human progress lesson

Centers of Progress, Pt. 1: Jericho

Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture.

By Sean Kinnard

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Centers of Progress

14-part unit
  • A man, two women, and a little girl talking
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 37: Dubrovnik

    Dubrovnik is a beautiful walled city on the Dalmatian coast of Croatia, once home to one of the freest and most cosmopolitan societies in Europe and one of the first societies to implement comprehensive public health measures to contain disease.

  • Ships on the ocean coastline
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 36: Seville

    Today we know Seville as the sunny capital of the region of Andalusia, but during the century following the Iberian conquest of America, Seville was one of the most important cities in Europe.

  • Two men playing Mesoamerican Ball Game
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 6: Chichen Itza

    In this lesson, you will learn about Chichen Itza—a sprawling ruined city in the Yucatán Peninsula in modern Mexico—and the oldest continuously played ball sport in the world variously called Pok‐​A‐​Tok, Ulama, or simply, the Ball Game.

  • Two women purchasing fish from a man
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 16: Amsterdam

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about how a unique set of cultural values that emphasized openness and tolerance helped lead Amsterdam to the pinnacle of European commercial success during the Dutch Golden Age

  • Two women tending to crops
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 1: Jericho

    Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture.

  • A royal man and woman drinking in front of the Taj Mahal
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 35: Agra

    In this lesson, students will learn about the Mughal Empire and its rulers by exploring the theme of monumental architecture. They will also have the opportunity to research other “new wonders of the world” and examine their own beliefs about memorials in contemporary society.

  • Three intellects sitting in an office having a conversation
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 18: Edinburgh

    In this article, Chelsea Follett describes why the small university city of Edinburgh, Scotland, was such an important intellectual center in the Enlightenment.

  • Two men and a teenager looking over a newspaper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 15: Mainz

    In this lesson, students will learn about the city of Mainz, Germany and the man responsible for Europe’s rapid adoption of the printing press, Johannes Gutenberg.

  • Computer code overlapping people walking in the street
    Your Life in Numbers

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how these measures have changed during your lifetime and compare your results with people in other countries.

  • three women standing in a circle holding a long sheet of paper
    Centers of Progress, Pt. 10: Chang’an

    In this lesson, you’ll learn how the Silk Road greatly expanded the international flow of goods and ideas and how Chang’an both benefited from and contributed to that exchange.

  • An illustration of a woman working on a loom.
    Centers of Progress: Manchester

    In this lesson, you’ll learn about the city of Manchester, England, the first center of textile production in Great Britain as well as how industrialization there helped spark a revolution in living standards over the past 200 years.

  • Clock turning to dust in hand
    Your Life in Numbers: Student Work Document

    Interpret interactive, data‐​driven tools, and compare and contrast international results to make inferences and draw conclusions about changes and improvements over time in the quality of life: locally, regionally, and globally, and more.

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The invention of agriculture, often called the First Agricultural Revolution or the Neolithic Revolution, was a decisive turning point in our species’ history. It dramatically changed the way that we live. By producing a surplus of food that could be stored for difficult times ahead or traded for other goods, agriculture ultimately allowed for far greater prosperity than hunting and gathering ever could.

— Chelsea Follett

Why did our ancestors turn their backs on a nomadic way of life that was thousands of years old? Why did people begin to live in farming communities about 10,000 years ago? This article answers those questions by discussing the history of Jericho—the world’s oldest city and possibly the birthplace of agriculture. In the article, author Chelsea Follett writes about the domestication of plants in the Fertile Crescent and the momentous changes brought on by it. She writes, “The invention of agriculture, often called the First Agricultural Revolution or the Neolithic Revolution, was a decisive turning point in our species’ history. It dramatically changed the way that we live. By producing a surplus of food that could be stored for difficult times ahead or traded for other goods, agriculture ultimately allowed for far greater prosperity than hunting and gathering ever could.”

Warm‐​Up

  • What do you know about hunter‐​gatherers? Watch this National Geographic video featuring Jared Diamond. Then answer the following questions:
    • Until approximately what time period did all humans live as nomadic hunter‐​gatherers?
    • About how many years ago did people begin to domesticate wild plants?
    • According to Diamond, farmers have an advantage over nonfarmers because of their ability to produce food surpluses. What other factor cited by Diamond led to inequalities in standards of living between different groups of people?

  • How much do you know about peasant farmers? The first farmers, who lived 10,000 years ago in the Middle East, had a marginally better material existence than their nomadic ancestors. Contemporary peasant farmers have a much lower standard of living than most people enjoy in the industrialized countries.
    Learn about the Kabore family from Burkina Faso on the site Dollar Street. Then answer the following questions:
    • How many family members live in this household?
    • What is the occupation of the parents?
    • How does the family get water?
    • Where do they store their grain?
    • What type of fruit do they grow?
    • What is their most valuable item?

Questions for Reading, Writing, and Discussion

Read the article, then answer the following questions:

  • Why was the First Agricultural Revolution (Neolithic Revolution) such an important turning point for humankind?
  • Describe the lifestyle of the Natufians. What were their main food sources and how did they obtain them? What tools did they use? How did they carry their supplies?
  • Why did the Natufians originally decide to settle at the Jericho site? What attracted them to that spot?
  • What climatic factor may have influenced the Natufians’ decision to stop their nomadic wanderings?
  • When and where did people first start to practice agriculture? Why do you think human beings began to farm
  • Which two products did the first farmers make from cultivated cereals?
  • What evidence exists of specialization in early Jericho society?
  • How did human social structures change during the transition from a hunter‐​gatherer lifestyle to one of settled agricultural communities?
  • What is the relationship between egalitarianism and a hunter‐​gatherer society?
  • What is the relationship between hierarchy and a sedentary agricultural society?
  • According to the penultimate paragraph, what is the main payoff of an agricultural way of life?
  • Trace cause and effect by completing the chart:
Cause Effect
Natufians intentionally planted seeds
Natufians selectively bred cereal plants
Natufians made bread and beer from cultivated cereals
Jerichoans cultivated enough food to survive
Jerichoans maintained a surplus of grain
Specialization and hierarchy emerged in Jericho

Extension Activity/​Homework

  • Conduct a Socratic seminar, panel discussion, or class debate
    Have students hold a Socratic seminar, panel discussion, or class debate on this topic:

    The benefits of abandoning the nomadic way of life for a settled, agricultural society far outweighed the costs.

    In making their arguments, students should use specific evidence from the article as well as their own historical background knowledge.
  • Investigate Jericho
    Many Learn more about Jericho by watching this documentary. After watching, write a one‐​page essay answering this question:

    Why is Jericho considered one of the birthplaces of civilization?

    Write a short introduction providing context, a thesis, and at least three specific pieces of evidence from the documentary to back up your claim.