6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Graphic Organizer
Cultural
Adaptation
How have
people
adapted to
the varied
environments
of Earth?
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Which
environments
have posed
the most
challenges to
people?
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Big Idea Card
Big Ideas of the Lesson 4, Unit 4
• From earliest times cultures have found ways to adapt to their natural
environments.
• Adaptation has allowed humans to survive in almost any environment on
Earth.
• Adaptations can be seen in housing, clothing, and food as well as other
cultural components.
• Nomadic herders in Mongolia have found many ways to adapt to the
challenging geography of the country.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Word Cards
13
cultural adaptation
patterns of behavior that
enable a culture to cope
with its surroundings or when an
individual modifies his/her customs to fit
in to a particular culture
Example: Cultural adaptation is reflected in
the types of housing people use because of
their surroundings or when individuals change
their clothing to fit in with a different culture.
14
cultural
ecology
the study of
a culture’s
interactions
with its physical environment
Example: The geographic theme of
human/environment interaction focuses on
cultural ecology.
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15
steppe
16
arable land
a dry, grass-covered
plain
land suited to agriculture
Example: The steppe of Mongolia offers
people both challenges and opportunities.
Example: There is very little arable land in
Mongolia.
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17
continental climate
18
nomadic
a climate with hot
summers and cold
winters, found only in the
Northern Hemisphere
people who move from
one place to another
rather than settling permanently in one
location
Example: Both Michigan and Mongolia have
a continental climate.
Example: About half of the people in
Mongolia are nomadic.
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Culture: the Engine of Human Adaptation
In 1845, Sir John Franklin, a Fellow of the Royal Society and experienced Arctic traveler, set out
with a large, well-equipped expedition to find the Northwest Passage. His ship was ice-bound
through two winters, and the entire crew of 129 perished, mainly from starvation and scurvy. Yet
the rich animal resources of the region where these men died have allowed the Central Inuit to
survive and raise their children for at least 700 years. Why couldn’t the British find enough food?
Modern technology allows us to dominate the world like no other species in the history of life. In
the Pleistocene, our hunter-gatherer ancestors did the same—long before farming, cities, or the
industrial revolution. Modern humans emerged from Africa about 50,000 years ago and soon
occupied almost every terrestrial habitat, from extreme desert to tropical rain forest to arctic tundra.
Of course there are species adapted to each of these environments: desert rodents conserve
water so well that they never need to drink; forest primates swing through the canopy never
coming to ground, and arctic musk ox have hair and fat deposits that allow them to survive winter
above the Arctic Circle. What makes humans unique in the natural world is that they live in all of
these environments.
Humans can rapidly adapt to a much wider range of circumstances than any other creature. Two
million years ago, our ancestors were a fairly typical ape species limited to a small part of Africa.
Now we are the world’s champion adapters. What explains this change?
You’re probably thinking, that’s easy—humans evolved big brains and got a lot smarter. We can
adapt to such a wide range of environments because we use these smarts to solve the problems
of each one. We invent tools, clothing, and shelter. Other animals can’t do this because they aren’t
as clever as we are. People are indeed smarter than the average bear (or primate), but we are not
nearly smart enough individually to solve the number of problems that we need to solve.
Instead I believe that culture is the key. Humans are much better at learning from each other than
any other animal. This ability allows human populations to gradually accumulate knowledge over
generations that no individual human could invent alone. Such cultural adaptation may be slow
when measured in human lifetimes, but it is blindingly fast compared to genetic adaptation. The
British explorers starved not because they lacked intelligence but because they did not have the
necessary local knowledge and two years was not enough time to acquire it.
The people who left the Horn of Africa 50,000 years ago were tropical foragers. Twenty thousand
years later, their descendants were living on the shores of the Arctic Ocean. To get a feeling for
how much knowledge was required to make this transition, let’s take a look at a people who lived
in a similar environment, Central Inuit of the Canadian Arctic.
These foragers depended utterly on a toolkit crammed with complex, highly refined tools. Winter
temperatures average about −25° C, so survival required warm clothes. In the winter, the Central
Inuit wore beautifully designed clothing. Making clothing from caribou skins requires a host of
complex skills⎯hides must be cured, thread and needles made and clothing designed, cut, and
stitched. Even the best clothing is not enough during winter storms; shelter is mandatory. The
Central Inuit made snow houses so well designed that interior temperatures were about 10° C. No
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
wood was available, so they lit and heated houses, cooked food, and melted ice for water using
carved soapstone lamps fueled with rendered seal fat.
During the winter, the Central Inuit hunted seals, mainly by ambushing them at their breathing
holes using multi-piece toggle harpoons. During the summer, the Inuit used a clever three-pronged
spear with a sharp central spike and two hinged, backward-facing points, to harvest Arctic char
caught in stone weirs. They also hunted seals and walrus in open water from kayaks. Later in
summer and the fall, they shifted to caribou hunting, using sophisticated recurved, composite
bows.
Inventing a kayak or acquiring an Inuit’s knowledge of seal behavior are hard problems, beyond
the capacity of any individual. Inventing the whole package is impossible. Culture allows
populations to acquire adaptations beyond the ken of individuals. It is what has allowed the Inuit to
survive in sub-zero temperatures and other humans to survive in blistering heat.
Adapted from: Culture: the Engine of Human Adaptation. 4 January 2013 <http://www.beinghuman.org/article/cultureengine-human-adaptation>.
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Identifying Main Idea Strategy Sheet
Skill: Identifying the Main idea
Strategy: Three Brains are Better than One
The Problem:
Sometimes there are so many details in a piece of social studies text it’s hard to figure out the main
idea. How do you find main ideas when they seem to be hidden in a lot of supporting information?
The Strategy
One strategy for identifying what a passage is really about is to read the text with other people and
work together to determine the main ideas. This strategy requires you to think deeply about the
text, to say what you think about it, and to listen to other’s ideas.
The Process
1. Read the text selection out loud with two other people.
2. Have each person make a very brief comment about the entire passage.
3. After everyone has had a turn to comment, each group member should work independently
to do the following two things:
a. Underline one or two sentences in the passage that he/she felt were most significant.
b. Explain why he/she chose this part of the passage in the space provided below.
4. When everyone is finished with the individual task, each person should take a turn
explaining what they underlined and why.
5. Finally, group members should synthesize everyone’s ideas and come up with the main
idea of the passage and write it in the space provided below.
I chose these sentences because….
We’ve decided that the main idea of this text is…..
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6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
The Geography of Mongolia
Mongolia is about twice the size of Texas, or just a little larger than Alaska. The country is
mountainous with an average altitude of 1,580 meters above sea level. The principal mountains
are concentrated in the west, with much of this region having elevations above 2,000 meters and
the country's highest peaks permanently snow-capped land covered with glaciers.
Mongolia is dry, as nearly 90% of the land is steppe, either pasture or desert. It includes part of
the Gobi Desert which extends from China into southern Mongolia. This desert is mostly rock or
gravel with only 5% sandy dunes. Only 1% of Mongolia’s land is arable, or suited for agriculture.
There are limited natural fresh water resources in some areas.
Mongolia has a continental climate with severe variations in temperature between the seasons.
Winter averages -40 degrees Fahrenheit while summer gets to 113 degrees Fahrenheit. Powerful
winds are common in the country.
Natural hazards include dust storms, grassland and forest fires, drought, and ‘zud’, which refers to
harsh winter conditions.
Source: Topographical Map of Mongolia. 14 January 2013 <http://www.photius.com/images/mn02_01a.jpg>.
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Nomadic Herders of Mongolia
Mongolian pastoral herders make up one of the world’s last remaining nomadic cultures. For
millennia they have lived on the steppes, grazing their livestock on the lush grasslands. Nomadic
life is the way of life for about half of Mongolia’s population. There the country is one of the last in
the world today with such a high proportion of nomadic citizens.
Because of the climate, lack of arable land and a short growing season, animal husbandry defines
the nomadic culture. People raise five types of animals: goats, sheep, cattle (including yaks),
camels, and horses. These provide meat, dairy products, transportation, and wool. Families follow
a seasonal routine, moving the herds to new grazing land based on the time of year.
As one of the only remaining horse-based cultures left in the world, Mongolians cherish their
horses. Outside the capital, the horse is still the main mode of transportation and children begin
riding as soon as they can sit up.
Directions: Think about the cultural clues you have investigated. Describe how each of the
following is a cultural adaptation to the geography of Mongolia.
Cultural Clue
How is this an example of cultural adaptation to the geography of
Mongolia?
The shape of the
Ger
The portability of
the Ger
Food focusing on
meat and dairy
products
A taboo against
harming the
environment
Folktales that often
feature animals like
horses and camels
The common
practice of wearing
hats
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Nomadic Herders of Mongolia – Sample Answers
Mongolian pastoral herders make up one of the world’s last remaining nomadic cultures. For
millennia they have lived on the steppes, grazing their livestock on the lush grasslands. Nomadic
life is the way of life for about half of Mongolia’s population. There the country is one of the last in
the world today with such a high proportion of nomadic citizens.
Because of the climate, lack of arable land and a short growing season, animal husbandry defines
the nomadic culture. People raise five types of animals: goats, sheep, cattle (including yaks),
camels, and horses. These provide meat, dairy products, transportation, and wool. Families follow
a seasonal routine, moving the herds to new grazing land based on the time of year.
As one of the only remaining horse-based cultures left in the world, Mongolians cherish their
horses. Outside the capital, the horse is still the main mode of transportation and children begin
riding as soon as they can sit up.
Directions: Think about the cultural clues you have investigated. Describe how each of the
following is a cultural adaptation to the geography of Mongolia.
Cultural Clue
How is each an example of cultural adaptation to the geography of
Mongolia?
The shape and
style of the Ger
The roundness makes it wind resistant. The materials make it cool in
summer and warm in winter.
The portability of
the Ger
Because of the geography people have to move with their herds, so it is
important to have a house that is easy to take down and put up.
Food focusing on
meat and dairy
products
Because of the lack of fertile farm land people are dependent on their
animals for food.
A taboo against
harming the
environment
Nomadic herders are very dependent on their environment for survival.
Folktales that often
feature animals like
horses and camels
The geography makes the raising of animals the best choice for a family
so animals are very important.
The common
practice of wearing
hats
The area is often windy and cold.
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March 19, 2013
6th Grade Social Studies: World Geography and Global Issues
Unit 4: Culture
SS060403
Lesson 3
Research Project
Environment researched: ______________________________________________________________
Group Members:_____________________________________________________________________
Challenge
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Example of Adaptation
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March 19, 2013