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Engage students in a hands-on simulation to explore the evolution and complexities of political systems before and after the advent of agriculture. Students will work in groups to solve problems faced by ancient city-states using limited resources and varying forms of governance.
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Do Now • Get out your notebooks • Turn to your page of notes on political systems from last Thursday.
Political Systems • What would be the political structure before agriculture? • Make a model with your table partners. • There are 27 people in your tribe, belonging to 11 basic families. The largest family has 6 people (2 adults, 3 adolescents, 1 child) • You live between hills and plains, hunting deer and eating nuts, berries, and mushrooms.
Political Systems • Before agriculture: • Simple • Temporary in nature • Reverence for age • Based upon families • No formal laws
Political Systems • Why do political systems become more complex and formal after agriculture? • More people—less familiarity. • More complex society requires more complex rules. • More problems (mo money)
Simulation • Each group will play a city-state in ancient Hesoloria. • You will be assigned a type of government • You will be coming up with solutions to problems.
Rules • For each problem, your group must come up with a solution in 5 -10 minutes. • You can’t borrow $ and you cannot spend more than you have. • But you can change one of your old solutions if a new problem makes you need more $.
Turn #1: NO RAIN • It’s the second bad farming year in a row. • No longer much food storage remaining. • The crops are dying, and the only way to save them is to build canals from the nearby river to get water to the farms in the city-state
Turn #2: Brigands • Because of the famine, criminals and mercenaries are wandering the lands, stealing and killing to keep themselves fed. • Many villages have turned to banditry and even some minor lords or officials have turned their soldiers on others to survive in this difficult time.
Turn #3: INVASION!! • A neighboring city-state has learned of the troubles in your city-state and have decided you are vulnerable. • They are marching on your city with an army of 5,000 soldiers and will be there in one month’s time.
Post-Simulation Reflection Questions: • What problems occurred in your discussions that you think were caused by the political system you had? • What problems occurred in your discussions that you think had to do with the limited amount of money your government had? • For which problem was it easy for your form of government to create and agree on a solution? Why? • For which problem was it difficult for your form of government to create and agree on a solution? Why? • Which form of government do you think would be the best for solving problems? Why?
Quick Reference • Presentation notes: is geo luck true? • Diffusion: is geo luck true? • Prompt:to what extent is geographic luck true? • Write a 2 paragraph essay, using evidence from your notes.