Features of a Civilization

​Features of a Civilization

Poll

After the Agricultural Revolution, people began to settle in one place. What geographical feature do you think they chose to settle near?

• Oceans

• Mountains

• Rivers

• Deserts

Open Ended

What are some things that make the United States such a successful country?

• civilization = group of people living & working together to create an organized society

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• location was determined by resources of the land

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​Civilizations

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• city= large town at center of civilization

  • ​near major transportation source

  • center for trade

  • high population

  • important buildings

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​1 - Cities

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Multiple Choice

As the population grew, villages transformed into _____-

• thriving cities.
• ghost towns
• barren wastelands
• small towns

• laws create & keep order in society

• ruled by kings /emperors

• chosen by gods​

• organized military for protection

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​2 - Government & Laws

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Multiple Choice

This feature is needed to oversee irrigation projects, ensure that a steady food supply was available, issue laws, organize defense and collect taxes

• Religion

• Specialized Labor

• Organized Government

• Arts and Architecture

• form of communication used for written records

  • laws

  • farming records

  • calendars

  • religious documents​

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​3 - Writing

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Open Ended

List one example of how writing was used to created a complex civilization

• laber = work

• not everyone needed to farm

• developed special skills

• creation of class system

• merchants - made goods

• traders - sold goods​

​4 - Specialized Jobs / Division of Labor

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Multiple Choice

Jobs became _________and some people became the religious and political leaders while others became artisans (skilled craftspeople) who made cloth, pottery, tools, and more.

• specialized
• necessary
• unnecessary
• optional

• groups of people within different levels in society

• highest = priests/rulers

• ​middle = merchants/ skilled workers

• ​lowest = slaves / poor

​5 - Social Classes

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Multiple Choice

The lowest and largest class was

• slaves
• priests
• nobels
• artisans

Multiple Choice

As writing systems became more complex,________ (people trained to read and write) became more powerful

• scribes
• priests
• farmers
• oracles

• inventions created to make civ. more advanced

• benefited society

• large scale projects:

  • roads

  • water syst.

  • city walls​

​6 - Public Works / Technology

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Multiple Choice

Examples of public works for ancient civilizations include roads, ____________, and defensive walls

• canals
• churches
• stores
• farms

• set of shared spiritual beliefs

• belief in 1 or more gods

• helped explain world around them​

• linked to gov.

• ​right to rule came from gods

​7 - Religion

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Multiple Choice

Most ancient people were _________(worshiped multiple gods and goddesses)

• polytheistic
• monotheistic
• atheistic
• sad

• temples, tombs, palaces

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• displayed values of culture, & talent​

​8 - Art & Architecture

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Multiple Choice

The earliest forms of writing were pictograms or pictographs (______________)

• drawings that looked like what they represented
• alphabets
• symbols
• delicious cheese

​What features are most important???

​Group Activity

• On your sticky notes, rank each feature in order of what you think is most important to a civilization

• ​Be prepared to explain WHY

• 1 = most important --> 8 = least important​