Human Origins: What does it mean to be human?

Designed to accommodate classes, grades, or groups with 15-1,000 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able to submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls.

Designed to accommodate classes of 15-35 students. Students will be visible to the museum educator and their classmates, and will have the ability to raise their hand to ask and answer questions. In order to participate in this format, those registering will need to provide proof of parental permissions to participate in onscreen programs. If you would like to register for more than 35 students you will need to book a second slot.

Designed to accommodate individual students or small groups with less than 15 students. Students will not be visible to the museum educator or other students, but they will be able submit questions in writing through the Q&A, and interact through polls. Homeschool Days available the first Monday of the month, October 4, November 1, and December 6, 2021; and January 3, February 7, March 7, April 4, May 2, and June 6, 2022.

Join paleoanthropologist Dr. Briana Pobiner as she showcases highlights of the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins in these 2- to 5-minute videos.

• Hall of Human Origins: Introduction
• Hall of Human Origins: Past Species
• Hall of Human Origins: Reconstructions

• Virtually explore the David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins.
• This Educator's Guide contains basic information and a range of strategies for using the exhibit to engage your students in the subject of human evolution. Links direct you to other supportive information on the Human Origins website, humanorigins.si.edu.

• Explore a multitude of digital assets including scientific research and findings, interactive content, and education resources at humanorigins.si.edu.
• Video: A Tour of the Human Origins Website – Need help navigating the Human Origins website? Join Museum Educator and Paleoanthropologist Briana Pobiner as she guides you through the Human Origins website in this archived Teacher Tuesday Webinar.

Curriculum units developed by the National Museum of Natural History for Advanced Placement (AP) Biology classes, aligned to the learning objectives, using human case studies to teach core evolutionary principles. The curriculum units are:

1. Adaptation to Altitude
2. Malaria
3. Evolution of Human Skin Color
4. What Does It Mean To Be Human?

The project has also created a CRS (Cultural and Religious Sensitivity) Teaching Strategies Resource to help teachers create a comfortable and supportive classroom environment for teaching evolution.

https://humanorigins.si.edu/education/teaching-evolution-through-human-examples

Mixed Levels

The Top Seven Human Evolution Discoveries in Kenya
Turkana Boy’s fossils were found in Kenya, where the hot dry climate created the perfect conditions for early human remains to fossilize. What other evidence of early humans has been found in Kenya?

Sherpas Evolved to Live and Work at Altitude

Lactose Tolerance and Human Evolution
Human evolution didn’t end with Homo sapiens! As modern human communities migrated across the globe, they adapted physical traits that helped them survive in a variety of environments. What evidence can scientists find for human evolution in modern human communities? 

Middle School 

Meet Neo: Your Distant Cousin?
Turkana Boy isn’t the only early human that scientists are studying! Learn about Neo, a Homo naledi individual who was found in South Africa. How was he found? What have paleoanthropologists been able to learn about him and his species from his fossilized skeleton? 

"Hobbits" Found in Indonesia (article) | SI Video
Scientists were very surprised to find these very small early humans, named Homo floresiensis, on an island in Indonesia in 2004. What makes these fossils so amazing and valuable to science? 

High School 

Lucy: A Marvelous Specimen
Lucy, an Australopithecus afarensis, is probably the most famous early human ever found. She lived 3.2 million years ago! What have paleoanthropologists been able to learn about her and her species from her fossilized skeleton? 

How to Become a Primate Fossil
Turkana Boy’s fossil skeleton is scientifically valuable because of how complete and well preserved it is. Most skeletons never become fossils, and most fossils haven’t been found! What special conditions need to be met for a fossil to form and then be found by researchers? 

A Primer on Paleolithic Technology
Researchers rely on more than just bones to learn more about organisms! Behavior doesn’t fossilize, and artifacts like tools can be used to piece together how ancient humans survived. What can archaeologists learn about technological development by comparing and contrasting artifacts from different eras? 

Advanced

Dating Rocks and Fossils Using Geologic Methods
Paleoanthropologists work with many other scientists in order to learn more about the fossils they discover. Pinpointing when an individual died and when their skeleton became a fossil relies on a lot of help from expert geologists! How exactly do geologists use rocks to date fossils? 

Homo erectus – A Bigger, Smarter, Faster Hominin Lineage 
Turkana Boy might be the most complete Homo erectus fossil skeleton ever found, but he’s not the only one of his species that paleoanthropologists have been able to study. Where have H. erectus fossils been found? What makes H. erectus so different from other early hominins? What similarities and differences do you see between H. erectus and yourself? 

Featured Collection: How to Read a Mammal Skull – By studying mammal skulls, scientists can determine a lot about the animals. This information helps them to see what kinds of animals lived in a particular place and how they lived. In this digital activity, students can explore the differences between them, and infer how those attributes indicate certain behaviors.

This collection of viewable fossil and prehistoric artifact 3D models was produced by the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program by 3D-scanning casts, other replicas, and some original objects which are now on display in the Hall of Human Origins at the National Museum of Natural History. 

• Fossil Skulls of Early Humans
• Prehistoric Artifacts