Foundations of Civilization

First CivilizationsEgypt

Mesopotamia

Guiding Questions

What was the relationship between people and their

environment?

What were the push/pull factors for migration?

How does migration affect other civilizations/cultures

What is trade?

How does an economy function?

Complete Daily Lesson Planner located at end of presentation

What I Know about First Civilizations

What I Learned about First Civilizations

What I Want to Learn about First Civilizations

K-W-L Early Civilizations

Foundations of Civilization

Scientist believe that humans

first appeared over two million

years ago.

It is also suggested that the first

humans were wandering Hunters

and Gatherers.

TTYN: What were Hunters and Gatherers?.

Foundations of Civilization

Hunters and Gatherers –

During the Stone Age, Hunters and

Gatherers, also known as Nomads, were

people who moved from place to place, hunting

and gathering their food.

They made simple tools and weapons from

stone, bone, and wood. They developed their

own language, which allowed them to

communicate during a hunt.

Foundations of Civilization Spiritual Beliefs –

Towards the end of the

Old Stone Age,

Nomads began to bury

their dead, which

suggests that they

believed in an afterlife.

Where it all began –

Evidence suggests that the

earliest people lived in E. Africa.

Eventually, their descendants

spread to all parts of the world.

There some evidence that

suggests Nomads migrated over a

land bridge into N. America.

Foundations of Civilization

TTYN: Describe Migration

Migration led to Cultural Diffusion, or the exchange of

ideas, customs, and goods among cultures.

TTYN: From your prior knowledge, describe -

How Cultural Diffusion has had an impact on

American Culture.

How Cultural Diffusion has had an impact on your life

Foundations of Civilization

TTYN: Describe the term Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution(In with the New and out with the Old)

Due to environmental changes and changes to weather

patterns, the Old Stone Age came to a close.

Warmer weather promoted vegetation where,

previously, sheets of ice had dominated the landscape.

Around 10,000 B.C., civilizations made several

important discoveries – they learned how to plant seeds

and domesticate animals.

Foundations of Civilization

TTYN: Describe the term Revolution

The Neolithic Revolution(In with the New and out with the Old)

Too tired to wander - The need to wander was over

People could live in permanent settlements

The end of the Old Stone Age and the beginning of the

New Stone Age, or Neolithic Period.

FYI – Many historians refer to the Neolithic Revolution as

the Agricultural Revolution because farming and

domestic animals changed the way people lived.

Foundations of Civilization

TTYN: Try to Identify at least three different ways that

life may have changed during the Neolithic Revolution -

1. Permanent Settlements

2. New Social Classes – Not everything was “peaches

and cream.” When resources were scarce, groups

went to war and Chiefs or headsmen emerged. As a

result, men gained prestige and obtained great

power and influence.

Foundations of Civilization

TTYN: Try to Identify at least three different ways that life may have changed during the Neolithic Revolution -

3. New Technology –

• The wheel

• Metal weapons

• Metal tools

• Plows

• Calendar

There’s no place like homeWhere did most

civilizations develop?

First civilizations began to develop along river valleys. The rich fertile lands helped new civilizations thrive.