World History
Unit 1 | Stone Age

From Paleolithic chipped stone tools to Neolithic farming villages, the artifacts early humans left behind reveal glimpses of human survival and creativity. Look inside to explore the Keystone Story Arcs, Key Knowledge, and lesson scope and sequence for Unit 1.

Page from an educational book about archaeology and early human artifacts, focusing on the concept of leaving things behind to reveal who we are, with text and headings discussing the stone age and artifacts.
Unit Plan

Arc 2 Lessons | When the World Changed

What can a Neolithic village reveal about a world transformed by farming? 

Lesson 10
Life Inside These Stone Walls

CLOSELY OBSERVE; ANALYZE USER
Step inside Skara Brae to uncover what Neolithic homes reveal about the people who built them. 

Ancient stone structures covered with green grass on top, built in a circular design, located near the ocean shoreline with waves in the background.

Lesson 11
Beyond the Village

Sunset over a landscape with five standing stones arranged in a row, green grass and distant hills under a colorful sky with pink and orange clouds.

PLACE IN CONTEXT
Zoom out to explore sacred spaces that show how Neolithic Orkney people lived, connected, and remembered. 

Lesson 12
Mapping a Turning Point

Map highlighting Saudi Arabia in green, with surrounding countries in gray.

PLACE IN CONTEXT
Travel to the Fertile Crescent to discover how geography influenced the spread of farming and reshaped human life. 

Lesson 13
Spreading the Seeds of Change

Map showing the expansion of farming in Western Eurasia from 9600 to 4000 BCE with colored regions and arrows indicating migration routes and time periods.

EVALUATE AGAINST OTHER SOURCES
Investigate three theories about how farming spread, then decide which one makes the most sense based on evidence. 

Lesson 14
Facts and Conjectures

A dry stone structure, possibly a fireplace or firepit, built with stacked flat stones in a circular shape with open compartments, located outdoors on a sandy surface with grass in the foreground and a body of water in the background.

EVALUATE AGAINST OTHER SOURCES
Every artifact tells a story, but not all stories are certain. Spot conjectures, analyze language, and think critically about what we know and what we’re still wondering.  

Lesson 15 (Question Design Lab)
Why Does Farming Matter?

Close-up of a golden wheat field with blue sky in the background.

SUMMARIZE SIGNIFICANCE
Synthesize thinking about the impact of the Neolithic Revolution and develop questions about it for the upcoming Socratic Seminar.

Lesson 16 (Assessment)
When the World Changed

Group of children sitting around a table in a classroom, engaged in a discussion during a Socratic seminar, with a blackboard behind them.

SUMMARIZE SIGNIFICANCE
Step into the discussion circle with your evidence as we wrestle with the big question: What changed during the Neolithic Revolution and what made that change a “revolution” for humans?

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