Hunting and Gathering - Agriculture+Rivers - Civilization Flowcharts

Yesterday my students made flowcharts showing humanity's progression from hunting/gathering to civilizations.  (If you weren't here, please download it and complete it.)

This wasn't a worksheet where students had to find the answers.  It was more like a puzzle: I gave the students the answers, they had to put it together in a way that made sense to them.

I liked a lot of these.  And I thought it was especially interesting how students who are given the same material can come up with quite different ways of expressing and representing what was given.

Here are a couple examples:

I liked this one because it included a lot of detail, and it all made sense.  I like the explanation of silt, the different cultures trading, a net for catching fish...  There's a lot to like.  The clock at the bottom shows me that this did not happen quickly, an idea one might get if the clock wasn't present.

The Biggest Discovery/Invention of All Time

Every year, we discuss the agricultural revolution.

I tell the students that agriculture is the most important invention, or discovery of all time.

It would be worthwhile to scroll through some old blog posts.  Like I said, I've taught this every year.

Agriculture = farming.

Think about what all farming has given us.  I ask students to think about how hungry they are.  They're all hungry.  Pretty much all of them.  All the time.

A burger from McDonalds or Burger King?  How much of that come from farms?  Wheat.  Lettuce.  The cow.  ...Pretty much every part of it, right?

If we had to chase our food down (as in, we couldn't grow it ourselves, or have others grow it for us) we would be in trouble.  

I can just imagine that first person who came up with the idea.  ...Why not bring the food to us?  The crowd slowly lowering their spears.  Each person thinking, "WHY DIDN'T I THINK OF THAT?"

Students today discussed inventions and discoveries that were game-changers.

Agriculture tops my list.  And we're leading into ancient civilizations.  Most all ancient civilizations were found near rivers.  Any guesses as to why?  #agriculture.

If you want extra credit for reading and discussing the blog, ask the adult you read and discussed it with what they think the most important invention/discovery of all time is.  Write it down with a brief explanation telling why.

Make sure your name, date, and hour are on it.  Then, turn it in tomorrow.

Don't forget, we've got a government quiz on Friday.  We have a quiz over the Middle East next week.

I'd study.

Important

What's the most important invention or discovery of all time?

Go!

Don't read any farther.  And students - if you were here today, don't shout out the answer... at least, not yet.  Give a bunch of other suggestions.

See if the adult you're reading with can come up with the one I gave.

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Did they?

After you've discussed it, tell them what I said.  Then tell them why.

(In case you forget, I said agriculture.  Agriculture led to the development of cities, division of labor, etc, etc... and ultimately CIVILIZATION.)

We'll get to civilizations later.

For now, just know what agriculture is, and why it's important.  Maybe think about it next time you eat a meal.  Chances are whatever you are eating was raised for you to eat.  Unless you've got a hunter in the family.  It's no longer crow season in Indiana, by the way.  I just checked.  But if you've got a bow and an arrow or two, you could go after turkey or deer.  Probably also a license, or licensed adult.  I haven't hunted in a LONG time.  I'm probably the wrong person to go to about these laws.


Also, we're discussing agriculture in here.  If you want a head start on what we're doing and what we'll be studying next, you can always search the blogger search engine at the top of your screen.  Type "agriculture."  Then you can read last year's posts.  ...If you're bored.

For now, if you want the extra credit, write down what you had for your last meal.  Then tell me how much of it was raised for consumption.  Me?  I had a bowl of cereal - all the grain in there was raised.  As were the almonds.  I poured on milk.  Cows were raised to give me the milk.  I drank a cup of coffee... yep... coffee beans.  Have the adult you read and discussed the blog with sign what you just wrote.  Make sure your name, date, and hour are on it - otherwise you won't get credit.

Have a great day.