Early Humans
How do you start teaching the story of early humans—one that begins over 300,000 years ago? These classroom-ready lessons and materials give you the tools to walk students through an evidence-based timeline of human evolution and migration. Exploring collective learning and examining how early humans adapted to changing environments will enable you to lay the foundation for everything that follows.
How to Teach Early Human History
Blog: Paleolithic Era: History, Science, or Social Studies?
Use an interdisciplinary approach to history to help students understand how early human foragers shaped our world.
“Unknowns” Podcast Episode 3: Human Origins
Explore the gradual journey from early hominins to modern humans with historian David Christian and paleontologist Michael Archer.
When Did Humans Get to the Americas?
Consult with other teachers—and a historian—on the latest research about human migration.
Role Play: Early Humans
Explore this teacher conversation to spark connections between early humans and today.
Teach Tomorrow: Lessons on Early Humans
Lesson 2.2
Migration and Art
Why did early humans move to new places and create art during this period? Dig into 80,000-year-old evidence to answer this question.
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Lesson 4.2
Human Ancestors
How did life transform from a simple single-celled organism to our own species, one that creates, communicates, loves, and hates? Explore humanity’s place in the great history of life.
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Early Humans Activities and Resources
Foraging Societies
Article
Foraging Societies
Evidence from the past allows us to draw some generalizations about early human foraging societies. But what happens when some evidence complicates this picture?
Foraging Simulation
Activity
Foraging Simulation
Foraging for food could become challenging when environments changed and resources were drained. Students step into the role of a forager looking for solutions.
When Did Humans Get to the Americas?
Activity
When Did Humans Get to the Americas?
There’s a lot we still don’t know about early human migration. Time to evaluate several theories about when humans first migrated to the Americas.
Written in Stone: Petroglyphs
Video
Written in Stone: Petroglyphs
Ancestral Puebloans left behind hundreds of thousands of petroglyphs. These rock carvings communicate ceremonial, practical, and astronomical knowledge.
The Thresholds: Collective Learning
Article
The Thresholds: Collective Learning
Early humans share a lot of characteristics with other living organisms, but we’re also pretty special. The ability to use language and learn collectively sets us apart.
Geography: Migration and Climate
Activity
Geography: Migration and Climate
What factors pushed or pulled early humans to migrate to certain regions of the world?