LESSON 1.6 SkillBuilder: Continuity and change
LEARNING INTENTION By the end of this SkillBuilder you should be able to describe broad patterns of change over time.
1.6.1 Tell me What are broad patterns of change?
In this topic, we have studied developments in human societies from early communities (around 60 000 BCE) to later ancient times (up to around 650 CE). Over such a long period, we would expect signiýcant changes. Broad patterns of change are not the kinds of changes that might have affected one community, such as a change of rulers. Rather, they are patterns of change that are extensive or widespread. Broad patterns of change have taken place in the modern world in just a generation. For example, when your parents were your age there was no internet, and Facebook or X could hardly have been imagined. Such technological changes have revolutionised the ways we communicate. In the ancient world, patterns of change occurred much more slowly but, just as much as the recent technological revolution, these changes transformed human societies. Why is it important to describe broad patterns of change? In a period as long as that of the ancient world, there are many examples of broad changes in technologies, religious beliefs and the ways in which societies were organised and governed. Identifying
such broad patterns of change will help you to: • recognise the nature of a change that occurred • recognise the speed of any change • recognise the extent or signiýcance of any change • assess the role of changes in contributing to other changes. 1.6.2 Showme How can broad patterns of change be described?
From your work in this topic, you will already understand that there were enormous changes from the Old Stone Age through the New Stone Age and into later ancient times. You will be able to recognise such changes when comparing primary sources from different ages within the times of the ancient world. You can recognise evidence of broad patterns of change by asking questions, such as the next question. For what broad patterns of change do these sources provide evidence? To answer such a question, you need to break it down into more speciýc questions, such as: 1. What kind of development was this? For example, was it a change in the ways in which people provided for basic needs, such as food and shelter, or a change in beliefs, transport, technology, trade or entertainment? 2. What was the situation before the change? 3. How did the change occur? 4. What was different after the change? In the following example, these types of questions have been applied to SOURCES1 , 2 and 3 . Returning to the question we posed earlier: For what broad patterns of change do SOURCES1 , 2 and 3 provide evidence?
Jacaranda Humanities Alive 7 Victorian Curriculum Third Edition
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