Interpreting the Past

Early Humans Unit: Interpreting the Past

Assignments to hand in: Personal History Questions & Mural (see below)
Written Summary on Cave Art (see below)

essential questions, shared learning target and introduction:


Essential Question 2 - Why do people live the way they do?
Essential Question 7 - How do we know what we know about human history?

Shared Learning Target:
What will I be able to do?: You will answer questions about personal life and draw a mural that represents your answers. You will then look at examples of early human cave art and interpret and hypothesize what their lives were like.
What idea, topic, or subject is important for you to learn and understand so that I can do this?: You will learn how early humans used cave art to express aspects about their lives and culture.
What I will do to show that you know this?: You will create a personal mural of your own life and then write a summary of your interpretation of what early human lives were like.

Introduction:
Early humans did not have a written language like we do today. Instead, many early humans relied on drawings and paintings on cave walls to communicate a message, tell a story, or honor the supernatural. Archeologists and historians today work to interpret these ancient works of art to try to figure out what life was like for these humans.

Step 1: Your Personal Mural - Read the Prompts for Discussing Personal Histories and choose one to illustrate on a blank piece of paper. For example, if your answer to "My most exciting vacation was..." Disney World in Florida, you might choose to draw Mickey Mouse and the Disney castle. This would be your illustrated answer, just as early humans drew pictures to represent a part of their life.

Step 2: Interpreting Cave Art - View the photo gallery of cave art and try to imagine what life was like for these humans 30,000 years ago. Write a 150-word description or summary of your interpretations with examples from the paintings. Explain how these humans lived. What was their culture or way of life?

Cave Art Photo Gallery

Example of Student Work

 

 

 

 

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