Patterns of Survival Worksheet
7th Grade Social Studies • Enduring Issues
Patterns of Survival Worksheet
Name:
Date:
Class:
Key Enduring Issues / Palabras Clave
Work with your study buddy / Trabaja con tu compañero
Geography & Env. Geografía
Physical landforms, water, and weather that shape how people live.
Scarcity Escasez
Not having enough resources (water, fertile soil, food) to meet needs.
Migration & Settl. Migración
Moving from one place to another to live and build permanent towns.
Case Study: The Lifeblood of the Nile
Around five thousand years ago, North Africa experienced a severe climate shift. Vast grasslands dried into the hot, sandy Sahara Desert. Water and wild game became extremely hard to find. Because fresh water was scarce, nomadic hunting groups could no longer survive traveling across the arid wasteland.
To survive, thousands of people packed their belongings and migrated toward the Nile River. The physical environment of the Nile offered predictable annual floods, rich black silt for farming, and a steady freshwater highway for travel. Families settled down in permanent agricultural villages along the riverbanks, creating ancient Egypt's first thriving cities.
Part 1: Evidence Detective
Label each passage clue using the word bank
Word Bank: Scarcity Geography & Environment Migration & Settlement
Clue A: "Water and wild game became extremely hard to find as grasslands dried up."
Which enduring issue is shown?
Clue B: "Thousands of people packed their belongings and moved toward the riverbanks to build homes."
Which enduring issue is shown?
Clue C: "Annual floods left behind fertile black mud and soil ideal for growing grain."
Which enduring issue is shown?
Unit 1: Humans and Their World Page 1 of 2 • Turn over for Part 2 & Exit Ticket
Part 2: Comprehension & Analysis
Student Name:
1
How did the Nile River's physical geography help settlers overcome the problem of scarcity?
Sentence Frame / Oración de inicio:
The Nile's geography solved scarcity because the river provided
This allowed settlers to
2
Why did early societies choose to migrate rather than stay in drying grasslands?
A) They wanted to explore uncharted oceans for fun and adventure.
B) The lack of water and food threatened their survival, forcing them to seek resources.
C) Powerful kings ordered everyone to live in deserts.
One-sentence reason:
Challenge Extension: Historian's Debate
Higher-Level Inquiry
Throughout history, both geography (mountains, rivers, climate) and economics (trade, jobs, goods) have guided where societies grow. In what ways might a favorable geography make strong economic trade possible?
DAILY FORMATIVE: EXIT TICKET (1-2 MIN)
Exit Ticket Prompt
Quick Write • Hand in at the door
"Which do you think has a bigger effect on where people choose to live: geography or economics? Explain your answer."
Starter: "I think geography / economics has a bigger effect because..."
7th Grade Social Studies • Enduring Issues Series Page 2 of 2
