Building Blocks of Prehistory:
Chapter of “My Story of the World”
Goal: Retell the story of where humans first “began,” how they
survived, and how changes in weather affected how early
humans lived.
Read both texts twice: once for meaning; and a second time to
write meaningful sentences.
Read pages 30-35; 38-41 in Our World. Read pages 4-9 in A
Little History of the World:
Africa:
Great Rift Valley:
Prehistoric:
Stone Age:
Paleolithic:
Hunter-Gatherer:
Prey:
Stone tools:
Ice Age:
Neanderthal:
Bronze Age:
Write a mini-chapter on prehistory made up two to five paragraphs.
Follow the Goal at the top.
Name: ______________
Date: _______________
Fill-in-the-Blank “Ladder” for Mini-Chapter on Prehistory for “My
Story of History”
Directions: Use this worksheet to help you get used to the process of
researching and writing your own mini-chapter.
First, read through the below fill-in-the-blank mini-chapter.
Second, read pages 5 through 9 in A Little History of the World, and
read pages 30 through 35, and pages 38 through 41 in Our World.
Third, use the same pages in both books to write sentences with/about
the assigned words. These are sentences that are: a) related to the
subject b) use information from the books c) satisfy the goal of the
mini-chapter.
Last, use information from the fill-in-the-blank sentences to construct
your own mini-chapter. Use all or none of the fill-in-the-blank
sentences. Add your own. Just make sure that it makes sense.
Goal: Retell the story of where humans first “began,” how they
survived, and how changes in weather affected how early humans
lived.
Sentences:
According to scientists, human beings started living in Africa
about 2 million years ago. The old human bones found in Africa were
found in an area in Tanzania called The Great Rift Valley Prehistory
is the time that comes before writing, when there were no written
records and dates. The period of prehistory is called the Stone Age,
because during this time people flaked and sharpened sticks and
stones in order to make or invent knives.
The Old Stone Age is also Paleolithic. This time period lasted
from about 70,000 to about 12,000 years ago. Prehistoric humans
were called gathers, because they gathered plants and vegetables and
because they hunted animals. The animals hunted by hunter -gatherers
are called their prey. These animals were important, because they
allowed early humans to survive.
Stone tools were made by a process called flaking, during which
prehistoric hunters chipped pieces of stone to give them a sharp edge.
Life during the Ice Age was hard for prehistoric people,
because of climatic changes. The temperature was cold; the winters
were long and freezing; and the snow was deep.
Some human ancestors before modern humans were named
Neanderthal, because their bones have been discovered in the Neander
valley in Germany. They had a thick, low forehead.
About 6,000 years ago, people discovered that could use mix
different types of metals to make tools and weapons and armor and
jewelry.
Name: Katherine Maurno
Prehistory Mini-Chapter Checklist
The following checklist is not a quiz; it is simply a way for you to
find out if any important information in your mini-chapter is incorrect.
The checklist is a tool to perfect your mini-chapter. Once you know
what is wrong, you can search for the correct information, revise your
mini-chapter, and earn a 100. The goal is mastery.
Directions:
1. In class, not at home, open up your prehistory mini-chapter
in your wiki.
2. Copy and paste the below checklist underneath/after the
mini-chapter paragraphs. You will need to use the Edit
function. Make sure to insert your name.
3. Answer the checklist questions. USE YOUR MINICHAPTER! (As you answer questions, you are in the Edit
function.)
4. When you are done, save your checklist.
5. Send Mr. Baskin an e-mail so he can go into your wiki,
review your checklist and essay. He will tell you what your
fact grade is on your mini-chapter, and possibly give you
suggestions on how to improve the essay’s development,
sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, etc.
6. Remember, the goal is simple: Master the key facts and
master the basics of expository [descriptive] essay writing.
Checklist Questions (USE ONE-WORD ANSWERS, IF
POSSIBLE.]
1. According to archeologists, on what continent is it believed
that human life began?
2. About how old are the oldest human bones?
3. What is the term/word we use to refer to that time before
written records--before history?
4. During what “Age,” did humans use stones, bones, and wood
to make simple tools?
5. What scientific word do we use to refer to the Old Stone
Age?
6. Prehistoric humans were not farmers; they were not factoryworkers; they were not engineers; they were not officeworkers. What two-word, hyphenated phrase do we use to
refer to how they got food?
7. Upon what did prehistoric humans prey? In fact, we still prey
on them.
8. At the end of what very cold period did the diet of humans
change when glaciers began to melt and the Earth warmed up?
9. What is the name of the prehistoric humans whose skulls
were found in a valley in Germany, who were known for their
low foreheads and thick bones?
10. What are the two metals used to make bronze tools—thus
the name of the next technological period: the Bronze Age?