Study Guide: Prehistory/Stone Age; Preview of the Beginnings of Civilizations

Students in all class will take a test in class on Tuesday.  This will count as the final grade for the first marking period.  Students should find the following information useful as they prepare for assessment.

Key Terms:

1. History:  Written and other recorded events of people.
2. Prehistory:  The time before writing was invented.
3. Archaeologist:  A scientist who examines objects to learn about the human past.
4. Oral Traditions:  Stories passed down by word of mouth.
5. Geography:  The study of the Earth's surface and the processes that shape it.
6. Hominid:  A modern human or a member of an earlier group that may have included ancestors to relatives of modern humans.
7. Stone Age:  A period of time during which hominids made lasting tools and weapons mainly from the earliest known period of prehistoric culture.  The Stone Age is often divided into three categories:  Old, Middle, and New.
8. Nomad:  A person who has no settled home - usually on the move in search of food/water.
9. Domesticate:  To adapt wild plants or tame wild animals to breed them for human use.
10. Forensic:  Relating to the use of science or technology in the investigation and establishment of facts or evidence in a court of law.  Forensic anthropologists use forensics to unlock mysteries from the past.
11. Anthropologist:  A scientist who deals with the origins, physical and cultural development, biological characteristics, and social customs and beliefs of humankind
12. Proposition:  A statement which is argued in a debate.  (HONORS ONLY)
13. Affirmation:  An argument which supports the proposition in a debate.  (HONORS ONLY)
14. Opposition:  An argument which counters a proposition in a debate.  (HONORS ONLY)

People:

• Otzi (Ice Man)

• Kennewick Man

Important Questions:

1. How are geography and history related?  Understanding geography can help us understand why historical events took place.  Weather patterns, the water supply, and the landscape of a place also have an impact on history.
2. What 'invention' impacted the change from prehistory to history?  Written Language
3. How do we learn about prehistoric times?  Through oral traditions and/or examining evidence left behind.
4. During the Stone Age, how did hominids feed themselves?  Hunting and Gathering
5. How did the invention of farming change the lives of people?  They were able to settle and stay in one place.
6. How did plant selection impact the lives of people?  They were able to grow better crops.

Students who are familiar with the above-mentioned terms and questions will have no problem succeeding on the test. 

The Stone Age

Last week, the students were introduced to Abraham Maslow and his hierarchy of needs.  I wanted them to get an idea of what life was like before civilization.  Before civilization, hominids had to struggle each day to meet their four physiological needs:  water, food, shelter, and warmth.  Students should have been able to see that as hominids became more advanced they were able to realize more of their needs.  The honors classes will spend time in the days ahead learning more about Maslow as they have been busy with their debates.  This week, my hope is that we can finish the debates and move forward.

There are a few new vocabulary words this week:

1. Hominid
2. Domesticate/Domestication
3. Stone Age (Old, Middle, and New)
4. Nomad

By the end of the week, all students should be able to define the above-mentioned words.  I will post definitions next week.  The definitions of these words were recorded in journals on Tuesday (periods 1, 3, 4, and 6).

Finally, I hope to have a test next week regarding Prehistory.  The test will include all of the vocabulary terms and the key concepts we have discussed in class.

More on Prehistory

Last week we took a look at the migration patterns of early humans and began to study maps.  Students were also introduced to five vocabulary words (three of which were review).  Those words were:

1. Geography:  The study of the Earth's surfaces and the processes that shape it.
2. History:  Written and other recorded events of history.
3. Prehistory:  The time before writing was invented.
4. Oral Traditions:  Stories passed down by word of mouth.
5. Archaeologist:  A scientist who examine objects to learn about the human past.

My honors classes had three additional terms which will be employed in the upcoming debates:

1. Proposition:  A proposition is a statement which is contested in a debate.
2. Affirmation:  The affirmation agrees, and seeks to prove valid, the proposition in debate.
3. Opposition:  The opposition disagrees, and seeks to disprove the proposition in debate.

The proposition topics, for my honors classes, are:

1. Prehistory is irrelevant.
2. Geography is the most important field of social studies.
3. Social Classes are necessary in the United States today.
4. The United States should not be involved in solving conflict abroad.
5. The government shut-down is good for America.

In the upcoming week, we will continue to focus on the study of prehistory. Students will be introduced to the Stone Age and the beginnings of civilization. It looks like we will be ready for a test in approximately two weeks, but we will have a vocabulary quiz in the upcoming week (probably Thursday). Students in the honors class will have some time to prepare during the week (in class) but will also be assigned reading for homework. The debates will be held on Friday. General classes should prepare for the current events assignment which is due Friday.

Upcoming vocabulary words for all classes include:  irrigation, surplus, artisan, civilization, hominid, Stone Age, nomad, domesticate and social classes. I will define them, on the blog, as they are introduced.

Prehistory: An Introduction

Week in Review:  On Friday, students in all classes were given a test on the five components of civilization. I must admit, I am very impressed with the results. Those scores are all online and ready to view. Last week students completed a timeline and an extended writing activity. The graded timelines can be viewed in the online grade book, but I am only half way through grading the writing.

Upcoming:  This week, after reviewing the test from last week, we will begin to take a look at Prehistory. We will get a glimpse of the subject by watching a short video about the Ice Man. Also, we will begin to analyse the relationship between geography and history. Students will have a few new vocabulary words and I will post them next week. Typically, I will post information (like vocabulary) after we have reviewed it in class. I can give you a hint, though, the first vocabulary term will be PREHISTORY.

See you next week!