6th GradeChapter 2 Lesson 3 Practicing Citizenship

Our system of government needs active systems who understand their rights and responsibilities

● US Constitution is the highest law in the US● US has a REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT - this means that citizens vote for officials who serve the will of the people & the government must act in the people’s best interest and to protect their rights

● FEDERAL SYSTEM - created by the US Constitution, it creates a central government known as a federal government as the highest authority, however it also shares some powers with the state governments.

Federal Government System

● The federal government is split into 3 equal parts called BRANCHES.

● Each branch has its own specific powers so that no one branch could become too powerful

● Each branch of government limits the power of the other branches

● SEPARATION OF POWERS - the division of power among the branches of government

● CHECKS AND BALANCES - system in which each branch of government limits the power of another branch

ThreeBranches ofGovernment

1. Legislative Branch - known as the US Congress (Senate & House of Representatives); they pass laws for the whole country (Creates Laws)

2. Executive Branch - includes the office of the US President and other members of the executive branch ensure the nation’s laws are carried out. (Enforces Laws)

3. Judicial Branch - includes the US Supreme Court and various lesser courts. The judges in the judicial branch uses the US Constitution to interpret the laws and can strike down laws that violate the Constitution. (Interprets the Laws)

What is Citizenship?

● The US system of government provides its citizens with many freedoms, however it also requires its citizens to carry out certain duties & responsibilities.

● The idea of civic participation comes from ancient Greece and Rome

Rights of Citizenship

All Americans have the right to:

● Seek life, liberty and happiness● Freedom of expression to speak and

write openly● Attend peaceful gatherings● Petition the government to address their

needs● Worship as they choose● Have a fair trial by a jury of their peers● Vote for public officials to choose their

leaders● Serve in public office to represent their

fellow citizens in government

Duties ofCitizenship

By law, citizens must carry out some duties such as:

● Obeying all federal, state and local laws● Pay taxes to federal, state and local

governments to provide services from the government to the American people

● Serve on a jury if asked by the government

● Defend the US and the Constitution

Responsibilities of Citizenship

Citizens also have some responsibilities

● Stay informed about issues to make wise choices when voting

● Voting in federal, state and local elections

● Respect the rights and view of other people

● Take part in their local community to work with each other to make neighborhoods and cities better places to live

Being a Global Citizen

● Being a global citizen means learning about the different issues that affect the world as a whole and taking care of the environment

● It means understanding how people live in other countries - once we understand another’s way of life, we can work together more easily to solve big problems

● It means thinking about how you can make the world a better place by your actions; staying informed and respecting view of others to help all Americans and the rest of the world

6th GradeChapter 3Lessons 1& 2 Paleolitic, Neolithic & Ice Ages

Paleolithic Age

● In Greek, Paleolithic means “old stone” so it is also called the Old Stone Age

● Paleolithic Age began about 2.5 million years ago and lasted until 8000 BC before there were any roads, farms or villages

● People were NOMADS -- they were people who moved around in search for food regularly moving from place to place to survive

● They traveled in groups or bands of about 20 -30 members as hunter-gatherers - search for food was their main activity

● They hunted buffalo, bison, wild goats, reindeer, fished and gathered wild nuts, berries, fruits, wild grains and green plants

Finding Food During the Paleolithic Age

● Men & women performed different tasks within their groups.○ Men hunted large animals and often

had to search far from camp using learned methods of tracking. Men used clubs or drove animals off cliffs to kill them and later developed tools, weapons, traps and spears to help them hunt

○ Women stayed close to camp near a source of water. They took care of children and searched for berries, nuts and grains

● Everyone worked to find food because it was the key to the group’s survival

Invention of Tools

TECHNOLOGY - included the tools and methods the Paleolithic people used to perform tasks

● Flint - the discovered that by hitting flint with another hard stone, the flint would flake into pieces. These pieces had very sharp edges that could be used for cutting. Flint technology was a major breakthrough for early people

● Hand axes were large pieces of flint tied to wooden poles

Invention of Tools

● Spears and bows and arrows made killing large animals easier

● Harpoons which were spears with sharp points and fishhooks increased the number of fish caught

● Needles were crafted from animal bones to make nets and baskets and to sew hides together for clothing

Changing to Survive

● Climate affected how Paleolithic people lived

● People gradually learned how to make their own shelters from tents and huts of animal skins, brush and wood

● In cold climates they made shelters from ice and snow

● In warmer climates they lived in caves and huts to provide protection from attacks by large animals

Fire Sparks Changes

● The discovery of fire made life less difficult for Paleolithic people

● Fire provided warmth in cold caves, provided light when it was dark and could be used to scare away wild animals

● People eventually gathered around fires to share stories and to cook

● They discovered cooked food tasted better, was easier to chew and digest and cooked meat could be stored

● It is believed they made first by friction from rubbing two pieces of wood together

● They eventually created tools to start fires and discovered iron pyrite stone that gave off sparks when struck against another rock

Language and Art● During the Paleolithic Age was the

development of spoken language● Ancient people started to express

themselves in words to use language to communicate information and emotions

● Early people also expressed themselves through art that can still be seen today on the walls of caves

The Ice Ages

● The Ice Ages were a major environmental disturbance that brought changes that threatened the survival of humans

● The Ice Ages were long periods of extreme cold that affected all of the Earth

● Thick sheets of ice (glaciers) moved across large parts of Europe, Asia and North America

● As the glaciers grew larger, the water level of the oceans was lowered

● The low sea level exposed a dry land strip connecting the continents of Asia and North America known as a land bridge that allowed people to travel from Asia into North America and settle into different regions

How Did the Ice Ages Affect Humans

● Ice Age conditions made a grave threat to human life

● To survive the cold temperatures, humans had to adapt and change many areas of their lives

● They added to their meals more fat to protect themselves from the harsh environment

● They also built sturdier shelters and made warmer clothes using animal furs

● They used fire to help them stay warm● The Ice AGe lasted about 90,000 years

ending about 9,000 to 8,000 BC

Neolithic Times

● As the Ice Age ended, Earth’s temperatures rose and the climate warmed. The nomads moved into areas with a mild climate and fertile land

● For the first time people began staying in one place to grow grains and vegetables

● Gradually, farming replaced hunting and gathering as the main source of food

● People began to DOMESTICATE - tame animals for human use

● Animals would transport goods and provide meat, milk and wool

Neolithic Age● The change in way people lived marked

the beginning of the Neolithic Age which meant the last period of the Stone Age

● The world Neolithic is Greek for “New Stone”

● It lasted from about 8000 BD to about 4000 BC which was about 4000 years.

● The real change in the Neolithic Age was the shift from hunting and gathering to SYSTEMATIC AGRICULTURE - the organized growing of food on a regular schedule which means growing food on a regular basis

Big Changes for Humankind

● Historians called settled farming during the Neolithic Age the AGRICULTURAL REVOLUTION

● The world revolution refers to any change that has an enormous effect on people’s way of life

● Humans lived differently once they learned how to grow crops and tame animals that produced food - they could now produce a constant supply of food which allowed the population to grow at a faster rate

● Nomads began living in settled communities

Life in the Neolithic Age

● During the Neolithic Age, people settled in villages where they built permanent homes

● They located villages near field so people could plant, grow and harvest their crops more easily

● People settled near water sources, especially rivers

● Settled live provided greater security from weather and wild animals

● Steady food supplies created healthier growing populations - as the population increased, more workers were available and they could grow more crops

● Villages produced more than they could eat so hey began to trade their food for supplies they could not produce themselves

The End of the Neolithic Age

● Toolmakers created better farming tools as the need arose○ Hoes for digging soil○ Sickles for cutting grain○ Millstones for grinding flour○ Made copper into tools & weapons○ Mixing copper & tin to form bronze

which was stronger than copper

This period became known as the BRONZE AGE- which was the period in ancient human culture when people began to make and use bronze - However - few people could afford bronze and continued to use tools and weapons made of stone

Civilizations Emerge

● By the beginning of the Bronze Age, communities were widespread

● More complex cultures called civilizations began to develop

● There were 4 great river valley civilizations around 3000 BC with similar characteristics ○ Mesopotamia○ Egypt○ India○ China

Cities and Government

● One characteristic of early civilizations was they they developed cities and formed governments

● These first civilizations developed in river valleys where fertile land made it easy to grow crops and feed large numbers of people

● The rivers provided fish and water and encouraged trade which allowed the exchange of goods and ideas

● People formed governments to protect themselves and their food supplies

● Early civilizations were MONARCHIES - this was a type of government led by a king or queen

MonarchyMONARCHY - a government whose ruler, a king or queen, inherits the position from a parent

● Monarchs created armies to defend against enemies and made laws to keep order

● They also appointed government officials who managed food supplies and building projects

Religion● Religions emerged in the new

civilizations to help people explain their lives

● Religion helped people to explain the forces of nature and the role of humans in the world

● Early people believed that gods were responsible for a community’s survival

● Priests performed religious ceremonies to try to win the support of the gods

● Rulers claimed that their own power was based on the approval of the gods

Social Structure

● People in society were organized into groups

● Groups were defined by the type of work people did and the amount of wealth or power they had

● Generally, rulers, priests, government officials and warriors made up the highest social class

● They set the rules and made important decisions

● Below this class was the large group of people including farmers, artisans and craftspeople

● At the bottom of the class structure were enslaved people, most of whom were captured from enemies during war

Writing and Art

● To pass on information, people invented ways of writing

● The early systems used symbols in place of letters or words

● Writing became an important feature for these new civilizations

● People used writing to keep accurate records to preserve stories

● Civilizations used art for enjoyment and practical purposes

● Artists created paintings and sculptures portraying gods and forces of nature

● People designed massive buildings that served as places of worship or burial tombs for kings