Unit 1: Exploring the Past
Starter Lesson
Content Vocabulary
fire migration cave art hunter – gatherers tools nomads religion farming
1. Term for humans who hunted and gathered plants for food __________________
2. A group of people who have no set home but move from place to place __________________
3. The act of moving from one region to settle in another __________________
4. Axe, awls, drills and hunting bows are early examples of these __________________
5. The worship of god, gods, or spirits __________________
6. Early people used hoes, sticks, and sickles for this activity __________________
7. Provided light, heat and means to cook food __________________
8. Art form of prehistoric people
What is Prehistory?
The term prehistory designates the time period starting with the appearance
of the first human being and ending with the invention of writing. Because no
written documents exist that we could use to study their ways of life, we use
material remains. Examples: the human body itself, hunting tools, paintings,
sculptures, etc.
?Which of these objects do archeologists rely on to study prehistory .1
sculpture
spear
parchment
book
painting
skeleton
2. Which of these objects are incorrect?
. 3. Join the image with its corresponding word.
Reading
Read the text carefully then do the activities
History began when people first began to write—about 5,500 years ago. The time
before this is called prehistory. Historians call the early period of human history the
Stone Age. It is named for the fact that people during this time used stone to make
tools and weapons. The earliest part of the Stone Age is the Paleolithic or Old Stone
Age. This time began about 2.5 million years ago and lasted until around 8000 B.C .
Evidence of early human life was found in Africa. Later their descendants migrated
to Asia and Europe.
Early humans spent most of their time searching for food. They used hunting and gathering to get
their food. Because they lived off what the land provided, Paleolithic people were always on the move.
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They were nomads, or people who move regularly. They looked for good, rich
land. They moved in bands of about 30. Everyone contributed to the group.Men
hunted, while women gathered berries,nuts,and grains.They depended on their
environment. They found shelter in caves and used fire to stay warm and to
cook food.They made clothing by wrapping themselves in animal skins.About
30,000 years ago, people left evidence of beliefs in spirits. They made cave
paintings to express their beliefs. This shows that they believed in life after
death. They probably believed that it was similar to their lives on this world,
and buried weapons they will need in the afterlife.
About 11,000 years ago, nomadic bands began settling in permanent villages and became farmers.
This change marked the beginning of the first civilizations.
1. Choose the most suitable title for the text.
a) Early civilizations
b) Life in prehistory
c) The beginning of history
2. Are these sentences ‘true’ or ‘false’?
a) Early human life first began in Asia and Europe.
b) Early people lived in caves.
c) Early people were farmers.
d) Both early men and women were responsible for finding food.
3. In which paragraph is it mentioned that:
a) Early people lived as nomads.
b) Early humans used tools made of stone.
4. Answer the following questions according to the text.
a) What does “prehistory” refer to?
……………………………………………………………………………….
b) Why did historians call the early period of human history the Stone Age?
……………………………………………………………………………….
c) How did early people get their food?
5. Read paragraph 2 and fill in the table with brief notes about the Old Stone Age.
When / begin: …………………………………………………….
People's life style: …………………………………………………….
Food: …………………………………………………….
Shelter: …………………………………………………….
Spiritual life: …………………………………………………….
Accomplishments: …………………………………………………….
When / last: …………………………………………………….
Writing: Write a conversation between a historian and a student who wants to obtain
information about the Old Stone Age for a school project. Use the notes in task 5 to help you.
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