For Educators: Spitzer Hall of Human Origins
Humans, like all species, are a product of evolution. The Hall of Human Origins presents key and cutting-edge evidence - fossils, genetic data, and artifacts - that scientists use to assemble the evolutionary story of our taxonomic family, the hominids. Discover the relatives that make up our branch on the tree of life. Explore the characteristics that make humans unique. Learn how our species migrated throughout the globe, which we impact without parallel.
Educators Guide and Materials
More Resources for Educators
Use these free online resources before or after your visit to further explore themes presented in the Hall of Ocean Life Exhibition.
Article
Tree of Life
Investigate circular and 3D cladograms to see how scientists keep track of species and their evolutionary relationships.
Activity
Piecing It All Together
Ornate jewelry, simple baskets, stone tools ... these are just some of the artifacts archaeologists have uncovered among ancient ruins. But one of the most common discoveries is pottery.
Activity
Tools of the Trade
How do you find a place that's been lost for more than 300 years? Take up this challenge, and learn what it took for archaeologists to locate a lost mission on a 14,000-acre island near Georgia.
Interactive
What's This?
Can you tell the difference between a giraffe's bones and those from a mammoth? Test your knowledge of fossils.
Hands-on Activity
Buried Bones
The next time you have chicken, don't throw out the bones—bury them in plaster of Paris. Then, scrape by scrape, see firsthand the challenges archaeologists face when excavating fossils.
Activity
Finding Fossils
You don't have to be a professional paleontologist to collect the remains of ancient life. Anyone can find fossils. This handy how-to guide tells you where to look and what to do.
curriculum materials
Body and Trace Fossils
What kind of fossil is a tooth—body or trace? How about a nest of eggs? Or a skin impression? Examine the differences between body and trace fossils with these eight high-quality photographs.
curriculum materials
Understanding Geologic Time
How long have humans been on Earth compared to the length of time dinosaurs roamed the planet? Gain a new understanding of time by mapping out Earth's history.
curriculum materials
What is a Dinosaur
It's not what they ate or when they lived that distinguishes dinosaurs from other reptiles. It's the hole in their hip socket. Find out how this feature affected the way dinosaurs walk.
Curriculum
Analyzing Images of Culture
A picture is worth a thousand words, but whose words are they? Zoom in on how the opinions and biases of photographers can color the images they take.
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More About This Resource...
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The Museum's Hall of Human Origins exhibit offers the most comprehensive evidence of human evolution ever assembled, from our earliest ancestors millions of years ago to modern Homo sapiens.
This comprehensive and printable guide will help you explore the hall with your students. It includes:
- Detailed background information to help you prepare for your museum fieldtrip, including an overview of the exhibition hall's key concepts.
- An exhibit map that makes it easy to find notable objects, interactive displays, and other highlights of interest.
- Several pre-, during-, and post-visit activities to do with your students.
- A listing of related Museum exhibits and suggestions for how to tie them into your fieldtrip.
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Origin
Educators Guide -
Topic
Biology -
Subtopic
Evolution
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