What is social studies?

Welcome Students! 2014-2015

I am happy to be embarking on a new school year with my new students.  I will update this blog, usually weekly, with information pertaining to class.  For the next few weeks, we will be studying:

1.  The meaning of social studies:  history, geography, political science, economics, and behavioral science.
2.  The meaning of civilization:  centralized government, organized religion, job specialization/social classes, art/architecture/infrastructure, and written language.

We will apply those concepts to the following civilizations over the course of the school year:
1.  Prehistory - The Absence of Civilization
2.  The Fertile Crescent
3.  Ancient Egypt
4.  Ancient Greece
5.  Ancient Rome
6.  Middle Ages of Europe

This year, I will also be reviewing books relative to course concepts.  I can't wait to begin!

Athens and Sparta

Honors/General:  Both classes will be working on the same assignment although there will be differences in the preparation of the essay.

Students have been reading about the ancient city-states of Athens and Sparta.  There are many ways that they can be compared.  Our goal is to successfully write a five paragraph essay.  This week students created their own questions regarding the two and used them to quiz each other.  At the beginning of next week, we will sort through the information and create a graphic organizer.  Students will then use that information to write their essays.  There will be three focus corrections areas.  One half of the grade will be based on the comparisons (at least three).  A quarter of the grade will come from the introduction and conclusion paragraphs combined.  Finally, the last quarter of the grade will come from the proper usage of end punctuation and capitalization.  More details will follow as we progress.

Reminder:  There will be a map quiz on half the countries of Europe on Friday.

Ancient Greece

We are finally ready to move on to ancient Greece!

Both honors and general classes have begun to explore the physical geography of Greece.  Students have been working on completing a physical map of the region.  Those maps will be due on Tuesday, March 11, 2014 by the end of the school day.  All students have had at least forty minutes of class to work on that map and should have needed only minimal time outside of school to complete it.

General Classes:  Students will continue to study the geography of Greece for the first two days of the upcoming week.  From there, they will begin to take a look at the earliest civilizations of the land.  Both the Minoans and the Mycenaean contributed to early Greek culture.

Honors Classes:  Students will continue their group presentations regarding Egypt today.  By Wednesday we should begin to discuss the early Greek civilizations.  Students will also be given their next set of debate topics.  Grades for the presentations should be available (online) next weekend.

Mummification Lab - Students in my general sections have completed the first four portions of the mummification lab.  In approximately  two weeks, we will take a look at the results and complete the reports.

Debate Topics (Honors):
1.  Democracy is the most effective system of government.
2.  Athens was superior to Sparta.
3.  Socrates was more influential than Aristotle.
4.  The Ukraine should defy Russia and make agreements with the EU (European Union).
5.  All politicians become corrupted by power.
*The next round of debates will be scheduled for 3/28 (Updated)

Upcoming Literature Assignments (Honors):
1.  The Death of Hektor - 3/14
2.  The Wooden Horse - 3/21 (Updated)
3.  The Sirens - 4/7
4.  Atalanta - 4/14

Upcoming Maps (General/Honors):
1.  Europe #1 - Quiz - TBD
2.  Europe #2 - Quiz - TBD

The Curse of King Tut

Will we ever have a full week of school?  I'm sure we will... eventually!  Anyway, last week was cut short, so we will continue where we left off.  We have finished our discussion of ancient Egyptian religion.  I would still like to complete the mummification lab - although time is running out.

This week, we will focus on the curse of King Tut (a popular lesson with my students) and then ancient Egyptian culture.  It is important for students to understand that we only know what we know about ancient Egypt because of research and discovery.  The fact that Tut's tomb was uncovered shed some light on what life was like in his era.  The artifacts collected spoke volumes.  Think about the work of archeologists and anthropologists this week.  The video I will show in class will be a great transition to this area of study.

My honors students will take a slightly different route this week.  There is a project due on Friday which should be complete and shared with me via Google Presentations or whichever program they decided to use.  Some class time will be allotted for tying up loose ends.  All students have been given a copy of the rubric which includes grades for both the presentation itself and delivery.  At this point, I am not changing the due date.  I expect to begin presentations early next week.

All of my classes will begin transition to studying ancient Greece within the next two weeks.  There are three more units of study this year.  The final two units will take up the fourth marking period.

The Three Kingdoms of Ancient Egypt - Model Essay (Annotated)

The history of ancient Egypt has been broken down into three periods of time.  The oldest of those periods is often referred to as the Old Kingdom.  Naturally, the following two periods are referred to as the Middle and New Kingdoms.  These kingdoms were very different from one another.

{Note:  I never wrote, “I am going to tell you about...”}

During the Old Kingdom, the central focus of the Egyptians was trade.  The Egyptians traded with the Nubians, located to their south, as well as the Europeans across the Mediterranean Sea. The most important commodity was timber.  The Egyptians used the wood to build houses, boats, and furniture.  The kingdom grew weak eventually as the governors challenged the pharaoh.  This led to their demise.

{Note:  I described the Old Kingdom without copying directly from the textbook.}

During the Middle Kingdom, the focus of the Egyptians became creating infrastructure.  They spent their wealth on creating a bigger and better Egypt; but, they  neglected to build a solid and reliable defense.  This set them up for a potential disaster.  They became a sitting duck for foreign invaders who came and defeated them.

{Note:  I used the word infrastructure instead of public works to demonstrate that I understood the meaning of the word.}

Once the Egyptians were reunited, they vowed to never make that mistake again.  Therefore, the focus of the New Kingdom became building a strong military.  The new army, dressed in armor, used metal weapons and charioteers to ward off potential challenges.  This kingdom was also famous for its ‘boy king’ Tutankhamen who died at a very young age.

{Note:  I changed my wording so as to not start this paragraph the same as the previous two - I didn’t write, “During the...”}

In conclusion, historians have divided the history of ancient Egypt into three periods of time. Those kingdoms were known as the Old, Middle, and New Kingdoms.  Each kingdom had a specific focus which defined it.  

{Note:  I restated the introduction, but I didn’t copy it word for word.  I didn’t want to bore the reader.  I also avoided saying, “I hope that you enjoyed reading...”}

Review- I checked my writing more than one time to make sure that I used proper capitalization and wrote in complete sentences.  I also double-checked my punctuation.  Before I was finished, I read this essay four times - I counted!

Egyptian Religion

Last week, I was unable to publish my post.  Unfortunately, I have been battling an illness.  Although I feel better than I did, I still have not recuperated completely. I hope to get this week off to a better start.

General Classes

Last week, students took a quiz on the countries of Southern Africa. Most of the students did very well demonstrating that they studied. I was especially pleased to find out that many of them have downloaded free apps which helped them prepare. My students also completed a type three writing assignment regarding the three kingdoms of ancient Egypt. On a separate post, I will provide a model essay written by myself.

This week, I will begin by reviewing the student's notes about ancient Egyptian religion. By the end of the week, we should have completed the topic. There will be a current events assignment due on Friday (periods 1, 3, 4, and 6).

Note:  Grades are up-to-date for all classes with the exception of period three.  Unfortunately, a fire alarm interrupted their quizzes - more time will be given on Monday.  To make matters worse, their essays need some work as well.  I hope to have grades updated by the middle of the week.

Honors Classes

Last week, students spent two days in the library researching various topics concerning modern Egypt. Thanks to Mrs. Diaz, students were given a mini-lesson on appropriate resources. She also worked with students as they compiled information. Students read, and recorded notes on, the story Aida. This reading will be reinforced when we travel to the high school for the musical. My students also completed a map quiz regarding the countries of Southern Africa. Most students did very well.

This week, students will continue to work in small groups. We will also discuss ancient Egyptian religion as well as the three kingdoms.  They will complete a type three writing assignment this week. I will also be checking their notes.

Second Marking Period

The second marking period is just about to end and my grades are up-to-date. That being said, some students have found themselves in a precarious situation. There are a handful of students who will not make the cut this marking period, but it is important to know that it is not over! There are two more quarters which will impact their grades (one way or another). Don't give up!

With all of these snow days, it has been hard for us all to find our groves. Plans keep changing and all due dates have been questionable. I have been very forgiving in that department - don't get used to that, because things will go back to normal.

General Classes - You should have begun to identify the countries of Southern Africa; the quiz date is tentatively scheduled for next Wednesday (January 29th). In class, we will continue to study Egypt. Our focus will be on the kingdoms for the next few days which they are appropriately named Old, Middle, and New (like the Stone Age).

Honors Classes - The Egyptian Cinderella notes were due today; obviously, it will now be due tomorrow (or on our next school day). No excuses! I have secured some library time on Thursday and Friday of this week, but I'm not sure how that will be impacted by the snow day. I will let you all know when we get back to school. Continue to think about your project topics. I reviewed your plans and I have offered some suggestions which you will see tomorrow. Most of them were great - there was one that was really lacking and one that was not turned in. In any case, you will all need to work hard to accomplish the goals you have set.

Moving beyond the Geography of Egypt

Last week, we continued to focus on the geography of Egypt. Students will begin to study other aspects of Egypt in class this week. Please refer to my previous post for my Egypt presentation.

General Classes:  We will continue to move forward in an attempt to understand Egyptian religion this week. It is very different from the religions of which most of us are familiar. As we study the gods and goddesses, we will learn about their valuable role in the culture. See assignments below...

Honors Classes:  Last week we reviewed geography and began to look at the written language of ancient Egypt. We read about the Mystery of the Hieroglyphs in our literature books and took Cornell Notes. I have reviewed the notes this weekend and I will return them to students tomorrow.  See assignments below...

Assignments -
General Classes - I will collect students Egypt maps on Monday. All students should have identified all of the locations listed on the reverse of the paper. On Friday, students will be taking a quiz on the political geography of Northern Africa (period six will be taking it on Thursday due to the early dismissal on Friday).

Honors Classes - I will collect students Egypt maps on Monday. I will also be checking their political maps at that time (a classwork grade). On Friday, students in period two will be taking a quiz on the political geography of Northern Africa (while students in period eight will take it on Thursday due to the early dismissal on Friday). All honors students should also complete reading, "The Egyptian Cinderella," before class on Tuesday, January 21st (I will collect Cornell notes at the end of the class). That assignment can be found on page seventy-three of the literature book. We will also discuss the project we will begin this week.

Advice to all students:  Study your maps!  You should be studying your map each day for ten to twenty minutes leading up to the test.  Use the resources on my teacher's page to quiz yourself.  Do not wait to the last minute as you will be overwhelmed and your efforts futile.

Geography of Egypt

I am happy to say that we made good use of our time on Thursday.  We began by looking at the geography of Africa in general - we noted that Africa was made up of two distinctly different types of geography.  The Northern part of Africa (the Saharan region or Maghreb) is largely desert.  The Central and Southern parts of Africa (sub-Saharan Africa) are made up of rain forests and savannas.  Obviously, these lands are home to very different people.

Then, we narrowed our focus to Egypt and were able to begin to see the impact of the Nile River.  We will talk more about that on Monday.

Assignments for the upcoming week:

Periods 1, 3, 4, and 6 - Current Event (in journals) DUE FRIDAY

Periods 2 and 8 - Cornell Notes - The Mysterious Hieroglyphics (pages 60 to 63) DUE FRIDAY

All Periods - Physical Map of Egypt (TBA)

Egypt

Well, it's about time to head back to school.  I hope that everyone had a nice break!  To get things started off, I thought I would share with you my latest creation...



Using Prezi, I created something that I hope to use as I teach about Egypt.  When we come back on Thursday, if we aren't snowed out that is, we will begin our exciting journey.

Students, who are in my honors classes, have a literature assignment due.  We will discuss your reading of "Judaism" and use our Cornell notes to guide our discussion.  If you didn't turn it in on the last day of school, make sure you have it with you on Thursday!

See you all soon!

Anti-Semitism and Judaism

Last week, we continued debates in my honors sections; period two has completed all of their rounds, but period eight has one more to go.  All in all, they were all well done.  I found that the students have really come to understand the format.  In this round, we added POI (points of information) in to the equation.  I look forward to introducing new debate topics in the new year.  If there are any suggestions, please comment on this post.  Note, the next round of debates should have to do with Egypt (past or present) or current events.

With the exception of period eight, all students have taken the open-notes quiz on the Fertile Crescent Empires.  Most students scored very well.  Period eight will be given the test the day after the last debate takes place - most likely, the quiz will be on Tuesday.

All grades are up-to-date and can be viewed online.

This week we will be discussing anti-Semitism and Judaism.  This will be the first of the three major monotheistic religions we will study.  The emphasis will be placed on the Israelites and Phoenicians of ancient Canaan.  If time permits, we may spend a little time talking about the time between 1935 - 1945.  I always like to include this part of history, despite the fact that it seems out of place, to help the students understand how the people of this part of the world have been a big part of the history of humankind.

Reminder:  All students should be bringing their textbooks to class with them each day.  There are no longer textbooks available in my classroom as they have all been assigned.

 

Looking at the Israelites

Last week my classes each worked on different assignments.  It was kind of hectic, but I think that all of my students got what they needed.  By this point, all general classes should be able to describe the empires we have studied:  Babylonians, Assyrians, New Babylonians, and Persians.

I am planning a quiz/test for this upcoming week.  It will be given on Wednesday to period one; however, periods three, four, and six will take it on Tuesday.  Students in my period one class will be working on a type three writing assignment on Monday - the other classes have already completed the assignment.

Students will be permitted to use their note sheets for the quiz/test.  Their note sheets are two-sided.  On the front, they have Cornell notes regarding the empires (students took those notes while reading).  On the reverse, they should have copied information while we matched features on the SMART board as a class. Students MUST have their notes with them in order to use them on the test/quiz - that sounds like it should go without saying.

Textbooks were assigned to all students this week.  There are two reasons I decided to assign them:  1. Students were making a mess with them in my classroom - leaving them on the floor, etc., and, 2.  Some students have been asking to check them out to complete work unfinished in class.  Either way, I expect that students carry them to and from class each day.

This week, we will begin to study the Israelites and Anti-Semitism.  This will help form the foundation for what they will encounter in English class (if they have Mr. Bezler).  We will also discuss the function of propaganda which will be further explored in their reading classes (if they have Mrs. Post).

Honors classes will continue debating this week.  So far, we have had one round of debates (Friday) which went very well.  All four of the groups debated the effectiveness of the Patriot Act and did a fantastic job of either affirming or opposing the proposition.

Honors classes have been assigned Cornell notes for homework - they are due upon the completion of the debates.  At that time, they will also be given a test/quiz on the empires.

Back to School... and the Fertile Crescent

I hope that you all enjoyed the extended weekend; I know that I did.  I had a lot of fun with my loved ones and I assume that you all did as well.  Hmm... Are you ready for a type one writing prompt?

Giving thanks...

Giving thanks is important, but not just one day a year.  From the perspective of a:

Geographer - Give thanks for the Earth (and the processes that shape it)!
Historian - Give thanks for the many great people who came before us and for their contributions to humanity - those that have been recorded, anyway.
Economist - Give thanks for Black Friday!  Seriously, though, give thanks for all that we have both tangible and intangible.
Political Scientist - Give thanks for the laws that protect us; keeping us safe from the dangers of the world is very important.
Behavioral Scientist - Give thanks for our cultures.  Always remember that we are not all the same - that is a good thing!

As we get back to the classroom, we will have some time to review the major civilizations of the Fertile Crescent.  At some point, there will be a test (I'm guessing the week of the 9th).  Then it will be on to Egypt!

All of the students in my honors sections should have been preparing for the upcoming debates.  Don't wait until the last minute to prepare!  If you need help, ask to see me during POWER period and I will help you find your way.

See you on Tuesday!

The Babylonians and Assyrians - Model Essay

Students in my period six class were given the following type three writing prompt:  There were many similarities between the Babylonians and Assyrians.  They were to include at least three examples and the following were the focus correction areas:  1. End Punctuation, 2. Capitalization, and 3. Organization (their essays should have had three distinct parts).  Below, you will find a model essay which students will read in class.

The Fertile Crescent Empires

This week, students in my general classes completed vocabulary charts.  Basically, they displayed all of the vocabulary terms, definitions, and applications graphically.  The application part seemed to be the most difficult based on my review of their work.  I will give some examples below.  But first, here are the definitions of their newest set of terms:

1. Empire:  many territories and peoples controlled by one government
2. Babylon:  the capital of Babylonia; a city of great wealth and luxury
3. Caravan:  a group of travelers journeying together
4. Bazaar:  a market selling different kinds of goods
5. Zoroastrianism:  a religion that developed in ancient Persia

Students also completed a physical map of the ancient Fertile Crescent.  For the most part, they scored well.  I will distribute their graded maps in class tomorrow.

Back to the vocabulary assignment...  Since so many students struggled to appropriately apply the words, I will apply each of them tonight.  I will be reviewing all of the words on Monday and sharing these sentences.

1. Scribe:  In ancient Sumer only male students could study to become scribes.
2. Fertile Crescent:  The modern-day country of Iraq is located in the middle of the ancient Fertile Crescent.
3. City-State:  Singapore is an example of a modern-day city-state; few remain.
4. Polytheism:  The polytheistic people, such as the ancient Egyptians, worshipped several gods and goddesses.
5. Myth:  Sumerian myths warned that the gods would punish the people who angered them.
6. Empire:  Hammurabi, leader of the Babylonians, created one of the first empires as he conquered many Mesopotamian city-states.
7. Babylon:  Some historians would argue that Babylon was the most gorgeous capitol city of the ancient world.
8. Caravan:  The nomads of north Africa often traveled in caravans as the moved from place to place in search of food.
9. Bazaar:  When I visited Khan al-Kahlili in Egypt, I was amazed at the variety of goods that were sold and traded at the bazaar.
10. Zoroastrianism:  The Persians, a polytheistic people, primarily practiced Zoroastrianism.

Hopefully you can see how the sentences that I created demonstrated that I fully understood the words that I defined.  You should also notice that I included words from the previous unit in my definitions.  That is what I'm looking for from my students.

Honors students completed another literature assignment.  They read about the Babylonians and the nonfiction article did a great job of showing us how people changed as time moved on.  From hunter-gatherers to somewhat modern civilizations, the Fertile Crescent transformed before our eyes.  Students took Cornell notes as they read.  I have gone through their notes and I am very pleased with the way the students interacted with the text.  Students should continue to work on their physical maps of the Fertile Crescent - they must be complete and submitted by Wednesday.

Upcoming:  Honors students will be in the library, for research, as they begin to prepare for their upcoming debates.  General students will have a review of the vocabulary and will become more familiar with Cornell notes.

Land Between Two Rivers

The vocabulary words from last week were:

1.  Scribe:  a professional writer
2.  Fertile Crescent:  a region in Southwest Asia; site of the first civilizations
3.  City-State:  a city that is also a separate, independent state
4.  Polytheism:  the belief in many gods
5.  Myth:  a traditional story; in some cultures, a legend that explains people's beliefs

In class, students read about ancient Mesopotamia and the Sumerians.  Understanding the geographic setting will help them to understand the civilizations which we will begin to study this week.

Students in my general classes wrote about current events.  Unfortunately, we did not have a lot of time to talk about them because class on Friday was very tricky.  Some students worked on retakes of the map quiz and others worked on catching up on reading and other assignments.  I also tried to conference with many students regarding their performance on the map quiz and in general.

I was disappointed when I scored the map quizzes.  It seems that many students didn't study for it at all; however some students did study and had a great deal of success.  I decided to offer retakes in class on Friday to give students time to study and improve.  Again, many students did not study and that is reflected in their scores.  My advice is to study each night, for a short amount of time, when preparing for a map quiz. Waiting until the last minute to study will be ineffective for most students.  Students should also try to play the games that I posted - they will help a lot!

In my honors classes, students took notes on, "The Monster Humbaba" from their literature books.  "The Monster Humbaba is an excerpt of the Epic of Gilgamesh.  They used the Cornell format to take their notes which I collected for review this weekend.  Overall, they were done very well.  I will be returning them during class on Monday and we will have further discussion which will include looking at some of the highlights.  I think most students enjoyed reading the story and I look forward to reviewing their notes on, "The Babylonians" this Friday.  Students should be reading, "The Babylonians" this week and taking notes (due on Friday).

Upcoming debate topics:  1.  The Hammurabi Code is more effective than modern law; 2.  Farming should be considered one of components of civilization; 3.  The Palestinians should have their own country within the boundaries of modern Israel; 4. The United States should not give aid to the Philippines after the recent typhoon; and 5.  The Patriot Act is necessary despite infringing on our privacy.

Debates will take place on Tuesday, November 26th.

The Babylonian Empire will be the central focus next week.  Along with the Babylonians, we will study the Assyrians, New Babylonians, Persians, Phoenicians, and Israelites.  It will take us two weeks or more to learn about these civilizations.

Our next set of vocabulary will include the following terms:  empire, Babylon, caravan, bazaar, and Zoroastrianism.  I will post definitions when I blog next week.

Geography and Civilization in Mesopotamia

This week students read about, and discussed, the geography of the Fertile Crescent.  Students should have learned that the area between the Tigris and Euphrates rivers was called Mesopotamia and that it was the best place to build a civilization in the ancient Middle East.  We will continue that theme in class this week.  Students will also begin to work on their physical maps of the Middle East.  I will be allowing students to work on this assignment in class.

The map quizzes have been graded and entered.  It should be obvious that some students need to work on study skills.  That being said, students can arrange a retake with me so long as they do it before November 19th.  At that point the grades will be considered final.  Some students need to take advantage of that desperately.

Beginning on Monday, students will read about ancient Sumer.  They will have the opportunity to earn some classwork points which should help their grades.

The honors students will be given their first assignments from our literature books.  The first assignment is an example of nonfiction text.  I will be giving them note-taking instructions (see the documents tab of my webpage for details); the notes that they take will be graded.  The assignment will relate to one of the five components of civilization:  Written Language.  The second assignment will be an excerpt from an epic poem:  The Epic of Gilgamesh.

Finally, students in periods 1, 3, 4, and 6, will have a current event assignment due on November 15th.

Introduction to the Middle East

Last week we completed our study of Prehistory and the Stone Age.  All of the tests have been graded and quarter grades have been submitted.  Overall, I am pleased!  I think that the first marking period has been a success; but, there is always room for improvement.

That being said, students were given their first map assignment for the year.  Students will be learning about the Middle East in class, so it only makes sense that they should be familiar with the political geography.  I have scheduled the map quiz for Friday, November 10.  Students should be working with their maps at home.  I recommend that each student spend a little bit of time (maybe 10-15 minutes) looking over their maps each day.  POWER period would be a great time to study.  They should also explore some of the great mapping games online.  Here are a few...

Sheppards Software - Middle East Matching Game

I like to learn - Middle East Matching Game

Rethinking Schools - Middle East Game

We will also be working on a physical map in the coming weeks.

All students should be able to explain the difference between a political and physical map by this point. 

This week, we will preview the unit on Monday and begin discussing key topics on Wednesday and Thursday. 

In the coming weeks, I will be introducing all of my classes to debate as we use Middle East-based topics to work on our skills.

 

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.