Early Hunter-Gatherer

Communities

Mr. (Brandon) Hopewell

9th Grade

World History

hoto by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA-NC.

Lesson Objectives & State Standards
Objectives:
• Students will be able to:
• Have a good knowledge of the who,
what, when, where, and why about
the earliest humans (Hunter-
Gatherers).
• Be able to answer questions
pertaining to the information we
discussed about these early
communities.
Standards
• History:
• Standard 1: World History and Civilization
• Goal 1.6: Explain the rise of human civilization.
• Objective(s): By the end of World History and
Civilization, the student will be able to:
• Objective: 6-9.WHC.1.6.1 Describe types of
evidence used by anthropologists, archaeologists,
and other scholars to reconstruct early human
and cultural development.
• Objective: 6-9.WHC.1.6.2 Describe the
characteristics of early hunter-gatherer
communities.
• Objective: 6-9.WHC.1.6.3 Analyze the
characteristics of early civilizations.
Who were they?
• The first of modern humans and all our original
ancestors.

• They were small nomadic tribes.

• Usually family groups.

• Hunted and gathered to survive.

• Clothed with the furs of their hunts and leaves

of their gathers.

• Ate the meat of their hunts (depending on

the local animals during their migrations) as
well as fruits, seeds, nuts, and vegetables they
would gather.

• The men often took on the role as hunters and

the women would care for the children, gather
the vegetation, and later in development tend to
the fires. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.
 What impact did
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under
they have on
modern day?
CC BY-SA.

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-ND.

• Weapons

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-
ND. • Tools
SA-NC.

• Language and communication

• The wheel

• Art
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

• Fire and the idea of cooking meat.

• Shelter

• Agriculture
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-
CC BY-SA. SA-NC.
When did they walk
the Earth?
• From the beginning of human existence.

• From approximately 500,000 years ago to about

12,000 years ago.

• Known as the Paleolithic Era (Stone Age).

• During the last ice age.

• Before humans began to create civilizations

(Mesolithic Era).
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-ND.
 Where did
these early
humans
live?
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA.

• Based on modern archeological discoveries the first Homo Sapiens originated in Africa.

• To be more specific Eastern and Southern Africa

• They were nomadic, so always on the move.

• The migrated with the herds so they always had something to hunt and they knew the animals would eventually lead them to water a nd alternative

food sources (fruits, vegetables, nuts, and seeds).

• The traveled North from Africa through modern day Europe and Asia and later across the Bering Land bridge connecting Russia to Alaska.
 Why...
Why did this era end?
The advancements in technology led to civilizations and the
Mesolithic Era.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-NC-ND.

Why were Homo Sapiens able to survive when other

hominins before them could not?
The climate was warming, new survival techniques were being
developed, successful battles against the different genus' and
evidence shows Homo Sapiens tended to migrate near water
sources to help them from dying of thirst.

Why is it important that we continue to investigate our

earliest ancestors?
The most substantial discoveries in human history have all been
developed through experiments and practices of the past. To
continue to progress we need to continue to investigate the past.
This Photo by Unknown author is licensed
under CC BY-SA.
 Overview
Who: Our earliest ancestors. They hunted animals and gathered vegetation for food.
They wore the furs of the animals they caught and usually traveled in small family
tribes.

What: They provided us with a lot of inventions we still use to this day, including
weapons, tools, language, arts, the wheel, uses for fire, agriculture, and ideas for
shelter.

When: They are the first humans to walk the earth. Scientists believe them to have
existed from around 500,000 years ago to about 12,000 years ago. This was known as
the Paleolithic Era and was during the last ice age.

Where: These early humans are thought to have originated in Africa and through
their travels made their way through what in now known as Europe and Asia,
eventually making their way to the Americas.

Why: These early humans were resilient and through technology and understanding
moved us into the civilized groups which created the Mesolithic Era.
 Check for Understanding:

Now take out a piece of paper and list as many things you can from what we just
learned under each category. Set your paper up with 5 boxes as pictured below
and begin demonstrating what you've learned.

Who?

Why? What?

This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-SA. This Photo by Unknown author is licensed under CC BY-
SA.

Where? When?
 Additional Resources

• You can always gain more knowledge from your textbooks.

• The History channel often has documentaries depicting early humans.

• A film I found quite entertaining, "10,000 B.C." can give you a better visual
idea of what life was like for these early humans (Make sure you check with
your parents before watching this movie it is rated PG 13).

• Check with the school Librarian to see if we have any books relating to this
Era.

• You can check with the local Library I am sure they have plenty of material.

• Finally, the internet. One of the greatest tools we have at our disposal in the
modern age can provide you with a lot of information.