Lesson Purpose
For most of the Agrarian era, the world was divided into four separate and distinct world zones. Over time, these zones slowly became more connected as networks of communication and exchange expanded. While innovations did occur throughout this era, such as irrigation, iron plows, and fast-ripening rice, none of these innovations was able to sustain long-term population growth, which limited expansion. Each innovation led to immediate growth, but once populations had grown beyond a certain point, they fell. These cycles of rise and fall in population, called Malthusian cycles, characterised the Agrarian era. Humans would not break out of these cycles until the world zones became more connected and rates of innovation were capable of sustaining growth over much longer periods of time.
The outcomes of this lesson are: 1.) To analyse what propelled the expansion and interconnection of agrarian civilisations.
The outcomes of this lesson are: 1.) To analyse what propelled the expansion and interconnection of agrarian civilisations.
Activity 1 - What Caused Expansion?
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Activity Objectives
It’s important for you to learn the reasons behind the expansion of civilizations. This activity is a great way for you to begin to think about the pros and cons associated with the development of agrarian civilizations. Activity Tasks
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Activity 2 - Why did Civilisation Expand?
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One result of conquest by agrarian civilizations was access to greater amounts of the resources needed for a civilization to operate. This solved one problem that leaders of agrarian civilizations faced, but it also created others. Armies are expensive, and the need to pay, equip, and feed soldiers increased the expenses of agrarian civilizations. Some of the innovations created to support the military, like roads and iron technology, could be used for peaceful purposes as well, and these innovations contributed to greater interconnectivity and collective learning.
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Activity Objectives
This video builds upon the opening activity for this lesson and delves deeper into how and why civilizations expanded. Activity Tasks
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Activity 3 - The Modern Revolution: Crash Course
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Activity Objectives
Crash Course Big History Episode #8. This video will introduce you to the concept of modernity and prepare you for thinking about how innovation has accelerated due to the interconnection of the world zones and an increase in collective learning. Activity Tasks
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It’s mind-boggling how quickly change has accelerated from 1492 to the present, or even from 1900 to the present. The Greens point out how our population has soared and technology is advancing at an astronomical rate. However, if we continue at this rate what does this mean for the future?
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Activity 4 - "The Four World Zones"
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Activity Objectives
Why was one world zone able to dominate the others for such an extended period of time? This article gives you some interesting explanations for what happened after the four world zones became connected as a result of Afro-Eurasian expansion. Activity Tasks
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Activity 5 - The Driving Question Notebook
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Activity Objectives
Answering the driving question in this lesson will help you begin to think about how expansion led to interconnection. You will also brainstorm the positive and negative aspects of interconnecting the world zones, which is explored more thoroughly in the later lessons. Activity Tasks
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Challenge Yourself! - Optional Activities
1. Despite a mustachioed, blood-thirsty reputation, the Mongols made significant contributions to thirteenth- and fourteenth-century Eurasian culture and civilization.
2. Beringia is the name for the region that once contained an ancient land bridge that connected Asia to the Americas, over which humans migrated about 20,000 years ago.
2. Beringia is the name for the region that once contained an ancient land bridge that connected Asia to the Americas, over which humans migrated about 20,000 years ago.