Guns, Germs, and Steel: Episode 1 Name:

Directions: Before viewing the film, read each question below so you know what information and
ideas you should be looking for as you watch. Record your answers to each question by providing as
many facts, details, and examples as possible to answer each question.

1. For thousands of years, people have been cultivating crops. Describe the process used to
domesticate crops and create plants that yielded bigger, tastier harvests.
a. Selectively breed plants with the traits that you desire to produce more plants with
that same gene and inducing artificial selection to get better yields

2. According to Diamond, livestock also plays a significant role in a civilization’s ability to

become rich and powerful. How did the domestication of animals help people? Give several
examples.
a. The animals can be used for their meat, fur and skin, milk, and their dung for
fertilizer.

3. List 4 of the animals that have been domesticated

a. Goats b. Sheep c. Horse/Ox d. Cattle

What do they have in common?

1. grow and mature quickly
2. breed easily and can birth many other animals a single year.
3. plant-based diets
4. hardy animals
5. pleasant disposition, not aggressive
6. hierarchical social structure

4. Looking at the list of animals and locations from question 3, discuss how Diamond’s theory
about geographic luck applies here.
a. Most now domesticated animals were native to the climate where the most powerful
civilisations developed since domesticated animals helped productivity.

5. How did the movement of the early civilizations of the Fertile Crescent (Middle East) further
support Diamond’s idea that geography played a key role in the success of a civilization?
a. Since the Fertile crescent land could no longer support the people due to over farming
they moved to Asia and Europe because they could plant the same high-yield crops
and move their domesticated animals with them.
6. Do you agree with Jared Diamond when he says of a civilization's ability to gain power,
wealth, and strength, “…what’s far more important is the hand that people have been dealt,
the raw materials they’ve had at their disposal.” Why or why not?
a. I agree, there is lots of data showing that the more abundance of domesticated animals
and hearty crops that you had access to from an early start the more successful you are
on the world stage. For example the US vs New Guinea, the US had access to many
modern domesticated animals and hearty and fast reproducing crops and the US
economy has become one of the strongest in the world. Whereas if you take a look at
New Guinea, which had little access to hearty crops and domesticated animals, they
are not as prevalent on the world stage.