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Prehistory: Human Origins
and the Stone Age

Before we begin our study of history, we're going to spend a few weeks inquiring into prehistory - specifically into ideas about the origins of humanity and the archaeological evidence of human activities during the Stone  Age. For the story of our origins and purpose, we are dependent on religion, philosophy, and the sciences.

Unit Guide and Primary Sources

"No Arts; no Letters; no Society; and which is worst of all, continual fear, and danger of violent death; And the life of man solitary, pore, nasty, brutish, and short."
                                                                              -- Thomas Hobbes

Lessons

Click on one of the buttons to proceed directly to one of the lessons in this unit.
What is History?
Hominids & the Stone Age
Humanity & Human Rights

What is History?

As students begin their first high school history course, it is appropriate to inquire about what history is. Oftentimes, there's a misconception that history is simply "the past," but Herodotus, the first historian, used the Greek word historiai (inquiry), to describe his work. History is not just about things that happened in the past - history is an inquiry into why things should still matter to us today and how the past continues to make an impact on the present.

Classroom Activity: The Iceman of the Alps

Download activity
Solve the mystery of the Iceman using autopsy
​reports and items found on his person.

PowerPoint Presentation

DOWNLOAD What is History?

Hominids and the Stone Age

Although we know a lot about our history, we have no direct knowledge of the origins of human life.  Both science and religion have attempted to provide answers to these questions.  As we investigate the realm of prehistory, this is not so much an explanation of what happened but more of an inquiry into what might have happened.  

Fossils of hominins (often called hominids - the terminology I used in class), according to scientists, date back several million years.  The 1974 discovery of the seemingly half-ape / half human "Lucy" in Ethiopia mystified the scientific community but still leaves many questions unanswered.  Humanlike remains of hominins, such as Homo erectus and Homo neandertalensis may provide clues about our origins.

​The Stone Age is divided into three periods:  Paleolithic, Mesolithic, and Neolithic.  Students should know the key characteristics of all three of these periods.

Stone Age Lecture (YouTube)

Handouts and Resources:

Primary Source: Greek Creation
Stone Age Graphic Organizer
An Inquiry into Lucy's Death

PowerPoint Presentation

DOWNLOAD The Stone Age

Humanity and Human Rights

What does it mean to be human? What makes us different from other animals? Are humans special? Is every human being entitled to natural rights of life, liberty, and property? These are some of the questions that will be explored in our discussion of the idea of humanity.

Human Rights

Malcolm X asserted that all human beings are deserving of rights such as safety, equality, and expression. Do you think he was correct in his assertion?

Tool Use vs Technology Use

Great apes use tools. What makes their tool use different from technology use by humans?

PowerPoint Presentation

DOWNLOAD Humanity & Rights

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  • Home
    • About
    • Calendar
    • Contact
    • Podcast
    • Live Hangouts with Tom Richey
    • Privacy Policy
    • Endorsements >
      • Romulus
      • Albert
  • Courses
    • AP US History >
      • APUSH Summer Assignments
      • to 1877 >
        • Colonial America
        • The American Revolution
        • The U.S. Constitution
        • Jefferson vs. Hamilton
        • The Jeffersonian Republic
        • The Age of Jackson
        • The Road to Civil War
        • Civil War & Reconstruction
      • Post 1877 >
        • The Gilded Age
        • Progressivism & Intervention >
          • World War I - AP US History
        • Twenties and Depression
        • WWII and the Cold War
        • Civil Rights & Vietnam
        • The Conservative Resurgence
      • The APUSH DBQ
      • The APUSH LEQ
      • APUSH SAQs
      • APUSH Multiple Choice
      • APUSH Review
      • Primary Source Collection
      • Calendar (US History)
      • Test Corrections
      • APUSH 8 Week Study Plan
    • AP European History >
      • AP Euro Ten Week Study Plan
      • Units of Instruction >
        • Renaissance & Exploration
        • Protestant Reformation & Religious Wars
        • Absolutism & Constitutionalism
        • Scientific Revolution and Enlightenment
        • The French Revolution
        • Industry and Isms (1815-1850)
        • Late 19th Century
        • WWI and Modernism
        • Dictatorships and WWII
        • Cold War & Contemporary Europe
      • The AP Euro DBQ
      • The AP Euro LEQ
      • AP Euro SAQs
      • Summer Assignments
      • Primary Source Collection
      • Calendar (AP Euro)
      • Test Corrections
      • AP Euro MIdterm Review
    • AP U.S. Government & Politics >
      • Foundational Documents
      • Supreme Court Cases
      • AP Government Argument Essay
      • AP Government Review Videos
    • World History >
      • Prehistory & Human Origins
      • Cradles of Civilization >
        • Ancient Mesopotamia
        • Ancient Egypt
      • Ancient Israel >
        • Origins of Israel
        • Nation of Israel
      • Ancient Greece >
        • Ancient Greece (Part I)
        • Ayn Rand's Anthem
        • Warfare in Ancient Greece
        • Greek Philosophy
      • The Romans >
        • The Roman Republic
        • Rise of the Romans
        • The Pax Romana
        • Decline of the Roman Empire
      • Empires of Monotheism >
        • The Byzantine Empire
        • The Rise of Islam
      • Review Materials
      • Calendar (World History)
    • AP World History >
      • AP World DBQ Rubric
      • AP World LEQ Rubric
    • Historical Writing
  • PowerPoints
    • PowerPoint Design Resources
    • PowerPoint Playbook
  • Online Store
    • Live Events
    • Online Courses and Webinars
    • AP Tutoring Services >
      • Tutoring Inquiry
    • Writing Clinic >
      • First Session Free
    • PowerPoint Store
  • EOC Review
    • Standard 1 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 2 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 3 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 4 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 5 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 6 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 7 - US History EOC Review
    • Standard 8 - US History EOC Review
  • Blog
  • Teachers