Unit 1 - Human origins, the Neolithic and Paleolithic Eras; Early Man

Stage 1: Desired Results

Curriculum Frameworks and Learning Standards
Overview and Introduction
Students review concepts of world geography and different social sciences to help develop an understanding of the
world, both past and present

MA Standards
Topic 1: Studying complex societies, past and present [6.T1]
*Supporting question: What do the social sciences contribute to our understanding of the world?
1. Explain how different academic fields in the social sciences concentrate on different means of studying societies in
the past and present.
2. Give examples of ways in which a current historical interpretation might build on, extend, or reject an interpretation
of the past.
3. Give examples of how archaeologists, historians, geographers, economists, and political scientists work as teams to
analyze evidence, develop hypotheses, and construct interpretations of ancient and classical civilizations.
Topic 2. Human origins, the Neolithic and Paleolithic Eras [6.T2]
*Supporting Question: How did life on Earth begin and why did humans form complex societies?
1. Describe the great climatic and environmental changes that shaped the earth and eventually permitted the growth
of human life.
2. Identify sites where archaeologists have found evidence of the origins of modern human beings and explain current
theories of how human groups moved from Africa over time into the continents now known as Asia, Europe, the
Americas, and Oceania. Give examples of how ongoing archaeological research adds new data that changes
interpretations of how migrations and habitation sites are dated.
3. Explain that the term Paleolithic Era refers to the period of earliest human history, beginning c. 2.6 million years ago
to c, 11,700 years ago, characterized by the first use of stone tools, fire, hunting and gathering weapons, and, about
50,000 years ago, by cave painting, sculpture, tools, and artifacts using diverse materials such as bone, shell, stone,
mineral pigments, and wood).
4. Explain that the term Neolithic Era refers to the period beginning about 10,000 years ago to c. 4500 or c. 2000 BCE in
different parts of the world, in which the technologies of agriculture (growing crops and the domestication of animals)
and metallurgy (mining and working of metals) were invented and refined, and in which complex societies begin to
appear.
5. Explain how complex societies that practice agriculture may differ, some developing into permanently settled
communities, some being nomadic and moving livestock from place to place, some cultivating land temporarily and
moving to another location when a plot of land is no longer productive.
6. Explain that scholars have attempted to define the characteristics of a complex society (sometimes called
“civilization”) since the early 20th century, and although debates are ongoing, many cite these characteristics:
a. an economy that produces food surpluses
b. dense populations in distinct areas or cities
c. stratified social classes
d. specialized occupations
e. developed systems of government, religion, and learning
f. achievements in technology, art, and monumental architecture
g. systems of record keeping, either written or oral

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7. Explain the ways in which complex societies interact and spread from one region to another (e.g., by trade, cultural
or linguistic exchanges, migration, religious conversion, conquest, or colonization).
8. Construct and interpret a timeline that shows some of the key periods in the development of human societies in the
Paleolithic and Neolithic Eras. Use correctly the words or abbreviations for identifying time periods or dates in
historical narratives (decade, age, era, century, millennium, CE/AD, BCE/BC, c. and circa). Identify in BCE dates the
higher number as indicating the older year (that is, 3000 BCE is earlier than 2000 BCE).

Enduring Understandings Essential Questions

Big Idea: ➔ How did life on Earth begin and why did humans
The key features of a civilization include large population
centers, unique art and culture, a common language or form complex societies?
form of communication, systems of
government/administration, specialization in labor, ➔ What does the term Paleolithic Era refer to and
surpluses of food, and divisions of people into different
social and economic classes what are the defining characteristics of this era?

➔ What does the term Neolithic Era refer to and

what are the defining characteristics of this era?

➔ What are the climatic and environmental changes

that shaped the earth and eventually permitted

the growth of human life?

➔ What are some of the different ways that

agriculture practicing, complex societies develop?

Concepts Skills
Utilizing archaeology in the study of history

Hunter and gatherer societies Analyzing primary sources

Nomadic communities Assessing validity of and analyzing secondary sources

Permanently settled communities Geography and map skills

Features of a civilization Effective note taking

Features of the Paleolithic Era Critical thinking

Features of the Neolithic Era Informative writing

Persuasive writing

Researching and citations

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Stage 2: Assessment Evidence
Assessment

Vocab quiz

Pre-Unit exam

End Unit exam

Mapping Early Human Migrations assessment

Project: Create your own early civilization

Stage 3: Learning Activities

Instructional Techniques & Differentiation

● Whole class discussion/lecture with modeling of activities

● Partner/group activities with selective grouping
● Visuals to help with understanding of vocabulary/concepts
● Completed vocabulary sheets
● Games to reinforce content/vocab
● multi-modal resources
● Graphic organizers where applicable
● Guided notes/interactive notes

Learning Activities Resources

The Laetoli footprints: video
○ Guided class discussion
Human Origins, show selected clips Ted-ed
○ Guided debate
Louise Leakey: Digging for humanity's origins
○ Classroom lectures/presentations
Did Humans Make These Ancient Cave Paintings? |
○ Hominids of the Paleolithic Age
National Geographic
interactive notebook page
Mankind: The Story of All of Us: Birth of Farming | History
○ Early Migration mapping activity
Channel
○ “Classroom Artifacts” activity
Video: Morgan Freeman, Tour of Çatalhöyük
○ Çatalhöyük reading and worksheet
Ted ed - What can you learn from ancient skeletons? -
○ Timeline of Prehistoric Civilizations
Farnaz Khatibi
assignment digital notebook
Video: Traits of a Civilization

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○ Hunter-gatherers digital notebook

assignment

○ Human migration digital notebook

assignment

○ Characteristics of a civilization

interactive notebook page