The
Genographic Project, a partnership of the National Geographic Society and IBM, is a five-year study to understand the human journey—where we came from and how humankind came to populate the planet. Led by population geneticist
Dr. Spencer Wells and a team of international scientists, this unprecedented effort will map humanity's genetic journey through the ages. The project relies on the identification of
genetic markers—occasional mutations to DNA that are passed on through generations. Different populations carry distinct markers. Following them through the generations reveals a genetic tree on which today's many diverse branches may be followed ever backward to their common African root. Scientists are collecting this data from people across the globe, particularly indigenous populations, before modern globalization further erodes the cultural groupings that could provide the geographical and historical context for interpreting the diverse genetic patterns.
This is the third in a set of lessons exploring migration, genetic markers, markers in context, Genographic's legacy, and genographic data. In this lesson, students will examine other "markers" of human migration, uncovered by such fields as archaeology, paleontology, cultural anthropology, linguistics, and history. Students will begin by conducting a hands-on study of patterns of genetic markers. They will consider ways in which contextual information provides scientists with clues about ancient migratory patterns. An extension activity provides an opportunity for students to investigate the controversy of who first migrated to the Americas and develop hypotheses based on scientific research using a collection of Web sites and the Atlas of the Human Journey.
Standard 1: "How to use maps and other geographic representations, tools, and technologies to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective"
Standard 3: "How to analyze the spatial organization of people, places, and environments on Earth's surface"
Standard 9: "The characteristics, distribution, and migration of human population on Earth's surface"
Standard 17: "How to apply geography to interpret the past"
Standard 18: "How to apply geography to interpret the present and plan for the future"
Activity 1: Connecting the Dots
Prior to beginning this activity, it is recommended, although not required, that students complete the Permanent Markers Activity in the lesson
Genographic: Permanent Markers. In this activity, students will be simulating the passing on of genetic markers on a very simple scale (as they did in the Permanent Markers Activity), while considering how context clues help scientists to piece together and understand the migration patterns of groups of people with a common genetic lineage. They will accomplish this by adding a geography element into the simulation.
Select two to three students to act as "scientists" who will try to solve a "permanent marker mystery" and have them leave the room.
Distribute a blank piece of paper to each student in the class. Then, show the students the clipboard with a piece of paper on it. Explain that the clipboard represents one lineage line, each of their desks represents a different geographic location, and the paper on their desk will record the movement of the group of markers into that location. Give the clipboard to one student. Tell the student to draw a unique symbol (such as a heart, star, or circle) on the clipboard paper and on his or her own piece of paper. They should be sure to draw the symbol on the clipboard paper in a random location so that the paper does not indicate the order of the emergence of new symbols. Then, tell the student to pass the clipboard to any adjacent desk.
Have the next student copy the clipboard symbol on to his or her own paper, and then pass the clipboard to another adjacent student. After four students, and occasionally thereafter at your discretion, have the student add a new unique symbol to the clipboard, making sure to also add it to his or her own paper, along with the previous symbol(s). As the symbols on the clipboard accumulate, each person who receives it should copy onto his or her individual paper (or "inherit") all genetic markers on the clipboard at the time it comes to their desk.
To keep the simulation simple and to spread the pattern out, you may want to limit the number of times any one student can receive the clipboard. If they do receive it more than once, they must make that clear by copying the entire contents of the clipboard at each time they receive it and separating the groups of symbols. You may also end the simulation before all students have had the clipboard.
After most of the students have had a turn, have the students turn their papers over and call the "scientists" back into the room. Explain to the scientists how the activity was conducted. Then, give them the clipboard and explain that it contains all of the symbols generated during the activity. Their job is to try to determine the "path" that the clipboard took during the activity.
Have the students turn their papers over, and tell the scientists to try to solve the permanent marker mystery. If they are unsure where to begin, guide them toward using the symbol patterns on their classmates' papers as "signposts." They should look for sets of symbols that are the same or within one variation of each other, and they should use the fact that the clipboard only moved by one adjacent desk each time to narrow their options. Allow students to try to work out a strategy on their own, but if they need prompting one method would be to focus first on the pages which have only one symbol, and then try to determine which page was first by examining the adjacent papers.
As they work, provide additional context clues as necessary if the scientists are having a difficult time solving the puzzle. This may particularly occur when a symbol moved but remained unchanged. Try giving clues about time/order, for example, such as providing evidence that the clipboard reached one student's desk before another's.
After the route has been solved, repeat the activity with different scientists. However, this time, when the scientists return, collect all of the pages, shuffle them, and redistribute them randomly. Then, have the students try to determine the route that the clipboard took before the shuffle (it is not possible to solve this with the information they have). After students have worked for a few minutes, discuss why this activity is now so difficult to accomplish. Students should recognize that geographic location is an important context clue that gives scientists insight into the history of the lineage. To reinforce this point, ask the student scientists in the first group which contextual information was most helpful to them during their "investigation" and why. Hypothesize as a group what other types of information could have been given to facilitate the activity even more.
If time allows, repeat the activity with one of the following variations:
- Instead of one clipboard, use two, representing two lineage lines.
- Have students place their papers on the floor. This will make the "migration" pattern more obvious.
- Have students leave their papers face down on their desks and challenge the scientists to make and revise hypotheses about the pattern with each turn of a paper.
- Have students integrate context clues themselves by describing the language, culture, and archaeology of their geographic location.
Explain that scientists in the Genographic Project use an array of contextual clues that help them to select which populations to test for missing genetic connections between known groups and to identify and interpret migration patterns. For example, these might be cultural, linguistic, or archaeological clues. Ask the students:
- In what ways do you think this simulation illuminates elements of the Genographic Project? In what ways was the simulation different?
- How would this activity have been different if there had been 100,000 different permanent marker papers?
- What information did you have that helped you to understand the relationship between the different papers?
- (If the clipboard did not reach all of the students' desks) What do you think the "blank paper" desks represent? (areas where a group did not migrate)
- What information were you missing that made completing the activity difficult?
- What contextual information were you given that helped you to "connect the dots"?
- What kinds of information might scientists use to "connect the dots" when studying genetic markers over tens of thousands of years?
- How might disagreement arise out of not having enough contextual information?
- Based on what you experienced with context clues and location, how might a highly mobile society impact the project? Why are indigenous populations so important to the Genographic Project's work? What would happen if those populations disappeared or blended into the mobile, global society many live in today? (This point is covered more in-depth in the lesson Genographic's Legacy: Preservation and Projections.)
Activity 2: Other "Markers of Migration"
Explain to students that they will be looking at ways in which other "markers of migration," brought to light by disciplines such as anthropology, archaeology, paleontology, linguistics, history, and geography, provide a contextual framework that helps scientists to interpret genetic marker data when reconstructing migration patterns.
If possible, have students see all of or excerpts from the film Journey of Man, highlighting Dr. Wells's earlier work on tracing the human family tree, which led to the Genographic Project. Alternatively, have students do some research on Dr. Wells's work. Discuss with students how he and his team use evidence from other sciences to try to uncover the pieces of the puzzle needed to track the ancient journey connecting, and making sense of, the population landscape of today. Examples include evidence of human habitation, such as ancient Australian cooking fires or cave paintings in France; climactic events, such as the Ice Ages; geological features, such as a changing coastline; as well as cultural clues, such as the creation stories of indigenous communities passed down through oral traditions.
(The following activity builds on information previously researched in Genographic: Mapping the Human Journey, but having completed the original activity is not required. If students have completed the previous lesson, use this as an opportunity to revisit and deepen their research to demonstrate their increased understanding of the facets of the Genographic Project.)
Have students examine the Highlights icons, Era Overviews, and Genetic Marker descriptions (viewed by clicking on a particular migration line) in the Atlas of the Human Journey to answer the following questions. For all of the eras, have students consider the following guiding questions:
- What context clues or events help us to understand migration patterns during this time?
- How would the Genographic team use this information to further their study?
Provide students with this
Ancient Migrations—Using Context Clues handout (PDF,
Adobe Reader required) with more specific guiding questions for their research.
When they have finished their research, bring students back together for a discussion.
Have students discuss the importance of considering contextual information when studying ancient migratory patterns.
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