1. 8 features that make us more than just hunters and gatherers
What is a Civilization?
8 features that make us more than just hunters and gatherers

2. Recall!
What is one really important rule or piece of information that you remember from yesterday?

3. Think! What is a hunter and gatherer society? What is a civilization?
How are they different from one another?
Share your answers with someone sitting next to you

4. Today’s objectives
Students will understand the differences between a hunter and gatherer society and a civilization.
Students will understand the 8 features of a civilization as key points of comparison between ancient societies.
Students will voice their opinions respectfully of others.
Students will be able to synthesize the information from a class lecture into easy to read notes*
*Hand out note taking pdf

5. When did Civilization begin?
Before people could farm, they were hunters and gathers
about 6,000 years ago, people began to farm and settle into villages in the the Ancient Middle East (First Agricultural Revolution)
This was the beginning of the first civilization

6. What makes a group of people a civilization?
Hunter and gatherer groups were much less sophisticated and organized than civilizations
There are 8 features that every civilization has
Hunter and gatherer groups may have some of these features but not all of them

7. Organized Government
Governments were formed to oversee large scale efforts to benefit the people. For example governments could oversee the production and distribution of food.
Different civilizations had different types of governments. Some had single rulers (like a king) and others had elected officials.

8. Complex Religion Religion can be monotheistic or polytheistic
Monotheistic means there is one God. (Christianity, Judaism)
Polytheistic means that there is more than one God (Hinduism, Shintoism)

9. Job Specialization
In hunter and gatherer societies the men hunted and the women gathered plants while taking care of the children
When people form civilizations, society has more needs. No one can produce all of the things they need by themselves. This means that people need to specialize in one thing (example: blacksmith, cobbler, farmer, etc.)

10. Social Classes
People in civilizations are often ranked according to their job
In most ancient civilizations nobles and religious officials are at the top of society
Many civilizations also have a class of slaves at the bottom of society

11. Arts and Architecture
often reflects the beliefs and values of the people who created the art
Temples and palaces were created in the ancient world in order to remind the people of the power of the government and religion
Most elaborate buildings were often temples or other places of worship

12. Public Works Large scale building projects that improve a city
Examples include irrigation systems, roads, bridges and defensive walls
Slaves were used in some civilizations to complete these projects as they required a lot of human labor. Some people even lost their lives in some of these dangerous building projects

13. Writing
Many different civilizations developed writing for various reasons
example: record rituals, grain surplus/shortage, achievements of kings
Pictographs - simple drawings that look like the object they represent
Scribes - people trained to read and write

14. Cities
Population centers that are notably larger and more organized than towns or villages and that support the other features of a civilization
City-state - a political unit that includes a city and its surrounding lands and villages

15. Comparison Activity Your Task:
Pretend you are a person who has grown up during the Neolithic Revolution. Make cave art that depicts what your life was like before and after. It should:
The art must show at least three aspects of life before the revolution and after.
Should be inspired by cave art.
Should be creative and visually pleasing ( I will be posting some).
Provide a brief explanation of each drawing on the poster.