Geography
and History
Chapter 1,
Section 1
Objectives
Vocabulary
history:
n. written and other
recorded events of people
prehistory:
n. time before writing
was invented
archeologist:
n. a scientist who
examines objects to learn
about the human past
oral
traditions: n. stories
passed down by
word of mouth
geography:
n. the study of
Earth's surface and
the processes that
shape it
Two
hikers found a man on a
mountain pass in the Alps on the
Italian-Austrian border.
Scientists
He
call him the Iceman.
was taken to a laboratory
for scientists to study.
Scientists
guessed that the Iceman
lived 5000 years ago in 3000 BC.
Scientists
believe he came
from a society skilled in sewing
because of his finely stitched
animal skins.
The
most important clue about
the Iceman is his axe.
His
axe left no doubt that he lived
after people had learned to use
copper.
Copper
was the first metal used
by Europeans.
The
story of the Iceman helps us
understand our past.
Understanding History
The
scientists curiosity about the
Iceman’s life was natural.
As
humans we are curious about
our backgrounds.
Before and After Writing
People
in Africa and southwest
Asia began to keep written
records of their lives about 5,000
years ago, after developing
systems of writing.
This
was the beginning of history
and the time before writing is
called prehistory.
Prehistory: Digging Up the
Past
Scientists
rely on clues to learn
about life in prehistoric times.
Archeologists
sift through camps
to find bones, tools, and other
objects.
Large spear points tell
archeologists that they hunted
bears.
Small spear points were for
birds and small animals.
History: A Record in Writing
Historians
use information from
archeologists as well as written
records of human life and
accomplishments to understand a
society; their wars, religions, and
rulers.
They
also use information provided
by other groups about that society.
A Record of the Spoken Word
The
written records that were
studied by historians were often
started as oral traditions.
Oral
traditions are stories passed
down by word of mouth.
Families
sometimes include oral
traditions of their grandparent’s
history.
They
also tell stories about events
and/or heroes from the past.
Oral
story telling is a good
way to learn about a
society even though it may
not be completely true and
the story might change
over the years.
Reading Check page 8
Why
are historians
interested in oral traditions?
Oral
traditions can
provide information about
a society's way of life.
Linking
Geography and History
Geography
is the story of Earth’s
surface and the processes that
shape it.
When historians need to know
when events took place, they
often turn to geography.
Geography
also includes features,
climate, landscape, and location.
Knowing
the connection between
geography and history is often the
key to understanding why events
happened.
The
weather patterns, the water
supply, and the landscape of a
place all affect the lives of the
people who live there.
The
Egyptian civilization was built
on the banks of the Nile River.
They
had good farming because
the Nile flooded.
Some
people were farmers and
other people did other jobs.
Reading Check page 9
Give one example of geography's
effect on history.
The rich soil of the Nile River
allowed Egyptians to build a
great civilization.
Section 1 Assessment
1. (a) What do scientist study to learn
about prehistory?
They study the remains of, and
objects that belonged to ancient
people.
(b) What do we know about
societies that leave behind written
records?
We know about their history,
including their wars, religion,
and rulers.
(c) Analyze the clothes you wear and the
things you carry to school.
What do they say about your life?
These items tell about students'
interests, the kinds of things that they
do during the day, and even the
climate in which they live.
How does your story compare to the
iceman's story?
The Iceman's clothing would reveal
similar information about his life.
2. (a) Name some examples of
familiar geographic features.
Climate- weather patterns
Landscape- mountains, water
supply
Location
(b) How can geography help us to
understand history?
Studying geography can
help clarify why historical
events happened the way
they did.
(c) What effect has geography had
on the way people in your
community live?
Limits
where we can build
Conveniences
everywhere
Activities
boating
- have to drive
- play sports, fish,