Unit One
The
Prehistoric
Era
The Big Idea!
During the Prehistoric
Age humans relied
completely on what the
environment threw at
them in order to find
what they needed to
survive. Until some of
them learned they could
alter the environment!
Putvain
Out of Class Pass
Exchange for the Bathroom Pass
Or
Keep until end of unit for extra points
Additional Passes will cost you.
EU
EU1
Societies rise
and fall based
on ability to
manage
resources and
environment
EU2 Historical
Literacy
EU3:
Gathering and
Storing
Information
EU 4 Reading
Comprehension
EU 5
Informative
Writing
EU 6
Persistence
What you will learn this unit!
Humans developed the need for tools to survive –
specifically for:
 Finding Food
 Protection from Nature
 Spiritual “protection”
 Status and Reproduction
The Environment shaped culture by creating:
 Nomadic Hunter Gatherers
 Tribal Governments
 Shamanistic Religions
Culture shaped the environment:
 Little in the Paleolithic
 Creation of villages and farms in
Neolithic
The relationship between tools, culture and the
environment is a never ending cycle
Terms and concepts from the Prehistoric time
period (See attached Vocab Sheet)
Students will take two column notes
Students will read to find main idea and
supporting details
Students will write an informative report that has
purpose, organization and supporting detail.
You will work to be persistent at:
Using class time to its fullest
Doing all of your assignments
Reading a complex text by breaking it down into
manageable chunks without panicking!
Doing rewrites on a writing draft until mastery is
met
How you will be assessed
End of the unit in class
test.
End of Unit In Class Word
Identification Test
Turn in notebook of class
notes for Pre Assessment
Life Support Status Report
reading project and paper.
Life Support Status Report
reading project and paper.
Class Observations
Life Support Status Report
Self Assessment.
How you will learn the material this unit.
Warning!, this guide is meant to let you know what we will be doing in class; not so much when we will be doing it.
This is just a rough idea of when certain assignments will be assigned and updates will provided on the board.
Lesson 1: Building Background Knowledge – find out about the Prehistoric Age.
Homework: Read Chapter 1 Section 2 (1:2) in your text book. Using the context of the text, write the definition
of any word on your Vocab Sheet (located in this packet) that you come across in the reading.
Then answer the questions in the Reading Worksheet.
Class Work: Building common vocabulary. Be prepared to write the definition of key words into you vocab
sheet.
Quest for Fire (Movie) Sit back and be prepared for some stunning cinematic dialogue as we get the feel for
life in the Prehistoric.
Prehistoric Background
Reading Assignment
Chapter 1 Sec 2
Finding the Main Idea
Below is a question generated from each section of the reading assignment. Answer the question in one complete
sentence. The sentence that you write should be the main idea of that section.
Where did the first humans originate from? How did they spread throughout the world?
How did early humans adapt to survive in their harsh environments?
What were the earliest known forms of art?
How did early humans demonstrate a belief in the supernatural and life after death?
How did the development of farming change the way humans lived?
What do you find significant about the village of Skara Brae?
Cause and Effect: Fill in the following chart using information on page 10, 11 and 12
CAUSE
EVENT
EFFECT
List 2
List 6
*
*
*
*
The Neolithic
Agricultural Revolution
*
*
*
*
Thinking Beyond
Looking at our societies today – it would seem that we have very little in common with Neolithic Humans. But,
look closer! Just how far have we advanced as a species? What major similarities do you see between our societies
and that of Neolithic societies?
Historical Content
You will be expected to know what the following terms are in your final unit test. Identify
what each word is and why it is significant using your reading, class notes, or both. This is an
ongoing assignment. Work on it each day to add in the new terms that you have learned. Feel
free to use a separate sheet of paper in your notebook.
Instructions: Define the following words first using your lecture notes and reading assignments as context. Then if
you need to you may use a dictionary or glossary. After defining the word – use it in a sentence.
Prehistoric
Paleolithic
Neolithic
Australopithecus
Homo Habilis
Homo Erectus
Neanderthal (Homo Sapien)
Cro Magnon (Homo Sapien Sapien)
Hunter/Gatherer
Nomad
Atlatl
Shaman
Lascaux Caves
Earth Mother
Animism
Domestication
Skara Brae/ Jericho/ Catal Huyuk
Job Specialization
Geography Activity One
Mental World Map.
Before we jump in and start talking about all these different places in the world – it is important that you
know where they are. So lets check and see what you already know about where things are in the world
Draw and label the following locations on a blank piece of paper without looking at any other map as a
reference. Do it just from your head. Don’t Cheat! You will learn from your mistakes so don’t feel you
need to get it perfect. Don’t worry about it being too detailed – basic blobs will do it.
Step One: Draw and label the Continents and major land areas.
North and South America, Europe, Asia, Africa, Australia, Antarctica.
Don’t forget to draw in and label the following areas: The Middle East, Indonesia, Scandinavia.
Step Two: Label the following bodies of Water: Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, Indian Ocean,
Mediterranean Sea, Black Sea, Red Sea, North Sea
Step Three: O.K. – now that you’ve got that down – let’s see if you can locate the following
areas that we will pay particular attention to in this course. Label the following places on your
map. If you didn’t draw them on your first map – add them in.
Iraq, Israel, Syria, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, Morocco, Libya, India, China, Japan, Nepal,
Libya, Spain, France, England, Scotland, Ireland, Germany, Italy, Greece, Turkey, Norway,
Sweden, Mexico, Peru, Papua New Guinea.
Step Four: Now your ready for a real challenge, label the following rivers:
Nile, Tigris, Euphrates, Indus, Yellow, Ganges, Congo, Yangzi
Geography Assignment Two
Now that you’ve given your best attempt at locating the following places on your own – correct your map using the
atlas in the back of your text book. Use a different colored pen to mark over your first map, ( or if your first map is
just way too wrong – start over). Label everything correctly and start memorizing. Prepare for a test where you will
have to label certain areas from memory. You will have as many chances to pass the test as you need until you get it
right.
Enrichment Assignments
Listed below are the instructions for various enrichment activities that will let you play around with the material we do in class.
You must complete one this unit – but you are free to choose additional ones for extra credit. Read them thoroughly
and then complete the assignment in your notebook unless otherwise stated.
Cargo!
In the video, Jalli asked why westerners have so much Cargo. Take an inventory of your cargo. Try to write down a
list of everything you own personally, (not your entire family household – just your stuff). When your list is done
answer the following reflection questions:
 What do you think Jalli would think about your list of Cargo?
 If you had to leave immediately and unexpectedly and could only take what you could carry with you for a
long period of time – what would you bring?
 Why do you think you are fortunate enough to own everything else?
Nacirema
Read the article on the Nacirema tribe which you can get from me. Then answer the following reflection questions
in your notebook:
 Would you like to live with the Nacirema tribe? Why or Why not?
 How is it do you think that that the Nacirema tribe is able to survive in today’s technological world?
 Do we as a society do anything similar to what you’ve read about the Nacirema?
 As we saw in the video – the highlanders of Papua New Guinea may appear to be less advanced than us –
but in ways far more intelligent than us. Based on anything you may have discovered in reading Nacirema,
why should we not be quick to judge other cultures as less advanced?
Say What?!
Over this long weekend conduct the following experiment. Choose a 6-12 hour time period (when you are not
sleeping) and in that time period do not speak or communicate in any recognizable form. That means that you can
make noises out of your mouth – but no recognizable words or letters – just grunts and sounds. You also may not
write with any recognizable words – you may scribble or draw pictures. You may not point to words either. For the
extra adventurous – limit your contact to hearing or seeing recognizable language – that means no TV, music,
Internet etc. Make sure you always listen to your parents and family though. When your hours are done, have a
parent sign off on a page of your notebook that you have finished the experiment and then answer the following
reflection questions.
 Despite not being able to use recognizable language were you able to still communicate? How?
 How did you spend your time differently when you couldn’t speak?
 What advantageous do people who can speak have? What disadvantageous?
 Did you enjoy this opportunity or hate it: Why?
Cave Art
Go on line to the Lascoux Cave official website at . Explore the cave until you find a painting with a bird head on a
stick with a man with a bird head. (Make sure to take some time exploring the site - its all pretty cool.) Once you
find the painting of the Bird Man, write a one page narrative that tells the story of what you think is going on in this
picture. What happened here, and what was the painter trying to tell the world 15,000 yrs ago?
Or – for the truly adventurous – grab some natural materials of your own (charcoal, mud, rocks, plants) and paint a
picture that tells your own story.
Unit Grading Rubric
Assessment
400 points
Geography
Historical
Content
Unit Essential
Ideas
Unit Big Idea
100
95
All locations
Misses one
identified
Test Percentage
85
Misses two
75
65
Keep Trying
0
Test Percentage
See Assignment
Writing
Pre Assessment: No Score
Purpose
Organization
Detail
100
95
See Assignment
See Assignment
See Assignment
85
75
65
0
100
Exceptional
thought and
detail
85
Misses one of
95 description
75
Misses Two
65
Misses three –
but attempt
made
0
No work done
Contains most
Missing info
Missing lots
of info
Not done
Note Taking
100 points
Student Finds
Main Idea
from Reading
Students
Record Class
Notes
Contains
additional
info then what
is on slides
95
Complete
sentence used
to identify
accurate main
idea from
each passage,
all cause and
effects found,
detailed
thought to
Thinking
question
Contains all
info on slides,
neat and
readable
Work Ethic
200 points
100
95 with
additional
Enrichment
Activities
done
95
All work
done, with
detail and
specifics.
Care taken to
see
information is
accurate
Work done on
Time
Work is
organized
Early
On Time
Classroom
Engagement
Turn in Unit
Pass
Student
Completes
Assignments






Class
Notes
Reading
Asgn
Maps
Village
Asgn
Enrich.
Act.
Content
Sht.
Work is
labeled, in
order and in
notebook
Helpful and
engaged
85
May contain
less detail and
thought.
Contain a few
inaccuracies
Missing one
75
Missing one
assignment
65
Missing
multiple
assignments
to prepare for
assessments
0
No work done
Late
Not done
Missing two
Not labeled,
not in order,
not in
notebook
chatty
1 planning
room or out of
class
Multiple
referrals