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...
American Museum of Natural History
Drawing Dinos
Five steps walk budding artists through the process of drawing a dinosaur. A drawing guide showcases four dinosaurs—stegosaurus, tyrannosaurus rex, triceratops, and allosaurus.
Council for Economic Education
The Neolithic Agricultural Revolution
What effect could one person's invention have on the human race? In the case of the Neolithic Agricultural Revolution, small improvements in farming methods led to increased food production. The human population began to boom, leading us...
Council for Economic Education
How Neolithic Farmers Increased Their Standard of Living
How do people improve their economic situations? While many learners may not consider questions about how many crops to grow in ancient times were economic decisions, a hands-on activity encourages individuals to make these connections....
Council for Economic Education
Great Civilizations Develop around Rivers
If you lived in prehistoric times, what kinds of choices could your family make to increase their chance of survival? By making similar decisions in a simulation game, participants discover how specialization creates both opportunity and...
Curated OER
Stone Tool Scavenger Hunt
Seventh graders use Internet to familiarize themselves with variety of stone tools used by early man, create information chart describing each tool and its purpose, and discuss why tools have survived thousands of years.
Curated OER
Pottery-making Methods
Students become experimental archaeologists using three methods of pottery making before the invention of the pottery wheel.
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
How "prehistoric" are you?
In this online interactive history quiz worksheet, students respond to 7 multiple choice questions about prehistoric times. Students may submit their answers to be scored.
Curated OER
Reconstructing Artifacts
Students investigate artifacts and reconstruct them. In this artifact lesson, students research archaeologists and Native American groups. Students plan a design for a clay pot which represent the Native American artifact.
Curated OER
Prehistoric Puzzle
In this science worksheet, middle schoolers find the words that are related to prehistoric times and the answers are found by clicking the link at the bottom of the page.
Curated OER
Ecoregions of Texas
Students map the ecoregions in Texas and illustrate the vegetation native to the region. They will use their maps to investigate why prehistoric hunter-gatherers might have decided to live in one area over another, such as the ancient...
Curated OER
La Vie en Cave!
Students explain the purpose of cave paintings and rock art, identify some of the animals that roamed France in prehistoric times, appreciate the methods used by ancient civilization to create cave and rock art, and use appropriate...
Curated OER
Dino Detectives
As students examine maps of Utah, 4th graders search for clues about what prehistoric life was like in Utah.