Handout
Other

Cartage: Discovery of Early Hominids

For Students 9th - 10th
This comprehensive essay provides a brief history of the Australopithecines an in depth discussion of the discovery of the early fossils, and a look at the ancestors of the Australopithecines.
Handout
Science Struck

Science Struck: Lucy: The First Hominid Skeleton

For Students 9th - 10th
Read about the archaeologists who discovered the first Hominid skeleton and other ancestors of humans.
Website
The Field Museum

Field Museum: Exhibits: Evolving Planet: Hominids

For Students 9th - 10th
In this effective exhibit, you will examine hominid evolution, view pictures of our ancient ancestors, and delve into three trends in hominid evolution that brought humankind into the modern era. A video is also provided where you will...
Handout
Other

Washington State University: Hominid Species Timeline

For Students 9th - 10th
This complete resource contains a chronological chart that shows the main hominid species and their approximate relationships in time. A description of each hominid is included as well.
Website
University of California

Uc Berkeley: Ethiopian Fossils From 6 Million Year Old Hominid

For Students 9th - 10th
In this article from 2004, UC Berkeley reports that additional fossils have been found from the 2001 discovery of Ardipithecus kadabba. This find holds great importance because it is suggested that it may represent the first species...
Handout
Talk Origins Archive

Talk Origins: The Hominid Species

For Students 9th - 10th
Talk Origins gives a broad description of the types of Hominid species, and then gives a description of each species. Includes the specific characteristics of each, and explains the differences between the species.
Handout
Talk Origins Archive

Talk Origins: Fossil Hominids: Richard Leakey

For Students 9th - 10th
Biography of Richard Leakey that deals with his paleontological work and his efforts to preserve African wildlife.
Website
American Academy of Achievement

Academy of Achievement: Lee R. Berger, ph.d.

For Students 9th - 10th
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,...
Article
Scientific American

The Strange Case of the Minnesota Iceman

For Students 9th - 10th
The modern-day corpse of a human-like hominid, preserved in a block of ice, encountered by researchers in the 1960s. Surely the zoological discovery of the century!
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Answers to Exploration Questions: Human Evolution

For Students 9th - 10th
On this site, find answers to the exploration activity on human evolution. Questions discuss both physical traits of hominid as well as DNA evidence.
Graphic
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Laetoli Trackways Diagram

For Students 9th - 10th
View a diagram of the hominid footprints that archaeologist Mary Leakey's team found at Laetoli in Tanzania.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Sahelanthropus

For Students 9th - 10th
An encyclopedia article on the oldest known hominid discusses the features of the fossils that were found, the region in which they were found, and what this means for human evolution.
Unit Plan
PBS

Pbs Teachers:how Did Humans Evolve?

For Teachers 9th - 10th
Explore paleoanthropology by going on a virtual "dig" to answer questions about famous fossil finds. Explain how alternate hominid family trees result from different interpretations of the same fossil evidence.
Handout
American Association for the Advancement of Science

American Association for the Advancement of Science: The Oldest Known Campfires?

For Students 9th - 10th
A short article reporting on the discovery at an archaeological dig of an apparent human-controlled fire from 790,000 years ago. This early human would have been hominids.
Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: The Transforming Leap, From Four Legs to Two

For Students 9th - 10th
John Noble Wilford, a "New York Times" science writer, outlines various hypotheses on the origin of bipedalism.
Website
PBS

Pbs: Nova: The Boldest Hoax

For Students 9th - 10th
Beginning with a description of a NOVA program on the scientific hoax of the Piltdown Man, this site also offers a podcast interview with an archeologist, a transcript of the program, and a teacher's guide. While there is no proof of who...
Website
Other

Institute of Human Origins: Becoming Human

For Students 9th - 10th
Multimedia-rich guide for anyone making their way through a study of human origin. Find information and analysis about the fossil record, comparative anatomy, theories, and the cultural adaptations of humans and their ancestors. With an...
Website
Other

Archaeology.info: Homo Habilis

For Students 9th - 10th
This Archaeology.Info page contains information on the species Homo Habilis. The site includes an introduction, diagnostic features, conclusion, and bibliography.
Lesson Plan
Indiana University

Ensi: Comparison of Human: Chimpanzee Chromosomes Lesson

For Teachers 9th - 10th
This is a great lesson plan that combines Karoytypes and evolution. Students will recognize that the chromosomes of chimpanzees and humans are remarkably similar, then correlate that to their evolutionary relationship.
Handout
PBS

Pbs: Leakey Family Discovers Human Ancestors

For Students 9th - 10th
The PBS site covers the Leakey family and their discoveries in Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania. This information was part of a PBS exploration of human evolution.
Handout
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Riddle of the Bones

For Students 9th - 10th
At the online companion Web site of "Evolution," the seven-episode series on PBS, piece together clues to how one of our early ancestors looked as you examine images from four significant fossil finds of Australopithecus afarensis.
Handout
Archaeological Institute of America

Early Homo Erectus Tools in China

For Students 9th - 10th
An article which describes a fossil site in eastern China where evidence has been found that Home erectus may have been active in eastern China some 400,000 years earlier than scientists believed. The authors also summarize the debate...
Graphic
National Geographic

National Geographic: Geostories: Hominin History

For Students 5th - 9th
Launch the GeoStory to find out about hominins. There are many, many extinct hominins, a fraction of which are represented in this activity.
Activity
Read Works

Read Works: A Distant Relative

For Teachers 5th Standards
[Free Registration/Login Required] An informational text about a humanoid skull discovered in 2001. A question sheet is available to help students build skills in reading comprehension.

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