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.
Handout
Talk Origins Archive

Talkorigins: Biography: Donald Johanson

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of Donald Johanson, an anthropologist who has discovered many homo erectus skeletons.
Website
Smithsonian Institution

Smithsonian Education: Decoding the Past

For Students 9th - 10th
The Smithsonian offers students a background on what archaeology is and what an archaeologist does. Several lesson plans are also provided.
Handout
Other

Fossil Record

For Students 9th - 10th
This effective site traces the history of modern man from his early ancestors (Australopithecus Afarensis) to Homo Sapiens sapiens.
Website
PBS

Pbs News Hour Extra: Scientists Discover Oldest Human Ancestor

For Students 9th - 10th
Scientists have recently published their research into fossil bones from Ethiopia that they say came from an ancestor common to both humans and chimpanzees. They have named the ancestor Ardipithecus ramidus. In the articles and video,...
Handout
Travel Document Systems

Tds: Malawi: History

For Students 9th - 10th
Learn about Malawi's history from its paleological beginnings to its recent elections. Information is from the U.S. State Dept. Background Notes.
Article
Scientific American

Scientific American: Oldest Member of the Human Family

For Students 9th - 10th
This article, published by Scientific American (July 11, 2002), highlights the discovery of a nearly complete skull of the oldest and most primitive member of the human family known yet. This fossil, found in central Africa, contains a...
eBook
Blackdog Media

Classic Reader: Before Adam by Jack London

For Students 9th - 10th
Read the full text of "Before Adam" by Jack London which tells the story about a man who dreams he lives the life of an early hominid.
Handout
BBC

Bbc: The Discovery of Fire

For Students 3rd - 8th
A brief but nice article which summarizes some of the theories concerning the discovery and use of fire by early humans.
Lesson Plan
Other

Personal Site: The Discovery of Fire

For Teachers 3rd - 8th
A firth grade lesson designed to introduce students to the discovery of fire and how early man might have discovered how they could use "fire".
Lesson Plan
Discovery Education

Discovery Education: Apes to Man

For Teachers 6th - 8th
This lesson plan explores the primates in the African savannas that were the first animals to walk erect (bipedalism), which is a milestone in human evolution.
Handout
University of Oxford (UK)

Pitt Rivers Museum: Methods of Making Fire

For Students 9th - 10th
An informative article summarizing the history of fire, how humans have used it and the various methods humans have used to start a fire.
Interactive
BBC

Bbc History: Archaeology: Hunt the Ancestors

For Students 3rd - 8th
Role-playing game lets players explore many facets of archaeology by attempting to rescue a prehistoric burial site from destruction. Players quarry and analyze artifacts and are constrained by both time and budget. Archived.
Handout
Wikimedia

Wikipedia: Australopithecus Anamensis

For Students 9th - 10th
Wikipedia's entry on Australopithecus anamensis. It discusses its scientific classification, age and its posture.
Handout
Other

Cartage.org: Australopithecus Afarensis

For Students 9th - 10th
This essay provides a picture along with brief physical description of one of modern man's earliest ancestors.

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