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Agricultural Revolution

Driving Question: How did humans begin farming?

About 12,000 years ago, farming led to a revolution in how people ate, lived, and worked. People began to settle down and create cities, large societies, and eventually empires. But were all these changes positive?

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define agriculture and describe where it emerged.
  2. Investigate how farming modified the environment.
  3. Describe how farming changed human societies.
  4. Explain how geography impacted agriculture and the growth of early societies.

Vocab Terms:

  • agriculture
  • city
  • domestication
  • hierarchy
  • pastoralist
  • society
  • surplus
STEP 1

Opener: Agricultural Revolution

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

When you hear the word revolution, you might think of battles to overthrow governments. The Agricultural Revolution wasn’t about political change, but it did lead to some big transformations.

STEP 2

Harnessing Energy

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Check out our Video Guide for suggestions on incorporating videos in the classroom.

In comic books, the hero’s power is sometimes shown when they throw lightning or create earthquakes. But in history, the quiet act of planting a seed helped make humans the most powerful lifeform this planet has ever seen.

Why Was Agriculture So Important? External link

The invention of farming was not just about tastier food. Farming unlocked powerful forces that transformed history.

Key Ideas

As this video progresses, key ideas will be introduced to invoke discussion.
STEP 3

Effects of Farming

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Was farming an improvement over foraging? Check out this blog post External link for tips on how to approach this question with your students.

By the time you’ve finished the next article and activity, you’ll know a lot more about the pros and cons of the early transition to farming.

STEP 4

Farming and the Environment

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

In this discussion External link teachers on our online teacher community share ideas for a hands-on approach to teaching about agriculture.

STEP 5

Closer: Agricultural Revolution

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page X of the Lesson 5.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Need a good poster? Check out these Claim Testing posters for your classroom.

Did farming lead to new complexity? Was the creation of civilizations positive? Were all farming societies the same? Find the evidence to make some claims!