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 lesson incorporates video, discussion, and hands-on learning to demonstrate how...
Curated OER
Investigating Our Past: Where Did Humans Come From?
Investigate the theories of human evolution. In this research based lesson, learners research and discuss how geographic isolation, interbreeding, generalization, and specialization are factors in the history of humans. Groups work...
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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....
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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...
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How Did Humans Evolve?
Students complete an online activity in which they examine fossils to find possible hominid family trees.
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The First Humans: Prehistory-3500 B.C. "Lucy"
Students explore prehistoric times by completing web activities in class. In this human ancestry lesson, students identify the archaeological discovery of the "Lucy" skeleton and what it meant for science. Students investigate the Leakey...
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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.
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Hominid Diet
Students listen to an interview with Lucinda Backwell regarding fossil evidence that early hominids included termites in their diets. They participate in a discussion to investigate the significance of these findings.
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Human Evolution
Students investigate hominid evolution to learn the difference between a relative and an ancestor. They study the emergence of bipedalism and the related physical adaptations and cultural ramifications, and chart patterns of hominid...
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Cracking the Genetic Code
Students examine an article, "Genome 'Treasure Trove'" and participate in a class discussion prior to researching further information in order to write their own feature article on the Human Genome Project.
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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.
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Studying Fossils
Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans: brain size, teeth, hand and thumb, trunk, pelvis, lower limb, foot and big toe. They then sort and group a set of mixed "fossil bones" of chimpanzee...
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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...
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International Institute of Archaeology an Anthropology
Students research early humans and their cultures. They conduct Internet research, discuss their findings with their group, evaluate the information provided by artifacts, and create a report to present to a simulated archaeology institute.
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Investigating Our Past: Where Did Humans Come From?
High schoolers brainstorm about evolution and explore the processes of evolution. In this investigative lesson students map out evolution and compare the two theories after researching them.
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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...
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Comparing Fossils
Students explore early hominid evolution as they analyze bones that share characteristics of both apes and humans. Students compare and contrast key skeletal differences between chimpanzees and humans. In groups, they sort and group a...
Time Warp Trio
The Caveman Catastrophe
Young archaeologists study the development of human history, and work in groups to create a timeline that traces the development of humans. Additionally, the groups utilize a very clever graphic organizer embedded in the plan in order to...
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Classification of Intertidal Organisma
Students categorize animals. In this animal classification lesson, students group animals by their characteristics. Students break into groups and work together to classify the animals. Students fill out a graphic organizer with their...
National Center for Case Study Teaching in Science
The Dating Game
Learn about the human's ancestors through the (carbon) Dating Game. Use the script to have your high schoolers act out one round of the game. Once they have the idea, they will research another human ancestor and play a second round the...
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Prehistory Web Quest
Sixth graders identify how geography and climate determine the lives of early hominids, the characteristics of hunter-gatherer societies, how animals affected the lives of early hominids, and how hominids overcame their physical...
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Building Bodies
Young scholars identify key anatomical similarities and differences between great apes and humans. They infer likely anatomical features in ancient human ancestors and list principal anatomical changes in primates necessary for...
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Ardipithecus ramidus: A Prehistory Lesson Plan
Students discover details about the genus Ardipithecus. For this prehistory lesson, students listen to a lecture about the attributes of Ardipithecus. Students then conduct further research on either Ardipithecus ramidus or...
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Comparison of Human and Chimpanzee Chromosomes
Students actively engage in the careful analysis of chromosome banding patterns and identify examples of inversion in homologous chromosomes.