Beginning of Civilizations

Beginning of Civilizations

by Alexis Ennis

​Agriculture Changes the World

• 12,000 years ago, hunters and gatherers began building permanent homes and experimenting with agriculture.

  • ​Agriculture: the raising of crops and animals for human use.

• ​Most cities began cropping up around rivers. We all these River Civilizations.

​River Civilizations we will learn about...

• ​Ancient Egypt

• ​Mesopotamia

• ​Ancient China

• ​Ancient India

Multiple Choice

What river did Ancient Egyptians settled on?

• The Nile

• The Euphrates

• The Tigris

• The Huang Ho

​Importance of Agriculture

​Agriculture helped create a way for people to live in large groups without traveling to gather food.

• ​People began to domesticate animals (train to be useful).

• ​These animals helped make gathering easier and provided more resources.

​Agriculture --> Surplus

• ​A surplus is an extra supply of something.

• ​Enough crops were harvested to provide food for the entire year.

• ​Cattle provided a steady supply of meat and milk.

• ​Farmers can now provide food for all of the people of the civilization!

• ​But, farming was HARD!

​Surplus --> Specialization

• ​Demands on farmers' time led to SPECIALIZATION.

  • ​People trained to do particular kinds of work.

• ​So, some people farmed, others made wheat into bread flour.

• ​Some made tools, bricks, pots.

• ​Farmers could exchange food for other products.

​Creation of Civilization

• ​Civilization is a culture that has developed systems of:

  • ​Specialization

  • ​Religion

  • ​Learning

  • ​Government

Multiple Choice

A Surplus is...

• Extra supply of something.

• People trained to do a particular kind of work.

• Not having enough food.

• a farming method.

Multiple Choice

The definition of specialization is...

• People trained to do a particular kind of work.

• An extra supply of something

Open Ended

What is an example specialization today? (What is an example of someone trained to do a particular work?)

​Egypt's Economy

​Economy is the way a people manage money and resources for the production of goods and services.

• ​Egypt's economy was based on Agriculture.

• ​Farmers produced a surplus, which fed the whole country.

• ​Goods were exchanged instead of money for trade.