Rise of Civilization Survival Simulation - Paleolithic to Neolithic Revolution

History comes to life in this engaging, interactive simulation where students compete against other groups in a "Survivor-style" activity to develop the largest, most successful civilization. Students complete a variety of activities to experience life in the Paleolithic Age as well as the agricultural revolution that led to the Neolithic Age. They complete individual challenges based on their roles, as well as group challenges where they physically create something or make decisions based on what they have learned.

Challenges in this survival simulation include:

* Creating a temporary shelter to protect their nomad bands of hunter-gatherers

* Making choices about what skills to develop

* Hunting animals and gathering plants

* Using knowledge gained from the elders to choose between healthy and poisonous mushrooms

* Predicting the impact of farming on their lives

* Creating a permanent shelter after the invention of farming

* Choosing what plants they will grow and what animals they will domesticate

* Developing a plan for controlling the water, including making sure their fields don't flood but also get enough water

* Identifying the achievements made in the first civilizations in Mesopotamia

* Analyzing maps to determine the best layout for their new civilization

* Physically creating an irrigation system that brings water to the fields

* Matching cuneiform symbols with their English translations

* Trading their surplus goods for other needed and luxury items

The simulation has 3 parts: Paleolithic Age, Neolithic Age, and Rise of Civilization. As students complete the challenges in each part, they reflect on what they have learned and where they are going.

Included with this product are PowerPoint presentations that guide the teacher and the students through each of the challenges. There is also a teacher guide with step-by-step directions for the teacher.

This activity is NOT a normal lesson! I use this simulation to cover almost my entire Early Civilizations Unit. Students get super excited throughout the entire lesson, and they walk away with a solid understanding of how civilizations developed, as well as a fun, memorable experience.