Human Beginnings-> Prehistory

NAME: _______________________________________

Approximate # of days unit will last: 10-15 (2-3 weeks)

Objectives (what are we learning in this unit?): Describe how prehistoric people lived, the development of agriculture and other technological achievements, the growth of civilizations, explain the achievements of early river valley civilizations in Egypt, the Fertile Crescent, and South Asia. Discuss, the lasting contributions of ancient Middle Eastern Peoples, including the development of monotheism

TOTAL POINTS AVAILABLE: 100
    A: 100-93 -> C-layers/ 1 B-layer/ 1 A-layer
            B: 92-86 ->   C-layers/1 B-layer
            C: 85-77 ->   C-layers
            D: 76-70 ->   C-layers

“C” layer assignments (Maximum 85 pts)

Lecture

**2. Listen to the lectures. Take notes. oral defense 6 pts for all lectures
_____ 1-1        ______ 1-2        ________ 1-3

Reading

**3. All chapter readings/guided reading activities . Oral Defense(questions will come from guided readings 10 points
Guided reading 1.1 (20-25) _____
Guided reading 1.2 (26-31) _____
Guided reading 1.3 (32-36) ____

Worksheets

***4. Complete the worksheet packet

Brainstorms

5.   Brainstorm a list of conditions that would have made it as easy as possible for early people to survive
      Using your textbook, locate areas of the world where these conditions exist

6. List what you think are the five most basic tools needed for human survival. Provide 2 reasons for this

Vocabulary

7. Complete the “Crossword puzzle” for the following words. Learn them. Oral defense .
Pg 20-> prehistory, hominid, anthropologist, paleontologist, archaeologist, artifact,
    radiocarbon dating, nomad, culture, technology
Pg 25-> domesticate, deity
Pg 32-> civilization, economy, artisan, cultural diffusion, myth

WHOLE CLASS ACTIVITIES

8. “Neanderthal Dance/Mime”    Oral Defense

9. In a group, bring to class one or more musical selections your group thinks would provide suitable
     background music for a visit to a cave in which prehistoric paintings have been found.

ROLE PLAY

10. Pair up with a student in class. Role play an interview with an archaeologist at one of the following   sites: Neander Valley, Lascaux, Vallon-Pont-d’Arc, Jericho, Catal Huyuk. To prepare for the interview, you should read the archaeology entry in a good encyclopedia
        **Mr. W. has several encyclopedia entries printed for your viewing pleasure J
     You should write specific questions you would like to ask the archaeologist you are interviewing. Take   turn being the interviewer and interviewee. When all interviews have taken place, summarize what you have learned from them.

DISCUSSIONS

11. Participate in the whole-class discussion why the evidence of food, tools, and weapons at burial sites suggests to scientists a prehistoric belief in the afterlife

12. Participate in the whole-class discussion how people’s attitudes toward their environment might have changed as they began to raise crops and domesticate animals

13. Participate in the “roundtable” discussion about creation myths from various civilizations, such as the story of Marduk in this section. Prepare by finding out as much as you can about a “creation myth.” The myths will be discussed thematically in class. Focus your part in this discussion on the myths’ similarities and differences. Also be able to speculate about the nature and beliefs of the different civilizations (if it will help, bring excerpts of your myth to class to read aloud in class!). Your choices of myths will be from the followingà Greek theogony, Scandinavia’s Ymir (or Imir), Ghana’s Nyame, China’s cosmic egg

ART

14. Research and report on the cave paintings of French, Spanish, or African sites such as Vallon-Pont-d’Arc in France or the Altamira Cave in Spain. Include an illustration in your report.

15. Use the information in the text as a guide to building a model of a Neolithic village such as the one discovered at Catal Huyuk

16. Create comic strips illustrating their conception of Neolithic people’s lives. Answer these questions on the back of your comic strip:
        What is the basis for the information presented in your comic strip?
        Is it based on your reading in this section?
        Is it completely imaginary?
        Does it reflect the popular media as represented by television (The Flintstones) or the
        Movies (History of the World- Part 1?)

GAMES

17. “What’s my meaning” gameà This will be played during one class period. (This is a game where the class is divided into two teams and each team will take turns giving a term from the chapter for the other team to define or explain.

Drawings/Designs/Writings(things involving creativity)

18. Imagine that you and a friend are stranded on a large uninhabited island. You have no tools except a pocket knife. There are many species of small animals, a stream of fresh water, a sandy beach, and a dense forest. You must survive until rescued, perhaps a month later. Write a journal account of your first seven days OR prepare and act out a 10 minute “play” of your first seven days (all lines must be memorized during the performance; this may be done on videotape)

19. Newspaper articleà Class will be organized into small groups. Each group will brainstorm ideas about how life in an early city differed from life in a small Neolithic village. Your group will write an article for a newspaper about the differences. You may supplement text content with any research you obtain. 1-2 persons in the group will research/write the article, another will create the headline, and another create an illustration to accompany the article. One group member will orally present the article to the entire class.

20. Write four topic sentences that express main ideas about the first civilizations

Research

21. Read outside source(s) about the origin and development of writing. Report orally on the information you obtain

22. Obtain (check with Taylor High School for this) a course catalog of a university. Report to Mr. W. on some of the courses offered by the anthropology department.

23. Using section 2 of chapter 1, describe the progression in food-procurement methods discussed in this section. In addition, list the innovations that helped in this progression.

24. Research one topic about the Bronze Age and write a short report on it. Topics may include specific tools, hunting practices, ritual art objects, jewelry, food preparation, and so on.

25. Research cuneiform writing. In your research, find out how different pictograms evolved into abstract symbols and how people of modern times learned to decode and read cuneiform inscriptions

“B” layer assignments (Choose one only)

26. In a group of no more than 4, take the role of producers who must plan a documentary on early people. Prepare a proposal for three thirty minute segments , including where and when filming will take place, who will narrate, what types of people will be interviewed, what information will be presented, and the manner in which it will be presented (interview, graph, photo, and so on). You may present your proposal in either written or oral form (keep in mind the audience will be potential financial backers for the project)

27. Imagine that you and a friend are stranded on a large uninhabited island. You have no tools except a pocket knife. There are many species of small animals, a stream of fresh water, a sandy beach, and a dense forest. You must survive until rescued, perhaps a month later. Write a journal account of your first seven days (must have 1 paragraph for each day) OR prepare and act out a 10 minute “play” of your first seven days (all lines must be memorized during the performance; this may be done on videotape)

A Layer Assignment (choose 1 only)

(For a chance at full credit on “A” layer assignmentsà You MUST submit the following )
1. Answer to the question (if a question is asked)
2. video presentation (2-5 minutes minimum)
3. 2 articles you research (actual articles need to be submitted/ NOT the websites)
4. A summary for each article
           *each summary needs 2 paragraphs
paragraph #1: 8-10 sentences summarizing the article
paragraph #2: 6-10 sentences stating your opinion of the article
(did you like/dislike it/agree/disagree with it? critically evaluate the topic in
this paragraph)

28. The Roman statesman and orator Cicero said the following: “To be ignorant of what happened before you were born is to ever be a child.”
Is it important to have an understanding of past historical events and their significance?
Research and answer this question.
a.    In your answer, explain the meaning of Cicero’s words, explore the meaning and
importance of history, discussing its relevance in today’s world
b.    Each article you research should pertain to an important historical event

29.   Is “Lucy” an actual 3.2 million year old hominoid skeleton or a fake? Research and answer this
question.

        Parents Signature (5 pts towards “C” layer) _______________________