The Origins of Humanity

The Origins of Humanity

Learning Objective

At the end of the lesson you will be able to describe the origins of humanity and the world's first people.

Introduce the learning objective and explain its importance in understanding human history.

What do you already know
about the world's first people?

Introduction

The story of humanity begins in Africa, where the first humans evolved over millions of years.

Introduce the topic and establish the timeline for the lesson.

Homo habilis

Homo habilis, meaning 'handy man', was the first species of human to use tools.

Explain the characteristics of Homo habilis and their importance in human evolution.

Homo erectus

Homo erectus was the first species to leave Africa and migrate to other parts of the world.

Explain the characteristics of Homo erectus and their importance in human migration.

Homo neanderthalensis

Homo neanderthalensis, or Neanderthals, were a close relative of modern humans that lived in Europe and Asia.

Explain the characteristics of Neanderthals and their relationship to modern humans.

Anatomically Modern Humans

Anatomically modern humans, Homo sapiens, evolved in Africa around 200,000 years ago.

Explain the characteristics of anatomically modern humans and their importance in human history.

Out of Africa

Around 70,000 years ago, a group of humans left Africa and began to populate the rest of the world.

Explain the significance of the Out of Africa theory and how it changed human history.

Paleolithic Era

The Paleolithic Era, or Old Stone Age, lasted from 2.6 million years ago to around 10,000 BCE.

Introduce the Paleolithic Era and its importance in human history.

Hunter-Gatherers

The world's first people were hunter-gatherers, meaning they hunted wild animals and gathered plants for food.

Explain the lifestyle of hunter-gatherers and their impact on the environment.

Cave Art

Cave art, created by early humans, provides insight into their beliefs and way of life.

Show examples of cave art and ask students to interpret their meaning.

Domestication of Plants and Animals

Around 10,000 BCE, humans began to domesticate plants and animals, leading to the rise of agriculture.

Explain the significance of the domestication of plants and animals and its impact on human society.

End of the Ice Age

Around 10,000 BCE, the Earth's climate began to warm and the ice sheets melted, leading to the end of the Ice Age.

Explain the significance of the end of the Ice Age and its impact on human migration and settlement.

Development of Language

The development of language allowed humans to communicate complex ideas and form societies.

Explain the significance of language development in human history and its impact on society.

Summary

The world's first people evolved over millions of years in Africa, migrated to other parts of the world, and developed complex societies.

Summarize the main points of the lesson and ask students to reflect on what they have learned.

Assessment

What were the characteristics of the world's first people?

Assess the students' understanding of the lesson by asking them to answer the assessment question.

Discussion

How did the world's first people adapt to their environment?

Encourage students to discuss the topic and share their ideas.

Activity

Create a cave painting that represents your understanding of the world's first people.

Provide materials for students to create their own cave paintings and allow time for them to share their work.

Further Reading

Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind by Yuval Noah Harari

Recommend a book for students to read to deepen their understanding of human history.

Sources

https://www.nationalgeographic.org/topics/human-evolution/, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Homo-erectus, https://www.britannica.com/topic/Neanderthal

List the sources used in the lesson for students to explore further.

Write down 3 things you learned in this lesson.

Have students enter three things they learned in this lesson. With this they can indicate their own learning efficiency of this lesson.

Write down 2 things you want to know more about.

Here, students enter two things they would like to know more about. This not only increases involvement, but also gives them more ownership.

Ask 1 question about something you haven't quite understood yet.

The students indicate here (in question form) with which part of the material they still have difficulty. For the teacher, this not only provides insight into the extent to which the students understand/master the material, but also a good starting point for the next lesson.