Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Human Feet Are Strange
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 activity incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Replacing Missing Links in the Evolutionary Chain
Examine the evolution of various species of hominids from their earliest existence approximately 4.5 million years ago to today. In small groups, learners research one of the ten stages of hominid evolution and then create a poster and...
University of California
Migration of Early Humans: Evidence and Interpretations
While much of prehistory is cloaked in mystery, ancient ancestors left evidence in DNA, languages, and materials from their time. Using photographs of items such as cave paintings and ancient tools, as well as maps of linguistic patterns...
DocsTeach
Evaluating a Needlework Sampler as Historical Evidence
Needlework isn't just for home decor; it can also help record family history. Academics analyze a needlework sampler to understand how they were used to record marriages and births. The activity includes a series of written questions,...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Skeletons Reveal Human and Chimpanzee Evolution
Ardipithecus ramidus shares features with both humans and chimpanzees. Learn about where Ardi, humans, and chimps fit in the tree of life by comparing anatomical features including the foot, pelvis, and teeth. After exploring those...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Using the Scientific Process to Study Human Evolution
Did humans and dinosaurs coexist? How do we know? Scholars dig in to the tools and methods researchers used to study the process of human evolution by watching a slideshow with embedded video clips. Pupils learn the importance of asking...
Curated OER
Human Evolution: Biology, Bones
Learners will love a weeks worth of bone study. They use bones and characteristics of bones to explore the evolution of hominoids. Bones are compared, categorized, and considered. A great way to bring physical anthropology and material...
Curated OER
Warm Up: When Modern Human Behavior Appeared in Early Hominids
Upper graders or entry college level learners use the provided article links to answer three questions regarding early modern human behavior. They compose short essay responses that accommodate each part of the overarching question,...
Curated OER
The Earliest Humans
Study the wonder and science that leads us to our human past. From Darwin and Huxley's assertions regarding the origin of the species to the discoveries at Oldivi Gorge, this PowerPoint is sure to interest your class. They'll learn about...
Curated OER
Human Origins: The Prehistoric Human Race
When it comes to the origin of the human species students are full of misconceptions. Clear up the hominid confusion with this evolutionary activity focused on assisting students in understanding prehistoric man and his family tree....
Curated OER
Roots: The Ancestry of Modern People
High schoolers investigate the models for the origin of modern humans and the conditions that facilitate speciation and evolution. The classification and nomenclature of hominid species is also examined.
Curated OER
The Real Eve
Young scholars research about human migration during a specific time period. In this physical science lesson, students watch a video about human evolution. They prepare a presentation on human migration and share it with the class.
Curated OER
The First Humans: Prehistory-3500 B.C. "Lucy"
Students explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry lesson plan, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Students investigate the...
Curated OER
Mystery of the Matching Marks
Learners view a Power Point and complete activities related to genetic evidence of human evolution. In this molecular evolution instructional activity, students view and discuss a provide presentation. They search for the "tell-tale...
Curated OER
Global Awareness
High schoolers read about how scientists are arriving at current theories of human origin and migration through mitochondrial DNA analysis. They then piece together a map showing the data from mitochondrial DNA analysis to plot the...
Curated OER
Hominid Series
Students are introduced to the human stages of evolution. They complete a series of lessons on identifying the cranial structure for various hominids, understanding the timeline involved in human evolution and investigating ancient...