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 minichapter.
First, read through the below fill-in-the-blank minichapter.
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 minichapter.
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 called Paleolithic Era. This
time period lasted from about 70,000 years ago to about
12,000 years ago. Prehistoric humans were called hunter
gatherers, 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 hunter’s 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 very cold; the winters were long and freezing; and
snow was very 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: Mikaila Medeiros
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- you know what is
wrong, you can search chapter is incorrect. The checklist is a tool to
perfect your mini-chapter. Once 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?
Africa
2. About how old are the oldest human bones? 2 million
3. What is the term/word we use to refer to that time before
written records--before history? Stone Age and or Prehistory
4. During what “Age,” did humans use stones, bones, and wood
to make simple tools? Stone Age
5. What scientific word do we use to refer to the Old Stone
Age? Prehistory
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? Hunter-Gatherers
7. Upon what did prehistoric humans prey? In fact, we still prey
on them. Animals and vegetation
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? Ice
Age
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? Neanderthals
10.
What are the two metals used to make bronze tools—thus
the name of the next technological period: the Bronze Age?
Tin and copper