Essential Questions:
1. What geographic features contribute to the patterns of human settlement?
2. What is a civilization?
3. What is the interaction between people and the environment?
4. How does where you live impact how you live?

Big Ideas:
1. Geographical features impact the development of civilizations.
2. Civilization is made up of a large population, distribution of jobs, social structure, government, culture and trade.
3. Human settlements impact the environment.

Essential Vocabulary:
Civics,     Social Pyramid,     evolution,      city-states/polis,      social structure,    migrate,     Neolithic Revolution,     Ice Age,     Land Bridge,

society,     Domestication,    Hunter-Gatherers,     agriculture,     irrigation,     Natural Barriers,     Civilization,     Geography,   fertile soil (silt),

floods,    famine,    trade,    papyrus,   aqueduct,   calendar,  wheel,   plow,   social structure

Learning Experiences

• Introduction of themes
  
• “Big Paper” preview activity on the themes
  
• Students will understand how themes are unfold in U.S./World today (slideshow, headlines activity)
  
• Review geographical features and natural barriers
  
• Understand why early civilizations settled along rivers
  
• Connect the Neolithic Revolution and emergence of cities
  
• Review the features of a civilization
  
• Analyze how human settlements in ancient times and today impact the environment (science)
  
• NewsELA as resource
  
• Primary Source: Nile/Euphrates/Yellow River and irrigation channel
  
• Primary Source: Deforestation/erosion