Glencoe World History

Chapter 1: The First Humans, Prehistory–3500 B.C.

Web Activity Lesson Plans

Introduction
Louis B. Leakey once said, "Theories on prehistory and early man constantly change as new evidence comes to light." Discoveries by Leakey and his wife, Mary, resulted in some of the most important changes in our understanding of early human development. Some new ideas are so dramatic that they force us to adjust our view of the world. When this happens we say that a paradigm shift has occurred. In this activity students will read about discoveries by the Leakey family that continue to cause paradigm shifts.

Lesson Description
Students will go to the Leakey Foundation Web site to read a news item about a discovery in the field of archaeology relating to an early species of hominid. They will answer four questions about what they have read and then write a summary on a class discussion of the topic.

Instructional Objectives

1. Students will be able to discuss the impact of new discoveries on current archaeological theories.
2. Students will be able to demonstrate their understanding of archaeological research by holding a classroom discussion and writing a summary paper.

Student Web Activity Answers

1. Meave Leakey discovered fossils belonging to a new genus of human ancestor, Kenyanthropus platyops.
2. "Lucy" is the name of a partial skeleton discovered in Ethiopia in 1974 that is of approximately the same age as Leakey's Kenya fossil find.
3. "Lucy" supported a growing belief among scientists in the 1980s that there was a single common human ancestor that gave rise to successive species during the past 3 million years.
4. Meave Leakey says the new species shows that at least two lineages of humans existed as far back as 3.5 million years. This discovery could cause archaeologists to reject the view, which prevailed until recently, that humans evolved from a common ancestor and to adopt the notion that various lines of human evolution occurred simultaneously.
5. Students' contributions to the discussion and their papers will vary, but students should note different viewpoints and make suggestions about further research.