This opening activity is a variation on the claim testing activity but in this one you will use your knowledge of collective learning to decide whether a statement is true or false. The goal of this activity is to raise some key questions that will be answered throughout the lesson regarding collective learning and what makes humans different from other animals. This will get you thinking about these important questions as you dive into the lesson, and give you a reference point to see how your thinking changes over the course of the lesson.

You’ve seen other examples of the Snap Judgment activity earlier in the course, so the idea should be familiar. Your teacher has posted the following claims:

• An example of collective learning can be seen when a lioness teaches her cubs to hunt.
• The ability to use language has not played an important role in the development of collective learning.
• Humans are the only species with the ability to learn collectively.
• Collective learning has not empowered humans.
• Collective learning should not be defined as the sixth threshold of increasing complexity.

You’ll quickly vote on the statements you think are true or false by writing T or F on a sticky note and placing it on the question. If you don’t have a sense of the validity of some statements, it’s acceptable not to post anything. This will be a relatively quick activity as you’ll be using your intuition to decide if the claims are valid. After you’ve placed all your sticky notes, be prepared to share your choices with the class.

Collective learning is the distinctly human ability to share and preserve knowledge, which allows us to build on ideas over time and advance at a rapid rate in comparison with other species of animals. The key to this ability is the fact that humans communicate using symbolic language.

In this reading, you’ll learn about the important role symbolic language plays in the human ability to collectively learn. This concept is essential to understanding Threshold 6: Collective Learning.

Skimming for Gist

The ability of humans to communicate accurately and efficiently has given us the powerful ability to learn collectively, and at an increasingly fast rate. Over time this has empowered the human species and given us the knowledge and skills to dominate the biosphere.

Understanding Content

As you read the article more carefully a second time through, think about the following questions.

1. What is collective learning?
2. What has allowed humans to get continuously better at collective learning?
3. Why does David Christian define collective learning as the sixth threshold of increasing complexity?

Thinking Conceptually

Why and how has collective learning changed over time? Be prepared to discuss your answer with the class.

There is a lot we don’t know about how the human brain came to be what it is today. We know other species can communicate, and some in a more complex way than others. But only humans have reached a level where we can reflect on our decisions and learn over many generations how to improve, protect, and preserve ourselves.

With this video, you dive into the why-it-matters frame of mind by considering what specific evolutionary processes were at play when the human brain became so much larger and more powerful than the brains of other species. This video prompts an important discussion of how collective learning may have begun.

Preview

Historians and anthropologists have been able to put together a compelling narrative about human evolution and the importance of collective learning. There are many hypotheses about what necessitated the advent of language, but little doubt about its importance in giving humans a tremendous advantage over all other species.

Key Ideas – Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. In what way is the invention of the wristwatch the result of collective learning?
2. When animals communicate, what problems do they solve, and how does this compare to what early human communication achieved?
3. Before language was in wide use, what forms of nonverbal communication did our hominid ancestors use and how effective were they?
4. What are some of the possible explanations for how humans’ brains evolved and grew larger over time?
5. What are some of the great UNKNOWNS in human evolution that scientists still pursue?

Thinking Conceptually

Think about what you communicate in an entire day, from interactions with friends, family, teachers, and others. How often does your communication help you meet a basic need, such as food, comfort, or safety? How much of your communication is about more abstract goals, such as friendship, creativity, or arguing a point about society or politics? Discuss with your peers anything you found interesting or surprising in the comparison of time you spend communicating about the basics versus those higher level ideas.

Collective learning is the key to the success of our species. Our curiosity and our ability to cooperate and collectively learn are the essential ingredients in the Big History story of us.

This short video is packed with ideas about what makes humans different from other species, and how our curiosity and collaboration has led us to explore and create things that no other species has accomplished in the 4.5 billion year history of Earth.

Preview

David Christian, Bob Bain, and other Big History contributors share their thoughts on how humans have come to dominate the Earth. The key to this feat is the fact that humans have the ability to collectively learn and collaborate.

Key Ideas – Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. Why are humans the first species to be able to migrate into all areas of the Earth and even explore into space?
2. How do humans, animals, and plants have a symbiotic relationship?

Thinking Conceptually

Can you think of modern examples of interdisciplinary collective learning? What do you think might be some future examples of collective learning? Use the Big History Discussion Guide to have an academic discussion with your class about these topics.

Humans and primates share many characteristics including the forming of social groups, hierarchical relationships, and family units. However, there are also many things that make us different. One of the most important differences is our ability to use symbolic language to record, preserve, and share information. Collective learning is one of the key characteristics of humanity.

This video briefly explains the reasons why we differ from other species, which is essential in understanding the main theme of this lesson. Professor John Shea stresses the importance of taking an interdisciplinary approach to figuring out what makes humans different.

Preview

In this video, Professor John Shea discusses some of the reasons why we differ from our primate relatives and how language plays an important role in this distinction.

Key Ideas – Factual

Think about the following questions as you watch the video:

1. According to Professor Shea, what makes humans different from primates?
2. Why is speech or symbolic language such an important piece in the distinction between humans and other species?
3. How is the study of the origins of spoken language an interdisciplinary quest?

Thinking Conceptually

Professor Shea briefly touches upon three different pieces of the puzzle regarding the origins of spoken language. What are these three pieces of evidence? Do you agree with all of these explanations? Why or why not? Do you think there might be other explanations for the development of spoken language? Provide one additional explanation or piece of evidence we could use to solve this puzzle.

In this activity, you’re asked to think about collective learning and its relationship to culture. You will argue that culture either is or is not a product of collective learning. This will expand your understanding of collective learning, and show you how collective learning has social and cultural implications, not just those related to information, goods, and services.

Claim testing
One part of a good debate is when the debaters back up their claims with solid support. Another good part is when people are called out for their lack of support when making claims. As you prep for this debate, use claim testers, both for making arguments and poking holes in your opponent’s argument. Claim testers should also help you identify disconfirming evidence and potential counterarguments in advance.

Your teacher will divide your class into two “position” groups. One group will argue that culture is a product of collective learning, the other will argue that culture is not a product of collective learning. Each group is responsible for researching its position and preparing an argument to support its point of view. For this particular debate, you may use personal examples of cultural change in your own life.

Questions you might consider in preparing your argument:

• What’s the difference between cultural knowledge and academic knowledge?
• Does the manner in which we communicate academic knowledge reflect our culture?
• Do we go to school to learn academic knowledge or cultural norms?
• Is saying “bless you” when somebody sneezes a reflection of collective learning, culture, or both? What about asking someone to cover their mouth when they sneeze?

Remember to use the Debate Prep Worksheet to help prepare for the debate. Don’t forget to review the Debate Format Guide so you are aware of how much time you have for each section of the debate. It’s also helpful to revisit the Debate Rubric as you prepare since this will help make sure you meet all debate criteria. Your teacher will use the Debate Rubric to decide which group argued their position more effectively.

Way back at the beginning of the course in Unit 2, we used the story of Alphonse the Camel to illustrate the idea of multiple causation, and discovered that historical events rarely have a single, immediate cause. In this activity, we will revisit the story of Alphonse the Camel to think about the type and role of historical causes. Rather than just looking at short-, intermediate-, and long-term causes, this time you will consider the role of the cause as necessary, relevant, or a triggering event. You will also revisit how to categorize the causes by type: political, innovation, economic, cultural, environmental, and social. This will help you add sophistication and nuance to how you think about historical causation, helping you further develop this historical thinking practice.

In this activity, you’ll read the story of Alphonse with the intent of categorizing the type and role of the camel’s cause of death. Based on your analysis, you will produce an autopsy report explaining the necessary (primary), relevant (secondary), and triggering event (immediate) causes of Alphonse’s death.

Categorizing Causes

1. Read the story of Alphonse together as a class. As you read, write down as many causes of Alphonse’s death as you find.
2. Take out the Causation Tool, get into small groups, and combine your lists of causes. Then, divide the into short-, intermediate-, and long-term causes and write them on the tool.
3. Next, annotate your causes using type. You can mark each cause with the letter indicating the type below.
   • (P) Political – What type of government, organization, or power structure was there? Who was in charge? Did people vote or have a say?
   • (I) Innovation – What did they invent? Were there any new developments or technologies?
   • ($) Economic – What jobs were there? Did they use money? Did they trade?
   • (C) Cultural – What/whom did they worship? What/whom did they believe in? Did they have written language? Did they leave any artifacts behind, such as art, customs, sports, dress, language, music, dance, foods, celebrations?
   • (E) Environmental – How did they attempt to control or use the environment? What impact did the land, water, and nature around them have on the way they lived?
   • (S) Social – Were there different roles for men and women? Did they live in family units? Did they interact with other groups? Did they have a social structure (enslaved, priests, kings)?

Alphonse the Camel

Once upon a time, there was a camel (called Alphonse). For various reasons (relating to an unfortunate accident during his birth) the camel had severe back problems. This was not the end of his misfortune, however, because he also had an evil, exploitative owner (called Frank the Camel Killer). Frank had hated camels ever since he experienced a nasty incident in his childhood involving a camel’s hoof and his rear end. He was very bitter and hadn’t trusted camels since.

Frank regularly overloaded his camels prior to taking them on grueling and totally unnecessary round trips up and down mountains on his way to deliver goods to his customers. These customers, shockingly, were completely indifferent to these frequent and gross violations of the rights of camels and even found Frank and his antics vaguely endearing. On top of it all, Alphonse was sometimes his own worst enemy. Camels are very proud creatures, and he would act tough in front of his camel friends, and on his rare breaks he would show off how much he could carry.

Plenty of camels had died doing similar work to Alphonse and his friends. After a particularly nasty few weeks when camels were keeling over left, right, and center, the camels decided to form a union to defend their rights and protect them from evil owners. However, when it comes down to it, camels are selfish creatures who don’t trust each other. They were more worried about looking after themselves than about working together, and the union soon fizzled out.

One Friday, Frank had just finished loading up Alphonse and his poor exploited fellow creatures for yet another grueling and totally unnecessary round trip up and down the mountains. He had piled and piled and piled up the goods onto Alphonse’s back and was taking a break, chewing a straw while thinking smugly about his handiwork. On a whim, he decided to add the bedraggled straw he had been chewing to Alphonse’s load. Alphonse groaned obligingly. He eyed his owner with disgust. He keeled over and died of radical and irreversible back collapse.

Defining the Role of Causes

1. Now that you have type down, you are going to think about a new way to categorize causes using the idea of role. When we think about causation, usually some causes are necessary (required) for an event to happen while others are just relevant (not required, but important). And there is always a triggering event (the most immediate cause). Identify the role of each cause of Alphonse’s death by further annotating the causes you listed on the Causation Tool.
   • Necessary – The event would not have happened without this cause. It was required. Circle all necessary causes.
   • Relevant – This cause was important, but not required, for the event to happen. It played a more secondary, supporting role. Underline all relevant causes.
   • (*) Triggering Event – The most immediate cause of an event. Put a star next to the triggering event.

Writing the Autopsy Report

1. Discuss your type and role labels with your class. The goal is for you to think about which causes you will prioritize when writing up the autopsy report of Alphonse’s death. One or two might be the official (necessary) cause, while other might be contributing (relevant) causes.
2. Now that you’ve determined the causes that led to Alphonse’s death, think about the potential effects of Alphonse’s death. Write your ideas in the Effects space on the Causation Tool.
3. Finally, complete an autopsy report for Alphonse’s death by filling in the blanks on the worksheet.