Ch. 1 Foundations of Civilization I.Peopling of the World II.Neolithic Revolution

Early humans were nomadic hunters & gatherers & had to move around to find their food Some hunters & gatherers were advanced, but were never able to develop complex societies because they had to migrate to find food

Around 8,000 B.C., the Neolithic Revolution occurred & early humans discovered how to farm & domesticate animals Farming changed the way humans lived: People no longer had to be nomads Food surpluses led to population increases Farming villages became established along river valleys for their good soil & irrigation

Around 3,000 B.C., some farming villages became complex civilizations. Brainstorm: What characteristics are needed to makes people a “civilization”? Advanced cities ?

Characteristics of Civilizations? ? ? ? ?

Civilizations must have cities that are centers of trade for large areas

Civilizations must have technologies that make their lives easier

Civilizations must have writing in order to keep records of taxes, laws, or trade

Civilizations must have specialized workers that create a class system

Civilizations must have complex institutions like government & religion to keep order

Closure Activity ■ Now that we have defined “civilization”: – Is the United States a civilization? Give evidence to support your answer.

THE FIRST CIVILIZATIONS I.Fertile crescent II.Lasting contributions

The discovery of farming during the Neolithic Revolution allowed nomadic people to settle into civilizations

The world’s first civilizations all began in river valleys The first civilization began in an area known as Mesopotamia Included Sumer and the Akkadian, Babylonian, and Assyrian empires

Mesopotamia means “land between the rivers” & is often called the “Fertile Crescent” or as the “Cradle of Civilization” The Tigris and Euphrates Rivers flooded once per year, leaving behind fertile soil ideal for farming

The first civilization developed in the Fertile Crescent: Sumer But, surrounding deserts & the lack of natural barriers attracted outsiders to Mesopotamia & made the Sumerians vulnerable to attack

■ Advanced cities: – Sumerian city-states were protected by high walls – At the city center was a temple called a ziggurat

■ Specialized Workers: – At the top of society were priests, and then kings – In the middle were skilled workers, like merchants – At the bottom, were common farmers & slaves

■ Religion: – Sumerians & Babylonians were polytheistic – The Hebrews in Palestine were the 1 st monotheistic faith in history (Judaism) – The holy book of Judaism is the Torah; God gave Moses the Ten Commandments which serve as moral laws

■ Government: – Babylonian King Hammurabi created the first legal code – Hammurabi’s Code had 282 laws based on justice & retaliation (an eye for an eye) – The code had different punishments for the various levels of society

■ Writing: – Sumerians made the world’s 1 st writing called cuneiform – Phoenicians simplified cuneiform to a 22 letter alphabet – Phoenician merchants spread the alphabet throughout the Mediterranean world – The alphabet influenced Greek, Latin, & English

■ Technology: – Sumerians inventions include the wheel, sail, plow, & bronze metalwork

Closure Activity ■ Develop a “Hammurabi’s Code” for Limestone High School: – Your code should include at least 5 laws and consequences – Think about things that are important to keep order in a school

CHAPTER 2 - EGYPT I.TRAITS OF EGYPT II.LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Egypt began along the Nile River in North Africa Egypt was bordered on both sides by desert which isolated & protected Egyptians from outsiders The Nile River’s annual floods were predictable & provided fertile soil for farming The Nile flooded so predictably that the Egyptians designed their calendar around it I.TRAITS OF EGYPT

■ Advanced Cities: – Cities developed along the Nile River in “Upper Egypt” & “Lower Egypt” I.LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

■ Specialized Workers: – ? i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

■ Government : – Pharaohs ruled Egypt as “king-gods” & were thought to control nature – Egyptians constructed pyramids & elaborate tombs for the pharoahs i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

■ Religion: – Egyptians were polytheistic & believed the gods controlled all aspects of life i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

■ Writing: – Egyptian hieroglyphics was both pictograms & a phonetic alphabet – Hieroglyphics were translated using the Rosetta Stone i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

■ Technology: – Egyptian ideas included a 365-day calendar, geometry, astronomy, & pyramids i. LASTING CONTRIBUTIONS

Class Activity #1 ■ Overview: You & your team are members of an ancient tribe known as “Patrioti” ■ Working with your tribe, complete the following activities in order: – Step 1: Collect at least 4 food tokens & 1 water token – Step 2: Gather resources & build a temple to honor the “food god” ■ Your grade will be based on completing these tasks & the creativity of your temple

Class Activity #2 New discovery: FARMING! ■ Working with your tribe, complete the following activities in order: – Step 1: Collect at least 4 food tokens & 1 water token – Step 2: Gather resources & build a temple to honor the “food god” ■ Your grade will be based on completing these tasks & the creativity of your temple

Debriefing Questions ■ Discuss with your team & write down your answers to the following questions: – What were your experiences like during Round 1 of this activity? – How did the discovery of “farming” change your experiences in Round 2? – How do you think these activities relate to early human beings? – What advantages do you think farming gave to early humans?