The Neolithic Revolution was the dramatic shift that occurred in human history when early humans developed agriculture. Before the Neolithic Revolution, humans were nomadic foragers that traveled with the seasons to access wild food through hunting and gathering. While archaeologists aren’t sure about the causes of the Neolithic Revolution, they believe it may have been caused by a shift in the climate that made wild food less available.
Women who gathered plants may have noticed that the plants grew in the same places year after year. Making the connection between the growing plants and the seeds they produced, they most likely started by scattering seeds. They soon realized that burying seeds produced more plants, and eventually began to plow fields to plant crops.
The domestication of animals happened alongside this early farming. The first animal domesticated by humans was most likely dogs used for hunting. Once the women started farming, wild animals took advantage of the new abundant food source. Humans fed the animals to keep them close for an easy source of meat. They put the animals in pens and bred them for the best traits.
When did it happen?
The Neolithic Revolution happened around 10,000 BCE at the same time as the end of the last ice age. Archaeologists believe that the changing climate forced humans to get creative with their food.
Where did it happen?
The Neolithic Revolution happened all over the world. Archaeologists believe people first learned to farm in the Fertile Crescent, but soon after agriculture was happening in Africa and Asia. It took longer for the Neolithic Revolution to reach Australia and the Americas. Archaeologists believe these places had more wild food available to the people who lived there, so there wasn’t the same pressure to find a new source of food.
Teaching about the Neolithic Revolution
The Neolithic Revolution was one of the most important turning points in human history. It radically changed how people lived. Your students need to know about it, but what is your plan for teaching them? If you don’t have a relevant textbook, you might be feeling a little lost. Don’t worry. I have your back! I have an entire unit on the Neolithic Revolution that you can use to teach, review, and assess the Neolithic Revolution with your students. You can save money and get the bundle, or just grab the pieces you need.
Learning about the Neolithic Revolution
Are you a student or parent of a student learning about the Neolithic Revolution? I got you covered too. Studying for a test can be so stressful. You spend hours looking over your notes and still don’t feel like you know the material. That’s because most people don’t know how to study. To learn something new, you have to practice remembering it over and over again. Rereading your notes or the textbook doesn’t force you to remember, so it won’t help you on a test. Instead, you need to quiz yourself. How do I do that? Easy! Use my flashcards or fill-in-the-blank worksheet! Both of these tools will help you remember what you learned about the Neolithic Revolution, so you can ace your test!
Are You Teaching Social Studies?
I am working on creating more social studies units so that every social studies teacher can get exactly what he or she needs for her students. You can also read about how I use brain science to teach other social studies topics on my blog. Click the pictures below to learn more.
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