The Agricultural Revolution

Neolithic Age: relating to the latest period of the Stone Age; New Stone Age

agriculture: The science or practice of farming, including cultivation of the soil for growing crops and the rearing of animals to provide food

fertile: rich in the substances plants need to grow well

domesticate: to adapt an animal to living with humans for the advantage of humans; to adapt wild plants for human use; to tame wild animals and breed them for human use

irrigation: supplying land with water through a network of canals

economy: the system of economic life in an area or country; an economy deals with the making, buying, and selling of goods and services

specialization: the act of training for a particular job

artisan: a worker who is especially skilled in crafting items by hand

The Foundations of WealthLesson One: How It All Began (11:03 minutes)Goal: Students will be able to describe and give examples of the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, production resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship).

1. How long ago did this cartoon take place?2. What things disappear as they travel back in time—after going to the 21st century in the time machine?

3. What was the average age a man could expect to live in these primitive societies?4. List four dangers or problems people faced with this way of life.

5. What name do we give this type of economy or society?6. What percentage of the world’s population lives in a similar way today?

7. What do American farmers (2% of our population) do with their huge surpluses?8. What is the “secret” which enables a society to start improving its’ way of life?

Producing __________ than you

_________ just to ______________

The Foundations of WealthLesson Two: The Division of Labor by Product (9:16 minutes)Goal: Students will be able to describe and give examples of the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, production resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship). 1 .Review question: What is the “secret” which enables a society to start improving its’ way of life?2. What is the subsistence trap?

3. Why can’t they build a bridge so that their cattle can get to the grazing land after the landslide?

4. Mr. tailor suggested each family should specialize. What does “specialize” mean?

5. What name is given to the process by which each family specializes in what it does best?6. Why do the Farmers, Shepherds, and Fishers produce more than they did previously?

7. What was the result of the irrigation channel that the Masons and Carpenters made to help the community?8. List some of the advantages of the division of labor shown in the video

The Foundations of WealthLesson Three: The Division of Labor by Process (11:14 minutes)Goal: Students will be able to describe and give examples of the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, production resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship).

1. What were two reasons that Mrs. Tailor gave for the village surplus?

2. What is a trader? Someone who _______________

his _________________ goods for

_______ goods produced by others

3. To increase production of shawls, Mr. Tailor suggested that each person should do just one process, or task, in making the shawls. List at least two reasons he predicts that production will increase.4. What happened to productivity as a result of specialization?

5. What did the villagers do with their surplus?

6. What is the result of creating a trading surplus?

The Neolithic Age

agriculture artisans domesticate fertile

new stone Southwest Asia specialization villages

Note: When writing two or three word answers in a crossword puzzle, you do not leave a space between words.

The Foundations of WealthLesson Two: The Division of Labor by Product (9:16 minutes)Goal: Students will be able to describe and give examples of the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, production resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship). 1. What is the “secret” which enables a society to start improving its’ way of life?

Producing more than you need just to survive.

2. What is the subsistence trap? Using all of your time and energy to grow enough food to survive with nothing left over

3. Why can’t they build a bridge so that their cattle can get to the grazing land after the landslide?

They don’t have enough energy when they do the work they need to do to survive.

4. Mr. tailor suggested each family should specialize. What does “specialize” mean?

Divide the labor

5. What name is given to the process by which each family specializes in what it does best?

division of labor

6. Why do the Farmers, Shepherds, and Fishers produce more than they did previously?

Everyone became better at their jobs

7. What was the result of the irrigation channel that the Masons and Carpenters made to help the community?

Better crops and a surplus

8. List some of the advantages of the division of labor shown in the video

Progress and prosperityMore variety in foodsMore affordable goods—cheaper products

The Foundations of Wealth

Lesson Three: The Division of Labor by Process (11:14 minutes)Goal: Students will be able to describe and give examples of the following concepts: scarcity, opportunity cost, supply and demand, barter, trade, production resources (land, labor, capital, and entrepreneurship).

1. What were two reasons that Mrs. Tailor gave for the village surplus?

Each family specialized in what they did best and production increased because they got better at their jobs (their skills increased).

2. What is a trader?

Redo answer—see below

Someone who _exchanges______

his _surplus________ goods for

surplus goods produced by others

3. To increase production of shawls, Mr. Tailor suggested that each person should do just one process, or task, in making the shawls. List at least two reasons he predicts that production will increase.

1. Everyone will do what they do best so it will speed up production. 2. You will not waste time setting things up and putting them away.3. Everyone will get better with practice and production will continue to increase.

4. What happened to productivity as a result of specialization?

Everyone got very good at their jobs, production increase, and they met their goal of 20 shawls in two weeks.

5. What did the villagers do with their surplus?

They swapped their surplus for goods from the trader.

6. What is the result of creating a trading surplus? 1. You can trade for things you

can’t produce yourself.. 2. It is another step along the path to prosperity.