Essay Questions

1. In the following paragraph or so, I will be discussing the changes that occurred in people's lives when they learned to farm and domesticate animals. One major change was that they could settle down in one place, they didn't have to follow migrating animals. They also learned how to grow food, instead of gathering it in the wild. And whne they still hunted, the newly domesticated dog proved a great help in hunting small animals. By growing their own food, they could get more than they would have been able to gather from the wild, thus having a more steady food supply. As you can see, the beginning of agriculture and domestication of animals brought great changes to people's lives.

2. In this paragraph I will explain why the early development of agriculture can be called a revolution. When most people hear the word revolution, they think of the American Revolution, or the overthrowing of a government. But in this case, it refers not to the overthrowing of a government, but a great change in people's lives. In the Neolithic Revolution, the change was from food gathering to food producing. Since they grew their own food, they didn't have to rely on nature quite so much for food (except, of course, for rain, sunshine, etc.). Anyway, you should now understand why the development of agriculture can be called a revolution.

3. The following paragraph will summarize the progress made by early humans during the Old Stone Age. One of the accomplishments was the ability to make tools. Communications and cooperation were also examples of progress. Humans were able to hunt larger animals as a result of this. The ability to use fire was another accomplishment. And taking care of the sick was another example of progress. In conclusion, you can see that much progress was made by early humans in the Old Stone Age.

4. In the following paragraph, I will explain how the Ice Age affected early human lives. Many humans had to migrate south to warmer reasons for more than one reason. One was that it was just too cold for them. Another was that the animals they hunted migrated. If their food moved, they had to follow it. Another way it affected them was that with lower sea levels, underwater ridges were uncovered and land bridges were formed. Many people moved to previously unsettled land. Now you can see how the Ice Age affected the lives of early humans.