Outpost: Human Origins @ nationalgeographic.com

In Search of Human Origins: Classroom Ideas
Grades 5 Through 8

Measuring Primate Body Features
Have students record some physical features of a typical human: arm length, leg length, and height. Then have them look at the skeletal drawings of the chimpanzee and Australopithecus africanus in the August 1998 issue of NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC. They will then be able to analyze specific structural differences between the species. Ask them to consider the activities for which each species is particularly adapted. What changes occurred in the evolutionary process, and why do students think these changes occurred?

Time Line of the Earth
Have students look at the time line at http://www.talkorigins.org/origins/geo_timeline.html. Do they think people have been around for a very long time? Have them go outside to the schoolyard and, in groups, create “human time lines” that represent the proportional length of time from the Earth’s formation to the first Homo sapiens.

Measure 46 yards or meters, each representing 100 million years. One student should stand at the Earth’s beginning (4,600 million years ago). Others can mark key events in the planet’s history.

Back in the classroom, discuss whether people have been around for a very long time. Were students surprised by what they saw outside?

Working as an Archaeologist
Direct students to the Archaeological Analysis at http://www.rom.on.ca/digs/munsell. Ask them to write down at least five steps that an archaeologist takes during a dig. They can also go try a simple archaeological investigation. Ask them to explain why they would or would not like this type of work.

Discuss what archaeologists of the future may find out about our society. Have students get into groups and create an archaeological “dig.” They should bring in objects that represent a typical household, school, or other setting. Have them gather the objects into bags and then trade bags with another group. Each group should open its bag and write an analysis of the contents. What does the evidence say about the culture of the late 20th century?