Ancient Civilizations in the Americas

This week we will be studying early civilizations and how humans migrated onto the North American Continent.  This week your test will be on a little bit of geography and about some of the civilizations who lived in North America.

You will need to be able to label on a map:  the continents N. America, S. America, Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Antarctica

You will need to know (for this portion you will be able to use your social studies notebook)

The Bering Straight = a narrow passage of water connecting the Bering Sea to the Arctic Ocean

The Bering Land Bridge = A land bridge between Siberia and Alaska that was exposed during the most recent Ice Age when the  waters of the Bering Strait receded.

Ice Age  - The most recent glacial period, which occurred during the Pleistocene Epoch and ended about 10,000 years ago. During the Pleistocene Ice Age, great sheets of ice up to two miles thick covered most of Greenland, Canada, and the northern United States as well as northern Europe and Russia.

Early Farming began about 5,000 years ago.  Some of the earliest crops were:  corn, squash, avocado and beans.

this allowed humans to settle down and live in one place and establish permanent communities.

You will need to show on a map where the following civilizations were located.  And list a few facts about them. 

The Olmec (1500 BC in Southern Mexico)

The Mound Builders (1000 BC in the Ohio River Valley)

The  Anasazi  / Puebloans (100 BC in the South West of North America)

The Mayans (AD 300 in Southern Mexico)

The Incas (AD 1200s West Coast of South America)

Homework this week:

Monday and Tuesday:

Sketch out a map of North and South America and show where the Olmec, The mound builders, the Anasazi/Puebloans, and the Mayans, Aztecs and Incas lived.

List 3 facts for each civilization and draw something that is related to each.

Students recieved a handout to serve as a resource for the homework.

Wednesday:  Crossword Puzzle

Thursday: Study

Friday: Test