Understanding Our PastGeography – •Study of people, their environments, and the resources available to them.•Conclusions are drawn from limited evidence such as artifacts (technology).•Related areas include Anthropology, Archaeology, and History.•Modern technology assists in interpreting this evidence.

Five Themes of GeographyLOCATION• Tells where a place is on Earth using latitude and longitude.• Latitude – North and South of the Equator• Longitude – East and West of the Prime Meridian• Can be relative or exact location

Five Themes of GeographyPLACE• Refers to physical features and human characteristics.• Examples of physical features include: water, climate, landforms• Examples of human characteristics include: economy, religion, language

Five Themes of GeographyHUMAN-ENVIRONMENT INTERACTION• Humans manipulate the environment and the environment influences human activity.• Examples include: Irrigation, infrastructure, etc.

Five Themes of Geography MOVEMENT• The migration of people, goods, and ideas.• This is a major cause of cultural diffusion.• Cultural diffusion normally occurs during trade, migration, and/or warfare.• Today, this process is almost instantaneous.

Five Themes of GeographyREGION• The world is divided based on physical, political, economic, and/or cultural features.•Example: Middle East

Understanding Our PastCulture – •Way of life of a society handed down from one generation to the next by learning and experience.Cultural Diffusion – •The spread of ideas, customs, and technologies from one people to another through migration, trade, and warfare.

The Dawn of HistoryPaleolithic Age Neolithic Age

Food•Nomadic•Hunting & Gathering

•Domesticated animals•Agricultural Revolution

Dwellings•Cave Dwellings•Move from place to place•No permanent housing

•Permanent villages

Technology•Simple tools •Advanced tools,

weaponry, calendars•Ex: fertilizer/plow

Religion & Art

•Polytheistic•Cave paintings•Animism

•Polytheistic•Belief in the afterlife

Beginnings of Civilization

Civilization – •Complex, highly organized social order.•The term comes from the Latin word civis, meaning “citizen” or “townsman.”•As farmers created a surplus of food, populations expanded and cities emerged along river valleys.•There are 8 features found in civilizations.

Beginnings of Civilization1. Cities2. Well Organized Governments3. Complex Religions4. Job Specialization5. Social Classes6. Art & Architecture7. Public Works8. Writing (scribes/pictograms/ideograms)

Beginnings of Civilization

City-State – • Political unit including a city and its

surrounding lands and villages.Empire – • Group of states or territories controlled by

one ruler.