Ancient Civilizations

Ancient Civilizations

By Sara Pawloski

Learners can:

• describe how people migrated to the Americas

• identify characteristics of ancient civilizations

Vocabulary: migrate, hunter-gatherers, resources, civilization, irrigation

Curriculum Kit Materials: Social Studies Activity Book (pages 1 and 2)

Additional Household Materials Needed: crayons or colored pencils

​

​Lesson Overview

​Today, people use many different types of technology to communicate with each other.

​​Cell Phones

​​Cars

GPS

Boats

Audio Response

What do you think it would be like to cross a mountain, desert, or river without the modern technology that you have today?

Open Audio Recorder

to move from one place to another

migrate

​early groups of people who lived by hunting wild animals and gathering plants and fruits from their natural environments

hunter-gatherers

things found in nature that are used by people

resources

​an organized group of people who share certain advanced ways of living and working

civilization

​when water is taken from one place and sent to where it is needed

​​irrigation

People have lived on the continents of North and South America for thousands of years.

Historians do not agree about when the first people arrived. Many believe that the first people in the Americas traveled from Asia to North America about 15,000 years ago.

Historians have found clues about how the first people came to Americas in different ways.

​

​The Americas

People migrated in different ways.

Some scientists believe that people traveled by boat, while others believe they traveled by land.

​

​Migrate means to move from one place to another.

During this time, the land looked different. A piece of land, called the Bering Land Bridge, connected Asia and North America.

The Bering Land Bridge was made of land that is now under the ocean. This land appeared because much of Earth's water froze into big sheets of ice, making the sea levels lower.

Many scientists believe that the first people may have traveled across the Bering Land Bridge and arrived in North America.

​Some scientists and historians believe that herds of animals crossed this land bridge in search of food. Early humans most likely followed the animals they hunted and ended up in the Americas.

The first humans to settle in the Americas were most likely hunter-gatherers.

Hunter-gatherers were early groups of people who lived by hunting wild animals and gathering plants and fruits from their natural environment.

​

​Hunter-Gatherers

Hunter-gatherers may have been the first people in the Americas, but where did they settle?

Look at the map to see the possible routes that the first people in America took to get from Asia to different parts of the Americas.

​

​Possible Routes of the First People in America

Open Ended

Describe the direction of the routes of the first people from Asia to the Americas and analyze why people might have migrated in those directions.

You can start your answer with:

• The direction of the routes show . . .

• People might have migrated in those directions because . . .

Over thousands of years, people moved to different areas of North and South America to live. They found that the geography and climate of each place varied.

Often, geography and climate influenced where people decided to settle and how they used the resources of an area.

​Resources are things found in nature that are used by people.

They affect how people live, including what they use to build their homes, what they eat, the clothing they wear, and the tools they create.

As people settled in an area, they developed their own cultures and religions. They formed towns and villages. They also developed trading routes.

Growing settlements needed rules for living together and making decisions that affected everyone. Eventually, civilizations developed.

​
A civilization is an organized group of people who share certain advanced ways of living and working.

Civilizations usually have shared beliefs, customs, and a way of life that defines them.

​Ancient Civilizations in North America

Many cultures emerged in North America thousands of years ago. These included the Inuit and the Puebloans. They lived in very different climates and had a variety of resources available to them.

​The Inuit lived in the far northern part of North America in what is now Greenland, Canada, and Alaska.

​​Inuit

​Since these areas are frozen for much of the year, the Inuit had to adapt to the harsh environment. They had few plants and land animals, so they relied on the sea for whales, seals, and other sea animals for food.

They developed and used kayaks to fish in the sea.

Their homes were built out of blocks of snow.

​Despite the very dry desert environment, the Puebloans were very successful farmers because they used irrigation to bring water to their crops.

Irrigation is when water is taken from one place and sent to where it is needed.

To stay cool in the hot climate, the Puebloans built their homes on the side of cliffs.

​The Puebloans lived in the Southwestern desert region that is now the states of Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, and Utah.

Draw

Take notes about each of the North American civilizations.

Then, color the map to show where they lived.

Add this information to your workbook

There were many different ancient civilizations that settled in Latin America.

Latin America is an area made up of much of Mexico, Central America, and South America.

Press the arrows to expand the image and get a closer look.

​

​Ancient Civilizations in Latin America

The Maya civilization was an ancient culture that thrived in parts of South America.

They built impressive cities with massive temples, palaces, and pyramids.

One of the most well-known cities in the Maya civilization is Chichen Itza in Mexico. It is well-known because it is an ancient city that was made long ago. People can still visit it today to learn more about the history of the Mayans.

The Maya had a complex system of hieroglyphic writing called glyphs.

​

​Maya Civilization

The Aztec civilization was an ancient culture that thrived in parts of present-day Mexico.

Tenochtitlan became their capital. Today, it is known as Mexico City.

The Aztecs built floating gardens called chinampas to grow crops like corn, beans, and squash.

The Aztecs had a rich culture, including a complex calendar system and hieroglyphic writing.

​

Aztec Civilization

The Inca civilization was another ancient culture that thrived in South America.

The Incas were master builders. Machu Picchu is a famous example of the amazing structures that the Incas built.

They are known for their advanced techniques in farming, such as terraced farming, which allowed them to grow crops on steep mountain slopes.

The Incas had a rich culture that included art forms like ceramics and metalwork. They used a system of knotted strings called quipus for record-keeping.

​

​Inca Civilization

Draw

Take notes about each of the Latin American civilizations.

Then, color the map to show where they lived.

Add Notes to your Workbook

Multiple Choice

How did the first people most likely migrate to the Americas?

• The Bering Land Bridge

• An Airplaine

• By Car

• The Atlantic Ocean

Match

Match the following

• 
  

  This civilization's most well-known city was Chichen Itza in Mexico.

• 
  

  This civilization's famous structure is called Machu Picchu.

• 
  

  This civilization's capital was called Tenochtitlan.

Maya

Inca

Aztec

• 
  

  Maya

• Inca

• Aztec

Poll

Today, you learned to describe how people migrated to the Americas.

You also learned how to identify characteristics of ancient civilizations.

• I feel confident in what I learned todya

• I understand what we learned but need to review

• I am lost