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The Big Idea Activity

How does technology change people's lives?

Dramatization

  California Standard 6.1  Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.

Students working on the Activity

Teaching Tips

Explore these additional links to find out more about the work of anthropologists.

Additional Links

Anasazi (case study)

Smithsonian guide to teaching anthropology with a lot of good ideas and information.

Lesson plans based on Cobblestone magazine issue with anthropology ideas.

Teaching guides to accompany NOVA tapes from PBS. There are useful ideas that don't depend on having the video.

This is a good site for a hands-on classroom archaeology project with some precautions for you and your students about trying to do the real thing without training.


Mary Leakey

  California Standard 6.1  Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.

Caves

Teaching Tips

Explain to students that though technically defined as an archaeologist, Mary Leakey chose to follow a route of interesting research relating to physical anthropology. She is know mostly for the excavation of a two million-year-old fossilized human skull in 1959. She has also worked to help the world understand that the evolution of humans follows a principle rather than a theory.

Additional Links

Find out more about Mary Leakey's life and work at this Web site.


Lucy

  California Standard 6.1  Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.

bones

Teaching Tips

Find out more about Lucy and Human Evolution.

Additional Links

Experiment and observe bipedal locomotion.

 

Çatal Hüyük

  California Standard 6.1  Students describe what is known through archaeological studies of the early physical and cultural development of humankind from the Paleolithic era to the agricultural revolution.

map

Teaching Tips

The Neolithic site of Çatal Hüyük was first discovered in the late 1950s and excavated by James Mellaart between 1961 and 1965. The site rapidly became famous internationally due to the large size and dense occupation of the settlement, as well as the spectacular wall paintings and other art that was uncovered inside the houses. Since 1993 an international team of archaeologists, led by Ian Hodder, has been carrying out new excavations and research in order to shed more light on the people who inhabited the site.

Additional Links


Teacher's source material at the Science Museum of Minnesota

Field diaries of anthropologists at Çatal Hüyük.