Early Humans: Pre-Civilization and the Stone Age
Franceschini
Common Core SS Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
- 6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives.
- 6H.2.1 Explain how invasions, conquests, and migrations affected various civilizations, societies and regions
- 6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time (e.g., agricultural technology, weaponry, transportation and communication).
- 6G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).
- 6G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade).
- 6G.1.4Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used, modified and adapted to their environments (e.g., invention of tools, domestication of plants and animals, farming techniques and creation of dwellings).
- 6G.2.1 Use maps, charts, graphs, geographic data and available technology tools to draw conclusions about the emergence, expansion and decline of civilizations, societies and regions
- 6E.1.1 Explain how conflict, compromise, and negotiation over the availability of resources (natural, human and capital) impacted the economic development of various civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., competition for scarce resources, unequal distribution of wealth and the emergence of powerful trading networks).
- 6C.1.3 Summarize systems of social structure within various civilizations and societies over time (e.g., Roman class structure, Indian caste system and feudal, matrilineal and patrilineal societies).
Common Core Reading Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
- Locate and cite details, State main ideas and summarize.
- Determine meanings of words and phrases.
- Determine how information is presented (sequentially, comparatively, etc.).
- Integrate and analyze visuals (maps, charts, pictures) etc. with text.
Common Core Writing Standards addressed throughout the reading packet:
- Produce clear and coherent writing appropriate for the task.
- Use technology and internet to produce writing.
- Informative and Explanatory Writing in the context of SS
Wiki Reading 1
Early Humans: Pre-Civilization and the Stone Age
Objectives: SWBAT create a Venn Diagram comparing and contrasting anthropology and archaeology and then use it to write a compare/contrast composition.
6H.1.3 Use primary and secondary sources to interpret various historical perspectives
Anthropology
An anthropologist is a type of scientist that studies human history. Anthropologists study humans and other human-like creatures known as hominids. They compare the bones of these creatures to one another, looking for changes in brain size and posture.
Anthropology is the scientific and humanistic study of humankind’s present and past. It studies cultural and biological variations. Anthropologists study people and the cultures they create. The major subfields that fall under the larger heading of anthropology are archaeology, physical (biological) anthropology, cultural anthropology, and anthropological linguistics.
Mankind began keeping a written history about 5,500 years ago. Much of what we think of as human history happened between then and now. However, in reality this is just a scratch on the surface of human history. Anthropologists and archeologists have traced human history back some 4.4 million years.
Archaeology
Archaeology is a subfield of anthropology. It is the scientific study of the human past and present through material remains. In other words, they study the things that people made, used, or modified. When archaeologists investigate an area where people left evidence of their presence (such as garbage, building foundations, cemeteries, and an assortment of other everyday things commonly left behind) they attempt to answer specific research questions about the early people who used the area. In fact, archaeology is the only scientific tool we have that can be used to study people from the past who did not leave written descriptions about their every day lives.
An archaeologist is someone who tries to figure out what life was like in the ancient past by looking at the remains of ancient people. An archaeologist must know the difference between an artifact and a fossil.
Fossils are the remains of living things (plants, animals, people), not of things that were made.
Artifacts are the remains of things that were made, not the remains of living things.
One of the main things both archaeologists and anthropologists do in their line of work is the dig. Why? Well, first of all, the wind is constantly blowing fresh dirt and trash all over the world. This airborne debris lands on the ground in tiny layers. After years of these tiny layers building up, what was once on the surface is buried underground. It's not that the ground has really sunk; it's more that more layers have been added on top.
Digging is important. For instance, by discovering seeds, archaeologists can also discover what kinds of crops the people who lived there grew or, if people didn't live there at all, what kind of wild plants or fruits or vegetables grew there. Also, a dig might turn up fragments of clothing or shoes, giving archaeologists clues to what kind of clothing the people who lived there wore. The basic idea behind the dig is to discover the past.
Assignment: Compare and Contrast the jobs of an anthropologist and an archaeologist using a Venn Diagram and then write a paragraph about their similarities and a paragraph about their differences.
Wiki Reading 2
Prehistoric Humans
Objectives: SWBAT categorize early hominids. SWBAT locate where man first evolved.
6H.2.3 Explain how innovation and/or technology transformed civilizations, societies and regions over time (e.g., agricultural technology, weaponry, transportation and communication).
6H.2.4 Explain the role that key historical figures and cultural groups had in transforming society
6G.1.1 Explain how the physical features and human characteristics of a place influenced the development of civilizations, societies and regions (e.g., location near rivers and natural barriers, trading practices and spread of culture).
6G.1.2 Explain the factors that influenced the movement of people, goods, and ideas and the effects of that movement on societies and regions over time (e.g., scarcity of resources, conquests, desire for wealth, disease and trade).
6G.1.3 Compare distinguishing characteristics of various world regions (e.g., physical features, culture, political organization and ethnic make-up.
6G.1.4 Explain how and why civilizations, societies and regions have used, modified and adapted to their environments (e.g., invention of tools, domestication of plants and animals, farming techniques and creation of dwellings).
Little is known about the lives of early human beings. What we do know has been gathered through the study of ancient caves by scientists called archeologists. They believe early humans probably lived in caves along the southern coast of Africa. This region provided ample supplies of food as well as a warm climate. It is believed that the men probably traveled in hunting packs or groups into the mainland looking for big game while the women stayed near the coast.
Early Hominids
Human-like animals that walked upright were known as hominids. It is believed that the earliest hominids lived around 4.4 million years ago in the humid forests of eastern and southern Africa. These animals, known as Australopithecus, are believed to have been around three to five feet tall. They probably fed on leaves, fruits, and the remains of dead animals. There is no evidence that Australopithecus made their own tools. There is, however, strong evidence that they used sticks and bones to help them dig and defend themselves.
Hominid Types
Scientists such as anthropologists divide hominids into three different types based on their body shapes and lifestyles. The first kind of hominid is referred to as Homo habilis, which means person with abilities. It is believed that Homo habilis lived until about 1.5 million years ago. The second type of early human living on the Earth was Homo erectus, which means person who walks upright. Homo erectus lived on the Earth until about 150,000 years ago. The final type of hominid living on the Earth is Homo sapien. Homo sapien means person who can think. All humans living on the Earth today are Homo sapiens.
Essential Questions:
- Where do scientists believe early man first evolved?
- How do anthropologists categorize hominids? What are the 3 categories?
- Who was Australopithecus?
Now write 5 questions and answers of your own in your notebook using the text.
Prehistoric Humans > Part 2
Objectives: SWBAT ID different hominid species in the evolutionary chain. SWBAT discuss the significance of the emergence of language. SWBAT interpret the significance of Lucy.
Homo Habilis
It is believed that Homo habilis were the first hominids to create and use tools. These creatures lived in Africa about 1.5 million years ago. Homo habilis probably lived alongside Australopithecus. However, their larger bodies and brains would have given them a clear advantage.
Homo Erectus
Homo erectus inhabited Africa, Asia and Europe some 1.6 million years ago, and remained active in these areas until around 250,000 years ago. Their large brains allowed them to easily adapt to a wide variety of environments. Fossils of Homo erectus have been found in forests, plains and grasslands.
Hominids Leave Africa
Due to the scarcity of evidence, there is a great deal of disagreement among scientists about exactly when prehistoric peoples left Africa and migrated to other parts of the world. Some evidence suggests that Homo habilis may have been the first to leave Africa. However, if they did, it is unlikely that they remained very long. There is, however, strong evidence that Homo erectus migrated from Africa around 1.6 million years ago.
Fossil evidence shows that Homo erectus had arrived in Asia by around 460,000 years ago and in Europe around 400,000 years ago.
Language Develops
The first simple languages spoken by Homo erectus likely developed around 500,000 years ago. This would have been a dramatic development of paramount importance.
Prior to spoken languages, members of a group communicated with one another by grunting or through simple noises and hand gestures. Spoken language allowed group members to exchange complex thoughts and ideas, and pass on their culture from one generation to the next. Now groups could discuss plans, teach techniques, explain how to track animals, or where to go to find water, as well as form religion and folklore. The knowledge of one generation could now be passed down to the next, building from generation to generation, expanding the human experience.
Essential Questions:
- What advantages did Homo-habilis and Homo-erectus have over other early hominid species?
- How do scientists know Homo-erectus migrated from Africa.
- Homo-erectus developed language. Why was this significant?
- Why was the discovery of Lucy important for anthropologists?
Now write 5 questions and answers of your own in your notebook
Prehistoric Humans > Part 3
Objectives: SWBAT assess the impact homo-sapiens had on evolution. SWBAT ID the first species of homo-sapiens. SWBAT explain how Neanderthalswere more advanced than predecessors.
Homo Sapiens
Hominids evolved and developed for millions of years prior to the arrival of Homo sapiens on the Earth. This evolution was slow. The development of a new skill or tool often took thousands of years. With the arrival of Homo sapiens, this all changed. The speed of advancements increased dramatically. Instead of thousands of years, great progress was made in hundreds or even dozens of years.
Neanderthals
The first Homo sapiens are believed to have been the Neanderthals. Neanderthal people first appeared on the Earth around 200,000 years ago in Africa. They migrated from Africa to the rest of the world around 100,000 years ago. Neanderthals were around five to six feet in height. They had thick sturdy bones, and muscular shoulders, legs, arms and necks. Neanderthals also had large brains. In fact, their brains were slightly larger than those of modern humans.
- Neanderthals and Tool Making
Like earlier hominids, Neanderthals made and used tools. However, the tools produced by the Neanderthals were much more advanced than those used by their predecessors. Neanderthals learned to create specialized cutting and scraping tools by chipping away at the edge of a rock. They learned to combine different types of stone into a single tool, and they discovered how to use a wide variety of soft and hard stones for specialized tasks
- Neanderthal Shelters
The Neanderthal lived throughout a widely divergent climate and habitat. These peoples adapted quickly to new environments as they migrated. Some lived in caves, while others built shelters out of branches and animal skins. Still others dug pits and covered them with branches, animal skins and leaves.
- Neanderthal Culture
Because the Neanderthal spread throughout Africa, Asia and Europe, their cultures were as different as the places they inhabited. Archeological finds have given historians a small glance into some of their beliefs and ways of life.
There is strong evidence that the Neanderthal had a belief in the afterlife. Burial plots have been found where the dead were covered with flowers and buried with food along with the tools they would need in the next life. There is also evidence that Neanderthal cared for their sick and injured. Fossil remains show serious injuries, such as broken legs, which had healed completely. It is even possible that Neanderthal used medicines.
Essential Questions:
- What impact did Homo-sapiens have on evolution?
- Who were the Neanderthals?
- In what ways were Neanderthals were advanced than there predecessors?
Now write 5 questions and answers of your own in your notebook using the text.
Prehistoric Humans > Part 4
Objectives: SWBAT state when modern humans evolved. SWBAT deduce what happened to other species such as Neanderthal. SWBAT state who Cro-Magnon man was and examine their advantages over Neanderthal man
Homo Sapiens Sapiens
It is believed that modern humans like you and I first originated on the Earth around 50,000 years ago in Africa. These modern humans are referred to by historians as Homo sapiens sapiens. Within just a few thousand years these modern humans had spread to every continent across the entire planet, and onto many islands.
As Homo sapiens sapiens migrated outward from Africa, it is believed that they wiped out Neanderthals, either by absorbing them through intermarriage, or by destroying them through war and competition.
Cro-Magnons
The earliest Homo sapiens sapiens were the Cro-Magnons. These early modern humans are named after the location of their discovery in France in the 1860s. Since their original discovery, many other Cro-Magnon fossils and artifacts have been found throughout Europe, Asia and Africa.
Cro-Magnons were taller than the Neanderthal, but they were not as muscular. A very important advantage is that they had much improved technologies, languages and cultures over those of the Neanderthals. Many anthropologists feel they were more intelligent.
The Tools and Technology of Cro-Magnons
The advanced tools and technology of Cro-Magnons allowed them to quickly adapt to and master their environments. In addition to stone, Cro-Magnons used other materials for making tools. These materials included bones, antlers, teeth and ivory. With these new materials, they were able to create sharper blades, needles for sewing, and fishhooks for fishing. Cro-Magnons also invented new kinds of long distance weapons, such as bow and arrows and spear throwers.
Axes allowed humans to chop down trees. Evidence has been found to show that early humans used some of these logs to make canoes. New technologies dramatically increased the amount of food available. This in turn allowed for the population of Cro-Magnon to explode.
Cro-Magnon Social Life
At first, Cro-Magnon life was not all that different from the lives of earlier hominids. They lived in caves or temporary structures, and spent their lives hunting and gathering in small groups. As food sources increased, human settlements became more permanent. Many groups began building homes out of logs or stone. Smaller groups joined together forming larger groups.
As these groups developed, so did the need for order. In order to allow individuals to interact with one another, it was necessary that these groups developed rules, or laws. To help enforce these laws, there had to be leaders appointed. Each group or tribe had their own methods for appointing leaders. Sometimes leaders were selected through fighting. In other cases they were appointed according to religious beliefs or through inheritance.
Essential Questions:
- How long ago did modern humans evolve? What species are we?
- Who was Cro-Magnon and what advantages did they have over Neanderthal?
- What most likely happened to Neanderthal man?
- What factors allowed Cro-Magnon to move from a nomadic lifestyle to a more permanent one?
Now write 7 questions and answers of your own in your notebook using the text.