“Crossing Beringia” Activity

Directions For Use:

1. Explain the story of how archaeologists believe the earliest people migrated to
North America – by crossing a “land bridge” known as Beringia during the last
Ice Age, around 12,000 years ago. This land bridge between Asia and Alaska
became covered by water once the glaciers melted.
2. I use a few brief videos that I found on YouTube to introduce the topic. (Search
for Beringia, and choose the videos that work best for your students.) We talk
about the fact that no one really knows for sure exactly when or how the
earliest people came here, but that this is one of the most widely suggested
theories.
3. Once we have discussed the basic story, I allow students to “act out” the events.
a. One group becomes BERINGIA – two rows of three students face one
another, about 3 feet apart.
b. One group becomes MAMMOTHS. One group becomes MASTODONS.
c. The MAMMOTHS and MASTODONS stomp between the two rows of BERINGIA
students, to represent their migration into North America in search of
food.
d. The remaining students become PALEO-INDIANS. They follow the large
animals between the two rows of BERINGIA students, representing the
migration of the earliest Americans from Asia into North America.
After acting out this scene, I present students with the “Crossing Beringia” story sheet and explain the
directions for their project. Each student will retell the story using at least three illustrations and captions.  
  
 Crossing Beringia
Name: _____________________________________________________________________________ Date: _____________________________________________________________

~ YOUR MISSION ~
l In the story boxes below, explain WHEN, HOW, and WHY the earliest people first came to North America.
l I LLUSTRATE each important event in chronological order.
l S HOW AT LEAST 3 EVENTS . You can show up to 6 events. Use the other side of this page if you need it.
l E XPLAIN each illustration by writing a sentence in the caption box below the picture.

Event #1 Event #2 Event #3

Caption #1: Caption #2: Caption #3:

 Crossing Beringia
(Page Two)

Event #4 Event #5 Event #6

Caption #4: Caption #5: Caption #6: