Ways of the World - chapter 1

Today we are going to begin reading chapter one as a class and taking notes. You will be taking notes in Google Docs.

We will also go over PERSIAN and the outline guide. 

Big Picture Questions to think about as we read:
1) In what ways did various Paleolithic societies differ from one another, and how did they change over time.
2) The Agricultural Revolution marked a decisive turning point in human history.  What evidence might you offer to support this claim, and how might you argue against it?
3) What the Agriculture Revolution inevitable?  Why did it occur so late in the story of humankind?

KEY VOCABULARY: Paleolithic, Neolithic, Venus figurines, Austronesian Migrations, Clovis Culture, shamans, diffusion, Fertile Crescent, teosinte, pastoral societies, Gobeki Tepe, Catalhuyuk, chiefdoms, Ishi, Bantu migation

Unit I: Technological and Environmental Transformations

Periodization: to 600 B.C.E

Reading: Ways of the World: A Global History chapters 1-3.  The Human Web: A Bird’s-Eye View of World History chapters 1-2.  Guns, Germs and Steel chapter 6.

Key Concepts:

1.1: Big Geography and the Peopling of the Earth

Archeological evidence indicated that during the Paleolithic era, hunting-foraging bands of humans gradually migrated from their origin in East Africa to Eurasia, Australia, and the Americas adapting their technology and cultures to new climate regions.

1.2: The Neolithic Revolution and Early Agricultural Societies

1.    Neolithic Revolution leads to new and more complex economic and social systems

2.    Agricultural and pastoralism begins to transform human society

1.3: The Development and Interactions of Early Agricultural, Pastoral, and Urban Societies

1.     Core and foundational civilizations developed in a variety of geographical and environmental settings where agriculture flourished.

2.     The first states emerged within core civilizations

3.     Culture played a significant role in unifying states through laws, language, literature, religion, myths, and monumental art.

Unit I Assignments:

1)   Practice outlining and synthesizing textbook reading (directed by teacher).

2)   Introduction to comparative essay.  Thesis workshop.  Comparative essay regarding foraging and early agricultural societies or analyzing the similarities and differences in culture between Mesopotamia and Egypt.

3)   Timeline – students will create a timeline for the period connecting events by relationships between the causes and consequences of the events.

4)   Reflective Blog – the students will write a reflective commentary discussing how the history of the era or a region of the era fits into the larger story of world history. 

5)   Primary Source Analysis – Using soapstone – Epic of Gilgamesh, Code of Hammurabi, creation stories in Rig Veda, Popul Vuh, and the Bible.  Visuals from Easter Island, cave paintings, pyramids, hieroglyphs, iron weapons and chariots. 

6)   Students will participate in a debate discussing whether or not Egyptian Civilization Originated in Africa.

7)  Create note cards of key vocabulary words.  

UNIT ONE TEST – 20 multiple-choice questions, in-class compare/contrast essay.