Early Agricultural Civilizations

6th Grade UBD - Unit 2 - Early Agricultural Civilizations

Preview

The Growth of Civilization- Agriculture allowed

early humans to settle in larger communities. As

populations grew, signs of civilization began to

appear.

Interactions Among Civilizations- Early

civilizations were located in areas that could support

agricultural communities. Civilizations that were

near one another exchanged goods and ideas.

Reach Into Your Background

Early humans often lived alone

or in small groups. This made it

difficult to survive. Over time,

however, they began to live in

larger groups and create

settlements. They also began

working together to ensure the

basic needs of all those in the

group were met. What other

advantages might living in a

large group have? (5 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your answer with theirs. What things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)

Key Ideas- The Growth of Civilization

Agriculture provided a steady food source.

Cities were supported by nearby farms. People living

in cities could specialize, or do only certain kinds of

work they enjoyed.

Specialization of labor created social classes.

Central governments developed to manage the

larger populations.

Civilizations developed cultures that over time

included written languages.

Early Agricultural Civilizations

Food is one of the main

needs for life. Until this

need is met, most of a

person’s thoughts and

actions are directed toward

locating food.

The development of

agriculture—producing

crops and raising farm

animals—provided a steady

food supply people could

rely on.

Early Agricultural Civilizations

With a steady food

supply, more people

could settle in one

place.

They began to build

stronger and longer-

lasting homes and live

in larger communities.

They began to develop

civilizations.

Key Term

Civilization-

A society with

cities, a

central

government,

job

specialization,

and social

classes.

Specialization of Labor

As the population grew,

other changes in people’s

lives began to occur.

People began to live

together in larger

communities.

These communities could

be fed by the

neighboring farms.

Specialization of Labor

In large communities, workers do

not have to meet all their needs

themselves.

This lets people specialize in

certain jobs.

The division of labor allowed

early humans to become skilled

at certain tasks. They now had

time to do things they wanted to

do.

Key Term

Specializatio

n- The

development

of skills in a

specific kind of

work.

Specialization of Labor

During this time,

people created

pottery. Artists and

craft workers made

jewelry, paintings, and

carvings.

Items such as jewelry

and carvings were not

needed to survive and

therefore are

considered luxury

items.

Key Term

Luxury Item-

Something

that gives

pleasure but is

not

necessarily

needed to live.

The Creation of Social Classes

Specialization of labor

created a new feature of

civilizations—social

hierarchy.

A social hierarchy is a

system in which people

are ranked in different

classes, one above the

other.

Key Term

Social

Hierarchy-

The division of

society by

rank or class.

The Creation of Social Classes

There were fewer members

in the top class than at the

bottom.

In early civilizations, power

was usually concentrated in

the small ruling class at the

top, made up of

government and religious

leaders.

The Creation of Social Classes

A person’s class was

determined by the role

they filled. At first, people

could move to a new class

if their role changed.

Over time, the social

systems in many

civilizations became more

rigid and people had little

chance of moving to a

higher class.

Social ClassesVideo- Social Classes

Cities and Government

Cities are

usually the

center for

culture, religion,

government,

and the

invention of new

tools.

The Role of Leaders

As larger numbers of people

began to live together, it

became important to have good

leaders.

Leaders were needed to settle

conflicts and direct large tasks.

Rulers took charge of big project

and wrote laws that told how to

solve problems among members

of the community.

Culture

Culture is the beliefs,

behaviors, and knowledge

of a society.

Culture is passed on from

the older members of the

society to the younger

ones.

Clothing, music,

entertainment, and even

architecture are part of

culture.

Key Term

Architecture-

The discipline

dealing with

the principles

of design and

construction of

buildings.

Religion and Literature

An important mark of a

civilization is its ability to

share its culture. This is

particularly true of its

knowledge.

The organization of religion

and the invention of written

languages were major

cultural advances that took

place in early civilizations.

Religion

Members of ancient

civilizations faced

many dangers.

Bad weather destroyed

crops.

Illness and injuries that

would be minor today

often led to death.

Religion

To help explain these

hardships, people often

believed they were at the

will of higher beings, or

gods.

They looked to stories and

legends to understand

how the gods affected the

world they lived in.

Religion

Members of ancient

civilizations usually

followed the same

religion.

They marked the same

special events.

They honored the same

gods.

They held religious

ceremonies in the same

way.

Religion

Early civilizations often had

a social class of priests and

priestesses.

These people controlled the

holy customs.

They were believed to have

special connections to the

gods.

Religion united the members

of a civilization.

Key Term

Religion- An

organized

collection of

beliefs, cultural

systems, and

world views that

relate humanity

to the

supernatural,

and to

spirituality.

Key Term

Monotheis

m- The

belief in one

god.

Key Term

Polytheis

m- The

belief in

many gods.

Writing

Before writing was

invented, people

could share

information only by

speaking.

Often, older people

told younger

people what they

knew.

Writing

Written language played

several important roles.

People used written records

to keep track of floods and

the times to plant.

They wrote down details

about the goods they

bought and sold.

Writing could provide

information about laws and

customs

Writing

Most well-known

civilizations have

recorded information

about themselves in

writing. As a result,

researchers can

study those

civilizations today.

Writing of Ancient CivilizationsVideo- Writing of Ancient Civilizations

Key Ideas- Interactions Among Civilizations

Rivers were a source of water for crops, fresh water

for drinking, and fish for food.

Rivers provided a method of transportation.

Geographic features like deserts, mountains, and

oceans sometimes kept civilizations from spreading.

As a result of war and trade, civilizations exchanged

stories, tools, and ideas about science and religion.

The Importance of Geography

As agriculture grew more

important, it became

necessary for early

humans to settle in

places where they could

regularly find water.

For this reason, many of

the earliest civilizations

arose near natural

sources of water.

The Nile Where Egypt BeganVideo- The Nile Where Egypt Began

Exchanges Among Early Civilizations

Civilizations traded with each

other. They also fought wars

with each other.

As a result of such meetings,

civilizations often shared parts

of their cultures.

They heard each other’s stories.

They learned from each other

about tools, science, and

religious ideas.

Exchanges Among Early Civilizations

In some areas, different

civilizations were

located near each other.

When two or more

civilizations often

wanted the same

resources. Both trade

and war were common.

Fighting brought many

changes in leaders.

Exchanges Among Early Civilizations

Cities provided early

humans with the main

things they needed to live.

Cities also encouraged

culture to develop.

Even today, cities continue

to be very important to the

success of civilizations.

Independent Activity

What has been the

“muddiest” point so

far in this lesson? That

is, what topic remains

the least clear to you?

(4 minutes)

Partner Activity

Work with a neighbor and compare your muddiest point with theirs. Compare what things are the same and what things are different? (3 minutes)