1.1 The First Humans

• History
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1

1. The Age of Hunters and Farmers

1.1 The first humans

What is this lesson about?

Some people believe that a god or gods created the first humans. Scientists say that it took millions of years before people evolved into what we are now. 

Archaeologists have found bones of the first humans in Africa. Modern humans are called Homo sapiens and they didn’t stay living in Africa. Instead they spread all over the world.

Which Age are we studying in this Unit?

The Age of hunters and farmers

∞ - 3.000 BC

What you will learn in 

this lesson

• the definition of the evolution theory;
• what the "Out of Africa" theory means;

Work in pairs (1 answer per pair)

Who was the first human and how do we know that?

Why do we know the names of many historical people, like Columbus and Julius Ceasar, but we don't know the names of Prehistoric people (and we probably never will...)
Can you explain this?

Where did the first humans come from?
Is there a definitive answer? 

Or a bit of both?

Video

The first humans - BBC earth

0

Read Lucy (page 8)
What words are not clear to you?

1. In your textbook, read Lucy (p.8)
Copy the sentence from the text that explains what fossils are.

Lucy, 1974

2. Look at the drawing of Lucy on page 8. Here you see another
kind of reconstruction; it shows us what Lucy might have
looked like when she was still alive. (click the photo to enlarge)

Why would a museum use this kind of reconstruction instead
of a display that only shows a few bones from a skeleton?

1. Because it attracts people more than showing only bones.
2. Because Lucy was a beautiful girl.
3. Because we know exactly what Lucy looked like.
4. A, B and C are all correct

3a. The scientists were looking for fossils, but were really interested in the remains of early humans in Ethiopia.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

3b. The scientists knew right away that they had found remains of a human.

1. TRUE
2. FALSE

Where do humans come from?

What is a creation narrative?

It is a story that says....

1. humans were created by scientists
2. God was created by humans
3. God was created by scientists
4. humans were created by God

6a. In your textbook, read "Where do humans come from" (p.9)
Create a correct English sentence with these words:

by a god / humans / people believed / created / at first / were

6b. In your textbook, read "Where do humans come from" (p.9)
Create a correct English sentence with these words:

Adam and Eve / is the story of / of a creation narrative / a famous example

6c. In your textbook, read "Where do humans come from" (p.9)
Create a correct English sentence with these words:

God / is a story / A creation narrative / were created by / that says humans

Theory of evolution

Charles Darwin, who saw that animal species has adapted in different places to different conditions in climate and landscape.

THEORY OF EVOLUTION

Charles Darwin (1809-1882), known for the book 'on the Origin of Species'.

Read Theory of evolution (page 9)
What words are not clear to you?

5. In your textbook, read "Theory of evolution".

Drag the missing words to the correct place in the text.

Darwin

changes

puzzle

apes

survive

fossils

9. Make the correct combinations

archaeologist

paleontologist

historian

Out of Africa theory

all years are BC.

10 000

10. In your textbook, read "Out of Africa" (p.10)

Describe the Out of Africa theory in your own words.

Write down one question about something from this lesson that you find difficult.
(anonymous)

lesson 1.1: The first humans

There are multiple theories about the origins of mankind. 
One possibility: the creation narrative (story that says God created man and the rest of the world)

Scientists believe in the theory of evolution. a theory that describes that modern man evolved in Africa and then migrated to other areas in the world.

Word Duty

1.1 First humans

Creation narrative: a story about a god or gods to explain human creation.

Theory of evolution: The theory that explains that creatures are adapting to their surroundings and therefore change and develop over time.

Out of Africa theory: All humans have developed to homo sapiens in Africa and then spread across the world. 

KEY WORDS