you think farming could Curiosity about the natural world made by the discovering of agriculture
lead to religious beliefs or religion
lead to inventing agriculture?
2. How did food surpluses help Because there was no need to fight for food
create early civilizations?