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World History Project - Origins to the Present

Course: World History Project - Origins to the Present > Unit 2

Lesson 4: Farmer Revolution | 2.3
Arts and humanities
World History Project - Origins to the Present
Era 2 - Early Humans (250,000 years BP to 3,000 BCE)
Farmer Revolution | 2.3
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BEFORE YOU WATCH: The Agricultural Revolution

Google Classroom
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below.
Use the “Three Close Reads” approach as you watch the video below (next in the lineup!). If you want to learn more about this strategy, click here.

First read: preview and skimming for gist

Before you watch, you should skim the transcript first. The skim should be very quick and give you the gist (general idea) of what the video is about. You should be looking at the title, thumbnails, pictures, and first few seconds of the video for the gist.

Second read: key ideas and understanding content

Now that you’ve skimmed the video transcript and taken a quick peek at the video, you should preview the questions you will be answering. These questions will help you get a better understanding of the concepts and arguments that are presented in the video. Keep in mind that when you watch the video, it is a good idea to write down any vocab you read or hear that is unfamiliar to you.
By the end of the second close read, you should be able to answer the following questions:
  1. Where geographically did early humans tend to settle and why? Can you think of an example of how this affects humans today?
  2. What evidence do we have that foragers “had it pretty good”?
  3. What are some advantages and disadvantages of agriculture? (Hint! You may want to make a T-chart here to list these as John Green will jump back and forth.)
  4. John Green tells you there is evidence that more than 13,000 years ago, humans in Southern Greece domesticated snails. What claim is this evidence meant to support?
  5. According to the video, what are some of the negative consequences of agriculture?

Third read: evaluating and corroborating

Finally, here are some questions that will help you focus on why this video matters and how it connects to other content you’ve studied.
At the end of the third read, you should be able to respond to these questions:
  1. Do you think that the Agricultural Revolution was a positive or negative change? Defend your claim with evidence from this video and from your own experience.
  2. Did this video change your understanding of the production and distribution frame?
Now that you know what to look for, it’s time to watch! Remember to return to these questions once you’ve finished watching.

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