TED Talks
Spencer Wells: A family tree for humanity
All humans share some common bits of DNA, passed down to us from our African ancestors. Geneticist Spencer Wells talks about how his Genographic Project will use this shared DNA to figure out how we are -- in all our diversity -- truly...
Wonderscape
Debunking Misconceptions About Neanderthals
Explore the fascinating world of Neanderthals, our closest extinct human relatives, and debunk common misconceptions surrounding their intelligence and behavior. Learn about the origins of the Neanderthal species, their coexistence with...
Be Smart
Are We All Related?
All humans alive today descended from the same woman who lived just 150,000 years ago. A thought-provoking video explains this concept as part of a larger biology playlist. It lists the location where the woman lived as well as where our...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Great Transitions: The Origin of Tetrapods
The featured movie focuses on the ancestry of our four-footed friends. Find the fundamental pattern of their limbs and vertebrae in fossils of fish. After viewing, biology learners can enjoy interactive websites to zoom in on the...
Curated OER
Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, Part 7 of 13
The seventh entry in this 13-part series attempts to show the path the second migration wave took out of Africa. Young geneticists will learn how environmental stressors pushed a second wave of people into the Middle East, China, and...
Curated OER
Evolution Primer #5: Did Humans Evolve?
Clear up any confusion regarding human evolution and ancestry with this comprehensive clip. Using scientific evidence and concrete examples such as DNA, this clip explains human evolution in a way elementary learners can understand. This...
Curated OER
Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, Part 12 of 13
Part 12 starts with the Navajo story of creation and the journey of the ancient ancestors. Spencer argues the facts of this story with his genetic evidence. This episode recaps the journey thus far and attempts to describe the difference...
Curated OER
Journey of Man: A Genetic Odyssey, Part 5 of 13
Part five of the 13-part series begins with a refutable argument stating that genetically, the ancient people of Australia were populated by the first African ancestors. Spencer Wells travels to India to find the link that bridges...
PBS
When We Met Other Human Species
It seems the human species may have learned from its mistakes—when it comes to evolution, anyway. Examine the characteristics of ancient hominins in an installment of the PBS Eon series. The video instructor discusses fossil records to...
PBS
When We Took over the World
Exactly how did humans become the top of the food chain? Follow archeologists through an analysis of the fossil records during a video presentation from the PBS Eons series. The ancient artifacts trace human evolution from Africa to the...
Be Smart
The Impossible Hugeness of Deep Time
Can we really grasp how old we are? Part of a larger series, the humorous video demonstration shows how humans fit into the history of Earth and just how long ago life formed. Viewers explore a timeline that identifies major markers in...
PBS
When We First Walked
Out of all mammals, only humans walk on two feet. Discuss the current scientific understanding of when this specific adaptation began. A video shares facts about many different species and theories about why the shift occurred. New...
Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell
A New History for Humanity—The Human Era
When was the year 0? Scholars view a short video clip on the history of humanity to determine just when to mark the start of human time. They analyze how the human population changed the earth and the structures of humanity, ultimately...
Howard Hughes Medical Institute
Great Transitions: The Origin of Humans
What makes you human? Bipedality, tool use, and large brains, of course! Scholars learn about the early evolution of humans by watching a video. Scientists explain the challenges in studying early humans and the information gleaned from...
FuseSchool
Fossils and Evidence for Evolution
What was the paleontologist's favorite album? The fossil record! Introduce the concept of fossils as evidence for evolution to your biology class with an inspiring video. The narrator of the Fuse School video from the Evolution playlist...
FuseSchool
The Evolution of Humans
We've come a long way! Biology scholars travel back to the big bang, then follow the path of the simple organisms that led to modern Homo sapiens through an engaging Fuse School Evolution video. Content includes key events in our...
SciShow
Facts about Human Evolution
In 2004, scientists found skeletons of a hobbit-like creature in Asia. This discovery is just one more part of the large human evolution puzzle. Scientists continue to build the puzzle with missing pieces and confusing information. This...
Curated OER
Human PreHistory 101: Prologue
The Khan Academy displays an animated and narrated clip about human prehistory and the relationships between us and our ancestors. The formal narration is balanced by the hand-drawn animation, making an attraction that is sure to hold...
Curated OER
Human Evolution Made Easy
Add this video to your classroom collection! Human evolution is covered from the beginnings of evolutionary theory to the paleo-anthropologists who uncovered a multitude of evidence showing the changes that lead to modern man. Intended...
Curated OER
Human Ancestry Made Easy
Explore the Out of Africa Theory, genetics, and human ancestry with this clear and interesting video clip. Older scientists will gain a basic understanding of how genetic markers have helped anthropologists determine the origin and...