The Development of Culture - Ways of Life
(Lecture Notes from Mr. Kersey's 7th Grade Geography Class)
Culture
- Culture is the way of life for a group of people who share similar customs and beliefs.
- For example, different nationalities, ethnic groups, or religions can have their own cultures.
Cultural Traits
- Cultural traits are a groups skills, customs, and ways of doing things.
- Language, clothing, food, music, art, government, and religion are all examples of cultural traits.
The Development of Culture
- Cultures develop over time.
- The first cultures went through four stages of development.
- These four stages are:
- The invention of tools
- The discovery of fire
- Growth of agriculture
- and the Use of writing.
- The first humans figured out how to use basic tools, like rocks, or sharp stones for cutting.
- Then, with the discovery of fire, people were able to have light, and to cook their food. This helped prevent disease.
- With the growth of agriculture, or farming methods, people could stay in one place. They did not have to be hunter-gatherers anymore.
- The ability to stay put let them have more time. Time for stuff like art and invention.
- One of the things they invented with this extra time was writing. Now people could record trades, or write down stories, like religious tales, and preserve their ideas.
- We began to see history be recorded.
- As technologies developed to make life easier, people had even more free time.
- Not everyone had to be a farmer anymore.
- This allowed culture to develop and grow even more quickly.
