Students encounter the early peoples of the Paleolithic Era. They locate the physical geography of several places where prehistoric modern humans lived. Next, they explore major Paleolithic cultural developments such as language, art, and religion. They learn how archaeologists work to find evidence of prehistoric people. Finally, students investigate how early peoples’ adaptations to their environment enabled their survival, particularly during the Ice Age.
Students are introduced to the Paleolithic Era and the lesson objectives. They examine an image of a prehistoric cave painting and contribute short phrases to a word cloud describing what they notice. They then read about early cave artists and how they depicted animals and handprints, and use Cave painting facts for kids to view additional examples and learn how the art was made. Finally, they post a question they have about the earliest humans in a shared table.
Teacher MovesPresent the overview and objectives of the experience. Facilitate discussion of students’ word cloud observations about the cave painting. Review students’ posted questions, highlighting several key questions (for example, where early humans lived, what they ate, and how they traveled) for students to keep in mind as they move through the rest of the lesson.
Students learn that early humans migrated out of Africa over tens of thousands of years. They watch Human Prehistory 101 (part 1): Out of (Eastern) Africa and take notes in a timeline-style graphic organizer about major migration events at different points in time. Then they explore the interactive map Human Odyssey to trace routes of Paleolithic migrations, using the timeline slider and clicking on site markers to read about archaeological evidence, climate conditions, and human encounters. They share one climate condition and one human encounter they learned about in a class table.
Teacher MovesPrepare students for a short loading delay with the interactive map. After students work with the video, organizer, and map, lead a discussion about what they learned regarding early human migrations, prompting them to describe specific routes, climates, and encounters. Ask students to make predictions about what it might have been like to travel on one of these routes to set up the next scene.
Students consider questions about the daily life of early humans and view images labeled “Daily Life of Early Man” and “Stone Age Tools.” They read text describing Paleolithic nomadic bands, division of labor between men and women, and group decision-making, then answer multiple-choice questions about why a nomadic lifestyle was necessary, why women usually stayed near home, and how Paleolithic bands governed themselves. Next, they read about Paleolithic tools, shelters, and a later burst of invention in tools, music, and language, and use Stone Age Facts to learn more details about early modern humans’ way of life. They post two new facts or ideas from the article explaining how these details deepen their understanding of daily life, then review classmates’ posts and respond to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesUse student responses to identify understandings and misconceptions, and to guide follow-up discussion.
Students read an introduction explaining that Paleolithic people left no written records and that archaeologists study physical evidence to learn about how, where, and when they lived. After viewing an image labeled “Archaeologist at Work,” they read What does an archaeologist do? to understand archaeologists’ methods and the types of evidence they uncover about early human life. They then post a written explanation, in their own words, of what archaeologists do and what kinds of evidence they find.
Teacher MovesOptionally show the video Hunting for Fossils: A Student in Kenya to provide a first-person view of archaeological fieldwork and to connect methods used to study ancestral hominins and modern humans. Clarify the distinction between ancestral hominins and Homo sapiens while emphasizing shared archaeological methods. Review student explanations, share an interesting or exemplary response with the class, and lead a discussion around the question, “Why does it matter for us to know about what happened so long ago?”
Students examine images labeled “People of the Ice Age” and read about the Ice Age, including the spread of glaciers and the ways early humans adapted through tools, fire, shelters, and food strategies. Imagining themselves traveling in a group during the Ice Age, they write a response describing survival strategies they would use—either as a list, a simple description, or a short fictional paragraph—and then review classmates’ posts, responding to at least two with a question or positive comment.
Teacher MovesUse student responses to identify understandings and misconceptions, and to guide follow-up discussion.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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