Neolithic Age
Examine how life changed and evolved with the discovery of farming.
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About
About
The word “Neolithic” comes from the Greek roots “neo,” which means new, and “lithos,” which means stone. The Neolithic, or New Stone, Age followed the Paleolithic, or Old Stone, Age. This was a period of time about twelve-thousand years ago. During this time, there is evidence that people started to farm instead of hunting and gathering their food. This meant they could settle in one location and not have to move around as much. Soon, communities began to form.
Essential Questions
Essential Questions
What important events happened during the Neolithic Age?
What was life like for people during this time period?
In what ways did the advancements of the Neolithic Age create lasting change in the world?
Choose a Focus
Choose a Focus
Use the Suggested Activity to learn about your chosen focus in a fun way. Or visit the Activity Library to pick another interactive activity.
Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Use the Suggested Activity to learn about your chosen focus in a fun way. Or visit the Activity Library to pick another interactive activity.
Note: Britannica School, BrainPOP, and Kids Discover are provided by Prenda. Make sure you are logged in via Clever.
Early Humans ⚒️
Early Humans ⚒️
The earliest humans had one big task: to learn how to survive. This meant figuring out how to build fires, create shelters, and design tools to help them hunt and work. These early Changemakers paved the way for everyone who came after them.
Essential questions:
How did early humans live?
What challenges did they face?
What discoveries and changes helped them live better and longer lives?
Suggested Activity: Act It Out
The Discovery of Farming 🕰
The Discovery of Farming 🕰
Before farming, people had to move constantly to find food. Then, using seeds from wild grains, they discovered that they could actually grow their own food. This discovery dramatically changed how people lived.
Essential questions:
How did the ability to farm change people’s way of life?
What things did people try to grow first?
What were the benefits and challenges of early farming?
Suggested Activity: Be The Teacher
Domestication of Animals 🕰
Domestication of Animals 🕰
To domesticate an animal means to tame it. Early humans began domesticating animals to use for many purposes, mostly to make life easier.
Essential questions:
When were animals first domesticated?
How did humans first begin teaching wild animals to do what they wanted them to do?
What were some of the ways that domesticated animals were useful to early humans?
Suggested Activity: A Different Point of View
Çatalhöyük 🚀
Çatalhöyük 🚀
This archaeological site in southern Turkey existed over 7000 years ago. From excavations, historians have learned some interesting things about this early civilization.
Essential questions:
What was life like at Çatalhöyük?
Why is this an important discovery?
Suggested Activity: A Different Point of View
Thematic Connections 🚀
Thematic Connections 🚀
Select a topic and examine it through the theme lens: Envisioning Change.
Select a topic and examine it through the theme lens: Envisioning Change.
The people who lived in Catal Huyuk had a vision for how they could make life easier by farming their food and creating a uniquely structured town.
Curricular Connections
Curricular Connections
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Continue your learning by choosing one of these related activities.
Related Social Studies Topics
Timeline Challenge
Start a class timeline (or add to an existing timeline) showing important events from the Neolithic Age.
Socratic Discussion
Discuss: Would a town designed like Çatalhöyük make sense today?
Create
Find Historical Turning Points (in Prenda World)
Construct Petroglyphs (in Prenda World)
Design a Time Travel Costume (in Prenda World)
Design a Water Wheel (in Prenda World)
(Not sure what to do? Create a mural about your typical school day in the style of a cave painting!)
STEM
Just for fun
Image Attributions
Early Humans: DaBler, Public domain, via Wikimedia CommonsNeolithic Age banner: Pline, CC BY-SA 3.0 <http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/>, via Wikimedia CommonsThe Discovery of Farming: Jacques DASSIÉ, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia CommonsDomestication of Animals: Internet Archive Book Images, No restrictions, via Wikimedia CommonsÇatalhöyük: Murat Özsoy 1958, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
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