Geographical Concepts&

The First Civilizations

Hunter-Gatherer & Early Farmers

Unit One

VIDEO

Unit DescriptionThis unit focuses on:

➔ Reviewing Geographical Concepts

➔ Learning about Hunter-Gatherer Societies

◆ how Agricultural Societies developed

from them

Unit Objectives

1. Students will understand that the earliest human communities hunted and

gathered, made tools and used fire to meet their basic needs.

2. Students will understand how climatic changes, food scarcity and the the

discovery of seed technology led early communities to the discovery of

farming as a way to produce food.

3. Students will learn how geographical physical features and human

modification of the environment influenced early farming communities.

4. Students will understand that in order to farm, people had to domestic

animals and plants.

Unit Nine (9) Guiding Questions

1. Can students locate places on a map or globe using latitude and longitude,

cardinal directions and intermediate directions?

2. Can students explain the difference between a primary and secondary source?

3. Can students interpret artifacts?

4. Can students describe the wandering, nomadic life of hunter-gatherers?

5. Can students describe food, shelter, clothing and tools of hunter-gatherers?

Unit Nine (9) Guiding Questions

6. Can students explain the role specifications and inventions developed in the

early human communities?

7. Can students explain why and how humans made the transition from hunting

and gathering to farming (cultivation)?

8. Can students describe climatic changes and geographical features that

influenced the development of early civilizations?

9. Can students explain why and how the domestication of plants and animals for

farming took place?

GEOGRAPHY

ESSENTIAL QUESTION - How does geography influence the way people live?

GUIDING QUESTION - What methods do geographers use to show the Earth’s

surface?

What is Geography?Geography is the study of people, their environment,

their resources and the places on Earth.

2 Types of Geography

● Physical Geography - the study of the Earth’s land and

features

● Human Geography - the study of people and the

places where they live

Physical Geography

Landforms The natural features of the land’s surface

Climate The pattern of weather conditions in a certain area over a long period of time

Environment Landforms and Climate are both part of the place’s environment

Displaying the Earth’s Surface

● Once it was discovered the Earth was not flat, it was

determined that the most accurate way to show the sizes

of continents and shapes of landmasses and bodies of

water was on a globe -- a spherical scale model of the

planet.

● Globes show true distance and distortion

● However, globes are not as easy to carry as a map

Globes vs. Maps

Globes MapsSpherical scale model of the planet Flat drawings of all of part of the Earth’s

surface

Most accurate way to show the Earth Can show many things such as political borders, population densities, etc.

Show true distance and direction Can be folded and carried easily

Not as easy to carry as a map Cannot show true size, shape, distance and direction at same time

Geographical Terms to KnowLatitude Imaginary lines that run East to West around the Earth (parallels)

Longitude Imaginary lines that run from the North Pole to the South Pole (meridians)

Cardinal Directions North, South East & West

Intermediate Directions Northeast, Southeast, Southwest Northwest

Compass Rose A directional marker on a map that shows cardinal and intermediate directions

Equator An imaginary line that lies halfway between the North & South pole (0 degrees)

Prime Meridian An imaginary vertical line that runs North to South through Greenwich, England

Absolute Location The exact location of a place - the latitude and longitude (global location) or a street address (local location) of an exact place

Geographical Terms to KnowProjection A way of showing the round Earth on a flat map

Distort To twist out of shape or change the size of

Special-Purpose Map A map that shows themes or patterns such as climate, natural resources or population

choropleth A special-purpose map that uses color to show population density

migration The movement of people from one place to settle in another place

culture The set of beliefs, behaviors and traits shared by a group of people

Geographical Terms to KnowRelative Location Described by landmarks, time, direction or distance from one place to another

Map Scale Shows the mathematical relationship by which distances on a map reduce actual distances on Earth

Map Coordinates Latitude lines are always listed first in coordinates (Latitude, Longitude)

Map Legend Lists and explains the symbols and colors used on a map

Physical Map Map of the Physical features of the area of land (mountains, rivers, deserts)

Political Map Map of the political boundaries of an area of land (divides into countries)

Climate Map Map describing the climate of an area of land

Population Map Illustrates how many people live in different places on the map

Geographical Terms to KnowMap Used to locate places - a drawing of the Earth’s surface

Globe A round object, shaped like a ball (sphere) that has a map of the world on it

Atlas A book of maps or charts

Cartographer A person that makes a map

Natural Resource Map Shows the natural resources in an area (minerals, oil, fossil fuels)

Hemisphere A half-sphere used to refer to one-half of the globe when divided into North and South or East and West

VIDEO

Latitude & Longitude

Most maps have lines on it that look like lines on a sheet of graph paper. These are the latitude and longitude lines that help us find an absolute location on the map. The lines on the map are measured in degrees.

VIDEO

VIDEOVIDEO Lines of Latitude

● Lines of latitude circle the Earth parallel to the Equator.

● They measure distance north of south of the Equator in

degrees.

● The Equator is at 0 (zero) degrees latitude

● The North Pole is at 90 degree N

Lines of Longitude

● Lines of longitude circle the Earth from Pole to Pole.

● These lines measure distances from east or west of the

Prime Meridian which is at 0 (zero) degrees longitude

VIDEO

Equator

We divide the Earth in half with an imaginary line at 0 degrees latitude called the EQUATOR.

The equator divides the Earth into two halves called hemispheres VIDEO

Prime Meridian

An imaginary line divides the Earth into equal East and West halves. This imaginary line is called the Prime Meridian.

Hemispheres

● Geographers use a system of imaginary lines that cross

the globe.

● The Equator and Prime Meridian are one of these

imaginary lines. The Equator circles the middle of the

Earth like a belt and divides the Earth into half spheres

called Hemispheres

Hemispheres

There are a total of 4 Hemispheres

NorthernSouthernEasternWestern

VIDEO

VIDEOFinding Locations on Map or Globe

● Everything north of the Equator is in the Northern

Hemisphere

● Everything south of the Equator is in the Southern

Hemisphere

● Everything east of the Prime Meridian is in the Eastern

Hemisphere

● Everything west of the Prime Meridian is in Western

Hemisphere

Absolute Location● The grid system formed by lines of latitude and longitude makes it

possible to find the absolute location of a place

● This is the exact spot where a line of latitude crosses a line of longitude

● An absolute location is written in special symbols called degrees and

minutes (points between degrees)

● For example, the Empire State Building in New York City is located at a

latitude of 40 degrees 44 minutes North and a longitude of 73 degrees

59 minutes West

Relative Location

Absolute Location

Assignment -- Turn in Next Class Period on Index Card

1. Write down the directions from your home to your school.

2. Write down your street address

3. Homework -- Use Google or other Internet website to find

out the latitude and longitude coordinates for your home.

4. Which is an absolute location and which is a relative

location?

5 Themes of Geography

Location Where things are located

Movement Migration Patterns

Place Human & Physical Characteristics

Regions Various areas geographically of the world

Human & Environment Interaction

How to people and the environment interact

VIDEO

Location

Historians and geographers try

to determine where something

important happened. They also

try to figure out why that event

happened. The geographer’s

task is to try to pinpoint the

exact location of an event.

Movement

People move about to different

places around the world because

resources are spread unevenly

around the world ( trees, water,

fish, animals)

Place

A geographer looks at the

physical location of place. They

look at the climate, plant life,

animal life, and bodies of water.

People often help to shape the

way a place looks by their ideas

and actions.

Regions

Geographers study region.

Regions are areas of the world

with similar characteristics. For

example, The Great Plains is a

region because it has fairly level

land , very hot summers, very

cold winters and little rainfall.

Human Environment & InteractionThroughout history, people adapted and changed their

natural environment. For example, ancient hunters

learned to grow food crops in the Americas.

Later, Native Americans in the Southwest found ways to

bring water to the desert so they could farm the land.

Ancient American hunters learned to plant seeds and

grow crops.

Americans in the Southwest developed methods of

irrigation (bringing water to dry land). Today, advances

in technology allow people to alter their environment

dramatically.

VIDEO

6 Essential Elements

The World in Spatial Terms

What do geographers do when studying a certain place? They first take a look at where the place is located. Location is a useful starting point. You develop an awareness of the world around you

Places and Regions Place has a special meaning in geography. It describes where a place is and what a place is like. It may describe physical characteristics such as landforms, climate and plant and animal life. Geographers group places into regions that are unified by one or more common characteristics

6 Essential Elements

Physical Systems When geographers study places and regions, they analyze how physical systems - such as hurricanes, volcanoes and glaciers shape the Earth’s surface. They also look at communities living things and how plants and animals depend on one another and their surroundings for survival

Human Systems Refers to how people have shaped our world. Looks at how borders are decided and why people settle in certain places and not in others. A basic theme in geography is the movement of people, ideas and goods

6 Essential Elements

Environment and Society

How the relationship between people and their natural surroundings influence the way we live. It shows how people use the environment and how their actions affect the environment

The Uses of Geography

Geography helps us understand the relationships among people, places and environments. Mastering the tools and technology used for studying geography can also help us in our daily lives

Types of Maps

● Geographers use many different types of maps

● Different types of maps are often collected into one book

called an atlas

● Two of the most common general-purpose maps are

Physical and Political Maps

Physical & Political Maps

Physical Maps Political Maps

Show land and water features Show the names and borders of countries

Colors are used include brown or green for land and blue for water

Shows the locations of cities and other human-made features of a place

May also use colors to show elevation - the height of an area above sea level

Often identifies major physical features of a land area

A key explains the meaning of each color

Special-Purpose Maps

● Usually shows patters such as climate, natural

resources or population

● A road map is another example of a special-purpose

map

● May be used to display historical information such as

battles or territorial changes

Reading Maps

● An important step in reading a map is to study the map

key

● The key explains the lines, colors and symbols used on

the map.

● The map scale is a measuring line that tells you

distances represented on the map

Compass Rose & Cardinal Directions

● A compass rose tells you the position of the cardinal

directions

● Cardinal directions are -- North, South, East, West

● Cardinal directions help you explain the relative

location of any place on Earth

We use a compass rose to determine directions on a map. A compass rose uses Cardinal and Intermediate directions.

VIDEO

VIDEO - ACTIVITY: CREATE A COMPASS ROSE

Examples of Physical Map Examples of Political Map

Examples of Climate Map Examples of Population MapVIDEO VIDEO

Map Scale, Legend, Compass Rose

VIDEO

VIDEO

In what type of units does this map scale measure in?

One inch equals how many miles?

VIDEO

VIDEO

Textbook Activity - Lesson 1 Review Page 37

In your binder, write the questions and answers for numbers

1-7 of the Lesson1 Review

Complete #4 Geographic Activity on Page 48 (do #1-4)

Complete Chapter 2 Assessment page 49 - #2 & 3

Geographical Terms to KnowTropic of Capricorn

Tropic of Cancer

International Date Line

Time Zones

Hemisphere

7 Continents

VIDEO

4 Oceans

VIDEO

Major Climate Zones

Tropical

Temperate

Polar

VIDEOS

Climate Regions

❖ Climate is determined by the latitude of a country -- meaning how far or how close a place is to the equator.➢ Closer to the equator is hotter➢ Farther from the equator is colder

❖ Climate is also determined by altitude such as a mountain.➢ Higher altitudes are cclder

Global Climate Regions Factors that Affect Climate

Weather The condition of the Earth’s atmosphere (or air). It could be hot, cold, rainy, dry or something in-between.

Climate The average weather of a place over a period of 20-30 years. Two features define climate, temperature & precipitation.

Precipitation The water that falls from the sky in the form of rain or snow. The location and altitude or height of the land above sea level also influences climate

VIDEO

What is Difference Between Climate & Weather?

Climate is the pattern of weather conditions in

a certain area over a long period of time

Time Zones

● There are a total of 24 Time Zones around the world.

● A new time zone starts every 15 degrees longitude

More on Time Zones

Each time zone represents 1 hour on the clock.

As you move across time zones you increase or decrease

the time by one hour for each time zone you cross.

If you travel West you decrease an hour across each time

zone.

If you travel East you add an hour across each time zone.

4 Time Zones in the United States

● Pacific

● Mountain

● Central

● Eastern

VIDEO

Geographical Features & TermsTundra Extremely cold and ground is frozen year round

Tropical Rainforest Hot year round and rainy

Arid / Desert Severe lack of precipitation / no rain

Mountains High, steep, rugged land. They rise to an elevation (height) of at least 1,000 feet above the surrounding land

Hills Areas of raised land, but they are lower, less steep and more rounded than mountains.

Plains Areas of flat or level land

Plateaus Large, raised areas of flat land

Isthmus A narrow strip of land that joins two large areas

TUNDRA

TROPICAL RAINFOREST

DESERT

MOUNTAINSHILLS

PLAINS PLATEAU

ISTHMUS

Rivers Provide transportation for boats and provides moisture (or water) for most part of the plains of the United States

Lakes

Tributary A stream or smaller river that flows into a larger one.

VIDEO

Definition of Culture

Culture is the entire way of life that people have developed. It includes , behaviors, beliefs, customs and skills that people teach to every new generation.

How Does Environment Affect Culture?

What is a Hunter-Gatherer Society?

A society in which most or all of the food is obtained by

foraging (collecting wild plants and pursuing wild animals).

Archeologists believe that human beings first appeared in

Africa millions of years ago.

The early humans were hunter-gatherers who lived by

hunting small animals and gathering plantsVIDEO

Development of Tools for Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Early humans began making tools out of stone. This innovation started the

Paleolithic Era (The Old Stone Age)

At first tools were simple, split stones which were used for cutting, chopping and

scraping.

Over time, toolmakers became more skillful and started making thinner, sharper

blades.

Tool makers also began using bones and antlers and added some decoration and

color their work

The Use of Fire

With fire, people could use light,

cook, and use flames to scare

off dangerous animals. It also

allowed them to live in places

where it would have been too

cold to survive

VIDEO

The Nomadic Life

Hunter-gatherers during the Stone Age generally lived in

bands which were small groups of 10-12 adults and their

children.

Most of these people were called Nomads because they

moved from place to place with the seasons.

They used caves and shelters and sometimes built tents to

stay in when moving from place to place gathering food.

The Nomadic Life Continued

Hunter-gatherers lived a simple culture or way of life.

Most of their time was spent looking for food.

Women usually gathered fruits, grains, nuts and seeds.

They also collected eggs, honey, and caught small animals and fish.

For medicines they picked herbs.

Men started off hunting small animals and when their skills improved they

caught large animals such as deer.VIDEO

What is an Agricultural Society?

A society that relies on primarily

domesticated animal species.

VIDEO

Hunter-Gatherer & Agricultural Terms

Slash and Burn Farming

Irrigation

Tilling

Domestication of Plants & Animals

What are Artifacts?

Artifacts are items that that scientists have found usually from the ground

tools, weapons, baskets, and carvings.

The study of artifacts is called Archeology.

By studying artifacts, scientists can learn much about early people. Each

object can provide valuable information about early cultures.