Foraging Societies
Teacher Resources
Driving Question: How did early humans live?
Early humans populated the Earth by traveling hundreds of thousands of miles searching for food to gather and hunt. In the process, they used collective learning to improve upon their tools and techniques.
Learning Objectives:
- Describe the characteristics of foraging communities.
- Identify how foraging impacted the diets of hunter-gatherer communities.
Vocab Terms:
- climate
- collective learning
- extinction
- foraging
- Homo sapiens
- migration
Opener: Foraging Societies
To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 4.5 Teaching Guide.
Want to know how other teachers have implemented the foraging simulation? Take a look at this thread in the OER Project Teacher Community.
Before we farmed, we foraged. We’re going to give you a taste of the foraging lifestyle with this simulation.
What’s for Dinner?
To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 4.5 Teaching Guide.
Want to see some great examples of Hunter-Gatherer Menus? Check out this thread in the OER Project Teacher Community.
You are what you eat, but societies aren’t just what they eat, but how they eat. In this article and activity, we’ll look at how relying on foraging shaped early human communities.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you read
Preview the questions below, and then skim the article. Be sure to look at the section headings and any images.
While you read
Look for answers to these questions:
- How did foraging drive the evolution of different human species?
- What types of tools and weapons did early humans use to hunt?
- How did early humans’ use of fire help support bigger brains?
- What were some characteristics that foraging societies shared?
- What are the three debates scholars have about foraging societies?
After you read
Respond to this question: Do you think people who lived in foraging societies had a better way of life than those who lived in farming societies?
The Evolution of Our Diets
To teach this lesson step, refer to page 4 of the Lesson 4.5 Teaching Guide.
Want to dig into claim testing even more? Check out this page on the OER Project website!
How does your diet compare to an ancient hunter-gatherer’s? Get ready to learn about some surprising similarities (and big differences) between what each of you consumes in this video and activity.
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Guiding Questions
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Before you watch
Preview the questions below, and then review the transcript.
While you watch
Look for answers to these questions:
- What kinds of foods would foragers prefer? Why?
- Why would foragers go to extra lengths to get foods like bone marrow, nuts, and honey?
- Why did extinctions often occur after humans settled in a particular area?
After you watch
Respond to this question: How do you think modern humans would cope if they had to return to a foraging lifestyle?
Key Ideas
Closer: Foraging Societies
To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of the Lesson 4.5 Teaching Guide.
Remember that Closers are a great opportunity to informally assess student understanding. Read more about that in the OER Project Assessment Guide.
Another unit down! Well, not quite—time to summarize what you’ve learned so you don’t forget anything important.
