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Migration

Driving Question: Where and why did early humans migrate?

All humans evolved in Africa c. 250,000 years ago. How did our ancestors migrate and populate the entire world by c. 15,000 years ago without the use of cars, airplanes, and ships? The answer has a lot to do with collective learning.

Learning Objectives:

  1. Investigate where and why early humans migrated.
  2. Explain the distribution and migration of human populations across Earth’s surface.

Vocab Terms:

  • climate
  • collective learning
  • Homo sapiens
  • migration
  • symbolic langauge
STEP 1

Opener: Migration

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 4.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Want to activate student’s prior knowledge? Check out the our Openers and Closers Guide for more information.

In this course, you’ve already crossed unimaginable cosmic distances. But, from a human perspective, you’re about to start the greatest journey of all!

STEP 2

On the Move

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 4.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Curious to know what other teachers are thinking about in terms of human migration? Check out this conversation External link in the OER Project Teacher Community.

Lots of people enjoy vacationing, but it would take a lot to get them to leave home permanently. This slideshow and activity ask why some humans left their original home in Africa long ago.

STEP 3

Impact of Geography

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 4.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Looking for more maps? Check out OER Project’s collection of maps here External link .

Early humans are on the move. What would be on your list of desirable features in a new neighborhood? Use this geography activity and series of maps to figure out the push and pull factors.

STEP 4

Closer: Migration

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of the Lesson 4.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

Want to dive into migration even more? Check out this OER Project blog post External link .

By the end of this unit, humans will have spread across the globe. Before we move on, let’s take one more close look at what caused this.

Extension Materials
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To learn more about different theories of human migration to the Americas, check out this activity and graphic biographies.
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The Americas

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of the Lesson 4.4 Teaching Guide Locked .

It’s easy enough to trace how humans moved from Africa to, say, Western Asia. But how the heck did we get all the way to the Americas?