Wednesday, October 13, 2010

The Growth of Cities and Civilization Part II

We began class by talking a little bit about geographical 'pull' factors. A pull factor is something that draws people to a particular area. For instance, in ancient civilizations people were drawn to areas that were close to water. One of the early cities we talked about briefly was Ur which was located in modern-day Iraq near the Tigris and Euphrates rivers. A push factor would be something that pushes people away from an area. Examples of that could be harsh climates, rocky soil, or the presence of dangerous wild animals or predators. Any questions?

Students were then given a little bit of time to prepare a short group presentation. Most groups did not finish, therefore the presentations will take place at the start of class tomorrow. The rest of tomorrow's class will be dedicated to reviewing for the Friday's group assessment. I will post the study guide on Thursday.

2 comments:

MacK 6 said...

I don't have any questions but I'm ready for the presentations tomorrow! I also will be ready for the test Friday!!!!! :) Oh yeah, I do have a question. Would different civilizations have to compete with each other for areas with copper and tin so they could make their materials?

Mr. Winand said...

@MacK - That is an awesome question! Not only would they compete for land with copper and tin (among other natural resources), they would compete for land with rich soil, access to waterways, and other geographical pull factors. How insightful!