Paleoanthropologist Teacher Resources

As the great and hilarious Tim Minchin once said, "Science is simply the word we use to describe a method of organizing our curiosity." Science is more than just a guess; it is based on questions, observations, and evidence. High...

Feet are neat! So, if you've already walked the path of examining animal footprints with your class, put them in the shoes of early humans! A well-designed lesson incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...

Investigate the theories of human evolution. In this research based instructional activity, learners research and discuss how geographic isolation, interbreeding, generalization, and specialization are factors in the history of humans....

A biography of Lee Berger, a paleoanthropologist who made critical discoveries about our human ancestry during his explorations in Southern Africa. As he talks of his discoveries, you can feel his palpable excitement. Includes a profile,...

Biography of Richard Leakey, Paleoanthropologist and Conservationist, who in addition to making huge contributions to our understanding of hominds and our human origins he worked fiercely to protect endangered African wildlife.

[Free Registration/Login Required] This passage discusses the roles of paleoanthropologists and how they determine whether the remains of a prehistoric species is a direct ancestor or not. This passage is a stand-alone curricular piece...

Paleoanthropologists discuss recent research on the physical features of an ancient hominid. [27 mins. 46]

See an artist's rendition of what some paleoanthropologists believe could be the common ancestor of both humans and chimps and read about the discovery of what scientists said was the oldest known human ancestor, Ardipithecus ramidus....

This is a collection of video interviews with twenty Smithsonian scientists who work in a scientific areas as vastly different as measuring the moon and figuring out what kinds of birds collide with aircraft. An interesting way to...

Site from News @ Nature provides the story of the remarkable discovery on the Island of Flores, Flores Man. See a great picture of the skull and read explanations and reflections from the leading palaeoanthropologists on the dig.

Ira talks with paleoanthropologist Donald Johanson, co-discoverer of the 'Lucy' fossil.

Paleo-artist John Gurche and paleoanthropologist Rick Potts discuss the intersection between art and science.