Early Humans
- The Early Humans topic traces the emergence, migration, and interactions of modern humans.
- Unit 1 explains that Homo sapiens succeeded through language and collective learning.
- Unit 2 shows that modern humans evolved in Africa and adapted as they migrated into new environments.
- Unit 3 describes Paleolithic people as foragers who lived in kinship groups and adapted with tools and language.
Homo sapiens emerged in Africa and spread across the globe as climate shifts pushed some groups to move. People adapted to many environments through migration, tools, and language. Our species became dominant through collective learning and communication. During the Paleolithic, first peoples lived in kinship groups and survived by foraging. These three articles trace human origins, movement, and the ways people learned to survive and thrive.
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
Early Humans Activities and Resources
Foraging Societies
Foraging Simulation
When Did Humans Get to the Americas?
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
