World History I

Chapter 5: Origins Apart: The Americas and Oceania
16,000-600 BCE

22: Mon, Nov 17, 2025

Please read the chapter and take the quiz by midnight on Sun, Nov 16, 2025.
Please post in the forum for the day a short essay in response to this question:

We have considered how tangible resources such as climate, geographical feature, and population size affect the growth of civilizations in North Africa, the Middle East, South Asia, and China, and also how intangible resources such as language and technology contribute to that growth. Now we look at the Americas and Oceania — a huge territory! But we are also in a position to compare and contrast this territory with the regions we have already looked at.

• What resources are present in North America, South America, and Oceania that are also found in Africa and Asia?
• Are these resources used in the same way in both regions?
• What resources are lacking in North America, South America, and Oceania that are found elsewhere?
• How does lack of these resources affect the development of civilizations in the Americas and Pacific Islands?
• What resources are unique to the Americas and/or the Pacific Islands? How do these contribute to the development of civilizations in these regions?

In particular, consider:

• Geographic resources (rivers, mountains, arable land) that may provide protection, food, and goods for trade. How did these vary from Alaska to tip of South Africa?
• How did food resources — especially plants — vary?
• What kinds of animals are available? How do animal species as resources affect the development of Neolithic cultures?

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