Article
Other

Asa: "The Antiquity and the Unity of the Human Race"

For Students 9th - 10th
This paper, published by American Scientific Affiliation (ASA), explores the possibility of Adam and Eve's existence while addressing both the scientific and biblical-theological perspective.
Unit Plan
PBS

Wgbh/pbs: Explore Your Inner Animals

For Students 9th - 10th
Click on a highlighted portion of the skeleton to open up a brief video presentation and written summary explaining how that part of the human has come from our ancient ancestors.
Interactive
Howard Hughes Medical Institute

Hhmi: Bio Interactive: Explore Your Inner Animals

For Students 9th - 10th
Did you know parts of our body was inherited from distant animal ancestors? In this interactive students will investigate different anatomical features of the human body to reveal our evolutionary history. Learn how humans share...
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.
Activity
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Activity: Hunter Gatherer Menu

For Students 9th - 10th
Understand the diet of our foraging ancestors through this exercise. At the end of this exercise, students will be able to compare our diet to our ancestors.
Graphic
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Threshold Card: Threshold 6 Collective Learning

For Students 9th - 10th
A collective learning infographic on the unit of how our ancestors evolved.
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Lucy and the Leakeys

For Students 9th - 10th
An article that discusses the Leakey's investigations to find human origins in Africa.
Handout
BBC

Bbc: Science and Nature: Three Million Years Ago

For Students 9th - 10th
Take a trip back to three million years ago and learn about the different animals and their land that relate to the evolution of man. This article offers a look at the challenges and changes faced by our ancestors and suggests several...
Lesson Plan
Other

Bringing History Home: Immigration History

For Teachers 1st - 3rd
This 2nd grade unit invites children to learn their ancestors' native countries of origin. The take-home page for family ancestry offers several alternatives to citing a specific family immigration history. Studying immigration provides...
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: A Comparative Analysis: Homo Habilis vs. Homo Erectus

For Students 9th - 10th
Describes Homo habilis and Homo erectus, two early ancestors of humans. Discusses how they were discovered, their characteristics, and what we know about them, with the information clearly laid out in a chart along with some comparative...
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.
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...
Activity
Science Buddies

Science Buddies: Now You See It, Now You Don't! Test Your Peripheral Vision

For Students 3rd - 8th
The survival of our ancient ancestors depended on their ability to use peripheral vision to find prey and to avoid predators. Almost everything we do-from riding a bike, to dribbling a basketball, to reading a book-depends on peripheral...
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.
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...
Website
PBS

Pbs Learning Media: Genetic Variation

For Students 9th - 10th
This video segment from NOVA: "Cracking the Code of Life" explores the genetic similarities and differences among organisms.
Unit Plan
TED Talks

Ted: Ted Ed: Why Wildfires Are Necessary

For Students 9th - 10th
Our early ancestors relied on lightning to cause forest fires, from which they could collect coals and burning sticks to help them cook food and clear land. Yet, it wasn't just humans who benefited from these natural phenomena. Even as...
Handout
Countries and Their Cultures

Countries and Their Cultures: Shona

For Students 9th - 10th
The Shona-speaking peoples comprise about 80 percent of the population of Zimbabwe, with significant groups in Mozambique. Most of what follows applies to the Shona in Zimbabwe, who have been extensively studied. There are now around...
Handout
BiologyWise

Biology Wise: Theories Behind the Extinction of Neanderthals

For Students 9th - 10th
Discusses the discovery of Homo neanderthalensis and describes the different theories that have been put forward to explain why Neanderthals became extinct.
Graphic
Curated OER

Unesco: Argentina: Cueva De Las Manos, Rio Pinturas

For Students 9th - 10th
The Cueva de las Manos, Rio Pinturas, contains an exceptional assemblage of cave art, executed between 13,000 and 9,500 years ago. It takes its name (Cave of the Hands) from the stencilled outlines of human hands in the cave, but there...
Handout
Khan Academy

Khan Academy: Jane Goodall

For Students 9th - 10th
A biography of Jane Goodall can be found on this site. Learn about her life and work with the chimpanzees.