1

Name: _______________________________ Date: ___________________

Essential World History I UNIT 1: An Introduction to World History

Ch.2 – The Prehistoric Period

EXTRA CREDIT – Assignment 3

Document-Based Questions - Read the documents, answer the questions below each, and complete the task that follows Document Four. Historical context statement: Prehistoric presapiens and humans underwent a series of physical and economic changes.

Document One

1. According to the timeline, how long did the Old Stone Age (or Paleolithic) last?

2. What development triggered the opening of the New Stone Age?

3. In 6000 B.C., what improvement did Neolithic farmers introduce?

Document Two

Source: http://condor.depaul.edu/~sbucking/extra/comprye.htm

1. How were the seeds of domesticated rye plants growing in the Middle East different from the grains farmed during the Neolithic?

2. Why would farmers have preferred their domesticated rye over the wild variety?

2

3. Make an educated guess about how the shape of the grain changed.

Document Three

1. This image reflects one of the three developments listed in Document One. Identify the development.

2. What was the purpose of this technology?

3. Why would this device not be needed during the Paleolithic?

3

Document Four

1. Identify two sources of food appearing in the picture.

2. What type of labor did Neolithic people engage in?

3. Describe the homes and tools appearing in the image.

Task: Write a fully developed paragraph that identifies and discusses the significance of changes relating to human life that occurred from 500,000 B.C. through the invention of writing in 5000 B.C. You should draw upon information from the documents, conclusions you can make after thinking about the documents, and facts from the chapter. When you are discussing a document, be sure to name it.