Underst: Anding Culture, Society and Politics
Underst: Anding Culture, Society and Politics
Underst: Anding Culture, Society and Politics
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For the learner:
Welcome to the Understanding Culture Society and Politics Alternative Delivery
Mode (ADM) Module on Significance of Cultural, Social, Political and Economic
Symbols and Practices (MELC 4).
This module was designed to provide you with fun and meaningful opportunities
for guided and independent learning at your own pace and time. You will be
enabled to process the contents of the learning resource while being an active
learner.
This module has the following parts and corresponding icons:
What I Need to Know This will give you an idea of the skills or
competencies you are expected to learn in
the module.
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of learned concepts.
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What I Need to Know
This module was designed and written with you in mind. It is here to help you
master the nature of Understanding Culture Society and Politics. The scope of this
module permits it to be used in many different learning situations. The language
used recognizes the diverse vocabulary level of students. The lessons are arranged
to follow the standard sequence of the course. But the order in which you read
them can be changed to correspond with the textbook you are now using.
The module is about the significance of cultural, social, political and economic
symbols and practices (MELC 4).
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What I Know
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate sheet of
paper.
1. The cultural evolution of man has three remarkable Era. Which of the
following has the correct order of era?
a. Age of Metal, Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period
b. Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal
c. Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal, Neolithic Period
d. Palaeolithic Period, Neolithic Period, Age of Metal
2. In the early stage, human move from one place to another. As they
transform and adapt their environment, they learn to have permanent
settlement. What period did the permanent settlement of human occur?
A. Age of Bronze
B. Age of Copper
C. Neolithic Period
D. Palaeolithic Period
3. Each era has a significant cultural development such as the use of fire in
Paleolithic period, the domestication of plants and animals in the
Neolithic Period, and the use of metal in the age of Metal. What is the
other term for the Age of Metal?
A. Agricultural Revolution
B. Metal Civilization
C. Stone Revolution
D. Rise of Civilization
4. In the Neolithic period, the Cro Magnon disappeared and the new people
who were considered the modern men appeared, which of the following
were the accomplishments of human during this period?
A. Live in a cave
B. Used unpolished stone tools
C. Used metals to upgrade tools
D. Domesticated plants and animals
5. There were three metals distinguished in the Age of Metals. Which of the
following was the first known metal in this period?
A. Aluminum
B. Bronze
C. Copper
D. Iron
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D. Learned to create crafts as pottery and weaving
8. What is the earliest writing form in the world which was developed in
Mesopotamia 6,000 years ago?
A. Cuneiform
B. Hieroglyphics
C. Clay-tablet symbology
D. Runes
10. In Mesopotamian culture, the ancient Egypt is one of the most important
civilizations in history. When it is said to have emerged?
A. 2,000 years old
B. 3,000 years old
C. 4, 000 years old
D. 5, 000 years old
11. In the history of European exploration, when was the Spanish global
power started?
A. 1492
B. 1500
C. 1896
D. 1345
12. Which treaty ends the World War I and breaks several multi-rational
empires?
A. Treaty of Saint-Germain en Laye
B. Treaty of Versailles
C. Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
D. Faisal-Weizmann agreement
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14.In the types on government, which of the following does not describe
democracy?
A. Transition from an authoritarian regime to a full democracy
B. From an authoritarian political system to a semi democracy
C. From semi authoritarian political system to a democratic political
system
D. From semi authoritarian political system to a semi democratic
political system
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What’s In
Analyze the images below and Identify which shows ethnocentrism or cultural
relativism. Write your answers on your paper.
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What’s New
Activity 1: The ICEMAN and the ALPS (this activity is adapted from
slideshare.net accessed May 25, 2020)
In 1991, hikers in the Alps found a dead body and notified the authorities.
They thought that person might have died on a recent hike, but extensive scientific
testing revealed the body to be around 5,000 years old! Since the “Iceman” was
frozen for all this time, his body clothing, and tools were all preserved intact, giving
us a rare glimpse of what it must have been like to live in the Neolithic Era.
The discovery of the Iceman has also given us a mystery to solve. The
autopsy’ revealed many signs of violent death. When archaeologists inquire about
the past, the examined evidence and put it together to tell their story. What story
does it tell?
Artifacts
Copper Axe
Flint knife
Unfinished longbows
Flints (stones used for tools
and fire)
Mushrooms
14 bone-tipped arrows
o Two finished
o Twelve unfinished
Autopsy
Cerebral Trauma to the
head
Cuts and bruises on hands
Process Question
Arrow wound in shoulder Your assignment:
(arrow probably removed) By yourself, use at least 6 pieces of
Blood from 4 people (DNA) evidence to tell a story about the events
57 Carbon Tattoos (dots and leading to the Iceman’s death. Remember
lines on lower spine. Back of that the only wrong answer in history is an
knees and right ankle) answer that lack evidence. Be creative and
About 5000years old have fun with this.
1. Based from the activity, what is the significance of human material remains
and artefactual evidence in interpreting culture, social and political
processes?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
2. As compared to our lives today what differences do we have from these men
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who lived 5,000 years ago in terms of biological and cultural features? Use
the reconstructed picture of the iceman below.
_______________________________
Cultural Difference: _______________________________
_______________________________
3. As you can see, there is a big difference between the biological and socio-
cultural features between that Iceman and you. Why do you think changes
happened in all aspects of your life from time to time?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
Station 1
1 ______________________________________________
2. ______________________________________________
3. ______________________________________________
Station 2
1. _____________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________
Station 3
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
Station 4
1. __________________________________________
2. __________________________________________
3. __________________________________________
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Station 5
1. ____________________________________
2._____________________________________
3. _____________________________________
Guide Questions:
In two to three sentences, explain how our cultural and sociopolitical ways has
changed over the years?
Answer:
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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What is It
In this part of your journey, we provide something for you to read to deepen your
understanding about the topic.
Please do it with comprehension to discover knowledge that will help you out in
dealing with the next phase of your quest.
Think it over:
1. When we try to compare then and now, what are differences in terms of how
people carry out things physically, culturally, and socio-politically?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________
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___________________________________________________________________________
6. As a human, how do you progress? List down at least five things that you
can’t do 10 years ago, and the things that you can do at present.
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HUMAN CULTURAL EVOLUTION
The term “Palaeolithic” was coined by archaeologist John Lubbock in 1865. It is
derived the from Greek word, palaios, which means "old"; and, lithos, "stone", In
short, the Palaeolithic Period, which happened 2.5 million years ago, is also known
as "Old Stone Age".
In the Palaeolithic period, the Earth was extremely cold and ocean levels were
much lower than they are now. Due to the cold climate, much of the Stone Age is
also called the Ice Age.
During these years, people were nomads and able to use simple tools and weapons
made of unpolished stone. The caves served as their shelter.
Similarly, this was the time when people discovered to use the fire, through the use
of stone, for their protection against cold temperature and to cook their own food.
Human beings in this time were grouped together in small societies such as bands,
and subsisted by gathering plants and fishing, hunting or scavenging wild animals.
Also in this era, according to study of Dr. Jesus T. Peralta of NCCA, respect is given
to age, and individual prowess and ability are recognized. There are no leaders that
could be said to be above everybody else and whose commands are obeyed without
question. In some cases, one who is known for good decisions is consulted when a
problem arises; or well-known hunter will be asked to lead a hunting group.
Likewise, the term “Neolithic” also comes from the same archaeologist and from the
Greek word “neo” which means new and “lithos” meaning stone or in short, the
“New Stone Age” which was happened for about 10,000 B.C. In this period, the Cro
Magnon disappeared and the new people who are considered the modern man
appeared.
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The Neolithic Revolution is also called as the First Agricultural Revolution.
During this period, there was a wide-scale transition of many human cultures from
a lifestyle of hunting and gathering to of agriculture and settlement kind of society
which eventually led to population increase. People depend on domesticated plants
and animals. They learned to create such crafts as pottery and weaving. They
likewise developed boat as means of transportation and for fishing as well.
This period was known as Age of Metals (4000 B.C – 1500 B.C). The used of metal
such as bronze, copper, and iron produced a new historical development from the
cradle civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia including the India, and China
which later spread throughout Asia.
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KEY CONCEPT
One of the earliest states and civilizations was found in the Fertile Crescent which
is known as the Mesopotamian civilization. The word Mesopotamia is a Greek word
for “Land between two rivers” which is often referred to as the cradle of civilization.
It is the region of the Western Asia located between the Tigris and Euphrates
Rivers. It is known as the Fertile Crescent where the first evidence of agriculture
was also found. Here the first human civilizations were taking the earliest steps
from hunter-gatherer society into settled community.
Every city in Mesopotamia had its own government, rulers, warriors, patron god,
and functioned like an independent country. Mesopotamian cities were Ur, Uruk,
Kish, Lagesh. There is a temple at the center of each city called a ziggurat (a
massive, tiered, pyramid-shaped structure).
There was also what we called Mesopotamian warrior-gods (2.400-2.500 B.C.) who
govern and protect the people under its government. Military commanders
eventually became monarch creating a new structure of government called a
Dynasty. It is a series of rulers descending from a single-family line. The Akkadian
Empire lasted about 200 years. In the year 2350–2150 B.C, Babylonian Empire
overtook Sumerians around 2000 B.C., and they built capital, the Babylon, on
Euphrates River.
Another ancient states and civilizations was the Egyptian civilization. It emerged
more than 5,000 years ago along the River Nile in the north-east of Africa. The
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Ancient Egyptians lived near the River Nile because of its fertile land suitable for
growing crops and domestication of animals. Each year, water from the Nile rose
and flooded the area. When the water went back, it left mud that made the fields
fertile.
Egyptians called their king a pharaoh. The pharaoh was all- powerful: He passed
laws, He ruled the country, He owned most of the land, and He controlled trade
and led the armies. Egyptians believed that the pharaohs were gods.
In the European continent, several states and civilization grew tremendously over
centuries. In England, around 1500s, most of the people lived in small villages.
They paid tithes to their feudal landlords. Henry VII won the War of the Roses in
England, which led into what is known as the Tudor dynasty, and begun the
development of the English nation-state.
In Spain in the year 1492, Spanish monarchs Ferdinand and Isabella took Spain
back from the Muslim. It became the era of Spain as a global power.
In France, Louis XIV of France created an absolute monarchy. France became the
dominant power in Europe. When The French Revolution broke out, it created the
modern French nation-state, which sparked nationalism around Europe.
In 1914, when various nation-states started to claim their power and superiority
over all the nations in the world, the World War I begun until 1918. In 1919, Treaty
of Versailles ended the World War I. It divided several multinational empires that
led to the creation of several new nation-states.
In 1939, the World War II started until 1945. The end of World War II led to the
formation of United Nations in 1945.
In the recent decade after the two World Wars, people are becoming more active in
their government and state affairs, in which people become the source of political
power and government rules. This evolution in the government is known as the
process of democratization, or simply democracy – the rule of the people.
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ARTICLE READING 101
What’s More
Read the article entitled “A Settled Life”. Analyze how the ancient cultural
and socio-political features developed and impact our present period. Then, be able
to answer the succeeding guide questions.
A Settled Life
(By: Dr. Senta German)
When people think of the Neolithic era, they often think of Stonehenge, the iconic
image of this early era. Dating to approximately 3000 B.C.E. and set on Salisbury
Plain in England, it is a structure larger and more complex than anything built
before it in Europe. Stonehenge is an example of the cultural advances brought
about by the Neolithic revolution—the most important development in human
history. The way we live today, settled in homes, close to other people in towns and
cities, protected by laws, eating food grown on farms, and with leisure time to
learn, explore and invent is all a result of the Neolithic revolution, which occurred
approximately 11,500-5,000 years ago. The revolution which led to our way of life
was the development of the technology needed to plant and harvest crops and to
domesticate animals.
Before the Neolithic revolution, it's likely you would have lived with your extended
family as a nomad, never staying anywhere for more than a few months, always
living in temporary shelters,
always searching for food
and never owning anything
you couldn’t easily pack in a
pocket or a sack. The
change to the Neolithic way
of life was huge and led to
many of the pleasures (lots
of food, friends and a
comfortable home) that
we still enjoy today.
(Stonehenge, c. 3,000
B.C.E., Salisbury Plain, England)
Neolithic Art. The massive changes in the way people lived also changed the types
of art they made. Neolithic sculpture became bigger, in part, because people didn’t
have to carry it around anymore; pottery became more widespread and was used to
store food harvested from farms. This is when alcohol was first produced and when
architecture, and its vivid interior and exterior decoration, first appears. In short,
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people settle down and begin to live in one place, year after year.
It seems very unlikely that Stonehenge could have been made by earlier,
Paleolithic, nomads. It would have been a waste to invest so much time and energy
building a monument in a place to which they might never return or might only
return infrequently. After all, the effort to build it was extraordinary. Stonehenge
is approximately 320 feet in circumference and the stones which compose the outer
ring weigh as much as 50 tons; the small stones, weighing as much as 6 tons, were
quarried from as far away as 450 miles. The use or meaning of Stonehenge is not
clear, but the design, planning and execution could have only been carried out by a
culture in which authority was unquestioned. Here is a culture that was able to
rally hundreds of people to perform very hard work for extended periods of time.
This is another characteristic of the Neolithic era.
I have analyzed…
Guide Questions: I think that…
Example: Example
The Stonehenge tries to showcase that even before
What does the Stonehenge
they had already their cultural advancement,
is trying to tell this modern
which, in this modern age can further develop such
era?
as the technologies.
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What I Have Learned
Life as a Symbol…
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What I Can Do
“A Better Me in My Society”
As a millennial and a Filipino youth, how will you respond and adapt to this
changing world where people and society have indeed developed and became more
advanced than before? However, consider some circumstances that are hooked on
it.
Your commitment to
abide as a citizen where
some authorities are not
performing well
_________________________
_________________________
_______________________
#I WILL SURVIVE!
Fill in the blank to complete your pledge to continue the legacies of our ancestors.
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Assessment
Choose the letter of the best answer. Write the chosen letter on a separate
sheet of paper.
1. During the earliest stage of human cultural evolution, people were nomadic,
so they hunt and gather foods. As they learn to make a sedentary lifestyle in
the Neolithic period. Which statement tells the accomplishment of human in
the Neolithic period?
A. Live in a cave
B. Used unpolished stone tools
C. Used metals to upgrade tools
D. Domesticate plants and animals
2. The Age of Metal produced a new historical development from the cradle
civilization of Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia including the India, and China
which later on spread throughout Asia. Which type of metal were the earliest
known by human?
A. Aluminum
B. Bronze
C. Copper
D. Iron
3. There are three notable stages in the human cultural evolution. Which
statement tells the correct timeline of these evolutions?
A. Age of Metal, Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period
B. Neolithic Period, Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal
C. Paleolithic Period, Age of Metal, Neolithic Period
D. Paleolithic Period, Neolithic Period, Age of Metal
4. From being nomads during the early stage, human began to developed a
sedentary type of society of which they built-up villages and towns. In which
era has these evolutions happens?
A. Age of Bronze
B. Age of Copper
C. Neolithic Period
D. Paleolithic Period
5. The most significant evolution in Paleolithic period is when people discovered
the use of fire. In the Neolithic period is when human learned to domesticate
plants and animals, which is known to be the First Agricultural Revolution.
In the Age of Metal is the discovery of people in using metal as their tools,
thus, the Age of Metal is identified as:
A. Agricultural Revolution
B. Metal Civilization
C. Stone Revolution
D. Rise of Civilization
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6. How were the first modern humans (Homo sapiens) different from any other
hominid species?
A. They lived outside of Africa
B. They had large brains
C. They used and controlled fire
D. They used symbolic thought
7. In the history of human social evolution, what group of people was skillful at
hunting and butchering animals?
A. Australopithecus
B. Home erectus
C. Homo habilis
D. Homo sapien
8. In the history of human civilization in which people started to develop their
society, where did the world’s first Civilization develop?
A. Mesopotamia
B. Crete
C. Egypt
D. Eastern China
9. From the different kind of government in various societies, what is a form of
government where the citizens of the nation have the power to vote?
A. Aristocracy
B. Bureaucracy
C. Democracy
D. Capitalism
10.In the context of European historical society, which of the following DOES
NOT happened during pre -1500’s?
A. Henry VII wins the War of the Roses in England, begins the Tudor
dynasty, and starts the development of the English nation-state.
B. The era of Spain as a global power begins.
C. The hundred year’s war started.
D. The French Revolution
11.In the history of war, the nations started to claim their power and
supremacy over the nations. Which treaty ends the World War I and breaks
several multi-rational empires?
A. Treaty of Saint-Germain en Laye
B. Treaty of Versailles
C. Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine
D. Faisal-Weizmann agreement
12.Democracy is a type of government in which the people elect their leader in
the government position. Direct democracy is the system in which...
A. Citizens choose their representatives in free and fair elections.
B. Citizens are allowed to debate with their representatives in open
public meetings.
C. Citizens represent themselves in the decision-making process.
D. Senior political leaders are known as 'Directors'.
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growth of the ancient civilizations of Egypt and Mesopotamia?
A. River valleys provided rich soil to grow plentiful crops.
B. Large deserts provided many mineral deposits.
C. Access to the Atlantic Ocean provided trade routes.
D. Lage Savannah areas provided protection from invaders.
14.Which geographic feature was common to the development of civilizations in
ancient Egypt, China, India, and Mesopotamia?
A. river valleys
B. rain forests
C. deserts
D. mountains
15.In the context of ancient civilization, which factor led to the development of
civilizations in ancient Mesopotamia?
A. political harmony
B. favorable geography
C. religious differences
D. universal education
Additional Activities
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Agree or Disagree Matrix
This activity aims to know how you react to the following facts discussed in the
lesson. Read each statement and decide whether you agree or disagree with it.
Write your point of view with the column of your answer. Provide a brief
explanation for your choice of answer in the space provided.
Answer Key
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References
Medium.com. “The Four Major Ancient Mesopotamian Civilization.’’ Accessed
May 25, 2020. www.Medium.com
Slideshare ‘’The Iceman: A Historical Inquiry.’’ Accessed May 25, 2020
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.www.Slideshare.net
Slideshare ‘’Early Civilizations’’Accessed May 25, 2020. www.slideshare.net
Slideshare.’’The Human Society’’ Accessed May 26, 2020.www.slideshare.net
Sparknotes. “The Rise of Nation-state.’’ Accessed May 26,
2020.www.sparknotes.com
World Population View.”Democracy Countries 2020.’’ Accessed May 26, 2020.
www.woldpopulationview.com
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