6th Grade UBD - Unit 2 - Early Humans

Human Migration- Global climate change thousands of years ago had
many effects. Wild animals moved to new areas. Early hunter-gatherers
traveled out of Africa. Over time, they spread to the Middle East, Asia,
Oceania, and North and South America.

The Hunter-Gatherer Life- Early humans used fire, weapons, and other
increasingly advanced tools to protect and care for the members of their
social groups.

Language and Art- The creation of social groups led to more
communication among early humans. Homo sapiens had the ability to
speak and use language. This helped individuals and groups interact.
Modern humans also began to express themselves through art.

From what you know
already know about early
humans how did their
environment impact their
daily life. What are some
ways that humans today
are influenced by their
environment? (5 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
answer with theirs.
What things are
the same and what
things are
different? (3
minutes)

Early humans left Africa for the Middle East and Asia
when the grassy lands of Africa turned into a desert.

Warmer temperatures encouraged modern humans
to spread into Europe.

Lower sea levels allowed humans to travel from
China to Oceania by foot. They were also able to
travel from Siberia to Alaska over the Bering Land
Bridge.

Historians are not sure exactly
where the first Homo sapiens, or
modern humans, appeared.

However, the earliest fossils have
been found in the south and east
of Africa. They are believed to be
more than 150,000 years old.

Africa had warm, pleasant weather
and crops grew well there.

Around 80,000 years ago,
the Earth’s climate changed
in a huge way.

This type of change is known
as the Ice Age.

This harmed the early
humans who were huntergatherers since it made
getting food more difficult.

During the Ice Age humans lived
by following and hunting the
large herds of animals that
roamed across the lands.

As the early humans traveled,
they would gather nuts, fruits,
and plants.

Early humans constantly had to
find both food and water.
Key Term
Ice Age- A period of
time when huge sheets
of ice covered much of
the earth's land, formed
from ocean water,
leaving ocean levels
lower than they are now
which exposed dry land
that connected the
continents.
Key Term
Hunter-Gatherer-
A person who
finds food by
hunting, fishing,
and gathering
wild grains, fruits,
and nuts.

Early humans search for food
and water led them overtime to
crossed the Red Sea into what
is now Yemen.

There they hoped to find a
better place to live.

This was the period of the first
human migration, or largescale movement of people, to
new lands.

After crossing the Red Sea, groups of
hunter-gatherers spread out into
several different regions.

Heavy rains in India and Arabia
caused the rivers of the area to
flood.

To avoid the flooding rivers, wild
animals moved north and east. The
hunter-gatherers followed the
animals.

Some groups of humans followed
the coast around India and
Southeast Asia. This route brought
them to modern-day China and
Russia.

Other groups stayed in Southwest
Asia. They traveled up the Tigris and
Euphrates Rivers. This area is now
known as the Fertile Crescent. It was
here that the earliest organized
human civilizations would form.
Key Term
The Fertile
Crescent- A
crescent-shaped
area where
agriculture and
civilizations evolved
first.
Video- Migration to the Fertile Crescent

During the Ice Age, early
humans did not live in Europe.
The climate was too cold.

But the Ice Age ended around
40,000 years ago. When this
happened, the climate of
Europe grew milder and more
inviting for humans.

Lower sea levels caused by the Ice Age
meant that more of the earth was
covered by land.

This allowed humans to reach many
places in the Pacific Ocean by foot.

Australia has always been separated
from any other land by at least 60 miles
of ocean. Yet, scientists have found
human remains in Australia from this
period of migration.

Alaska and Siberia are separated by a
narrow channel of water. This channel of
water is called the Bering Strait.

Scientists believe that 15,000 years ago,
Alaska and Siberia were connected by a
narrow strip of land. This strip is known as
the Bering Land Bridge.

It is thought that groups of huntergatherers followed wild animals across this
land bridge into North America and later,
made their way south to South America.
Key Term
Bering Land
Bridge- A narrow
strip of land
scientists believe
excited 15,000
years ago, that
connected Alaska
and Siberia.

The elderly and ill were cared for when they could
no longer provide food for themselves.

Tools included spears, stone blades, and chisels.
People used needles for sewing clothing.

Fire was very important for hunting, defense, and
warmth. Controlling fire was a major turning point
in the development of human culture.

Early hunter-gatherers most likely
began to work and live together in
social groups over time.

Hearths were used for cooking
food. They also provided warmth
and safety. Hearths dating to
800,000 years ago.

This suggests that early humans
gathered together at hearths for
food and comfort.

Scientists also believe that early
hunter-gatherers took care of
members of their groups.

Scientists also have evidence that
early humans buried the dead
carefully. Graves have been found
throughout the world.

Living together in groups was
also important for hunting.

Early humans used hunting
tools like spears and knives.

These tools worked well
when hunters could get
close to the animals.

The bow and arrow would
not be invented for
thousands of years.

After some time, fire became an
important hunting tool. Some
groups of early humans in
Europe may have used fire to
drive large animals into swamps.

They left the animals to die
rather than risking injury by
trying to kill them.

Of course, fire served
other purposes too. It
provided warmth and a
way to cook. It provided
protection from animals
or enemy humans. Fire
also turned meals into
social gatherings.
Reading Handout- What’s So Great About Fire?

The first tools were very simple.

Stone blades appeared in the
Paleolithic Age around 40,000
years ago.

The improvement of tools
shows the development of
human thinking. People were
becoming better at solving
problems and using reason.

Long, thin pieces of bone were
carved out to form needles.

These needles were used to
make better clothing.

Larger pieces of bone were
made into sharp hooks. These
could be used in hunting and
fishing.

Language and art were powerful tools used by
early humans to share knowledge.

Creating art takes time and effort. The creation
of art shows that humans had moved beyond
simply struggling to survive and had begun to
create culture.

Modern humans are able to
speak because of the size and
position of our larynx. Early
man could still sounds. But they
were not able to make the type
of sounds that are necessary for
modern language.

The larynx is sometimes called
the voice box.

Homo sapiens had a longer
and lower larynx than apes
or Neanderthals, an earlier
human species. The longer
and lower larynx allowed
Homo sapiens to shape air
into the sounds that make
up human speech.

Language played a very
important role in the
development of human society.

Language allows us to
communicate our thoughts
quickly and easily.

It also allows us to share
knowledge. Language helps to
create human culture.
Video- Human Language

The first human art appeared
about 35,000 years ago.

Early art included paintings
on cave walls.

It also included statues
carved from stone and bone.
The earliest images are
hidden deep inside caves.

Cave paintings were done with
colors made from natural
resources.

Many paintings were detailed
pictures of animals.

Creating art takes time and effort.
The creation of art shows that
humans had moved beyond simply
struggling to survive and had
begun to create culture.
Video- Perceptions of Art and Creativity

What has been the
“muddiest” point so far in
this lesson? That is, what
topic remains the least
clear to you? (4 minutes)

Work with a
neighbor and
compare your
muddiest point with
theirs. Compare
what things are the
same and what
things are different?
(3 minutes)