Mapping Human Migration: Out of Africa
History Detectives - The Great Migration Year 7 History Examining evidence for early human movement
Learning Objectives
Examine sources of evidence supporting theories of early human migration Map the 'Out of Africa' theory Describe the spread of humans across the globe and into Australia Evaluate different types of historical evidence
The African Launchpad: Great Rift Valley
Task 1: The Evidence-Based Map
Watch the satellite fly-through of the Great Rift Valley Record 3 landscape observations Identify the earliest Homo sapiens fossil site Label the peninsula humans used to exit Africa
Types of Evidence: Reliable or Not?
Evidence-Based: Usually reliable - fossils and tools others can examine Motive-Driven: Depends - humans move for reasons (push/pull factors) Rock Solid Evidence: High reliability - strong physical proof Shaky Evidence: Low reliability - needs more proof to explain how/why
Push and Pull Factors in Migration
{"left":"Climate change and drought\nFood scarcity\nOverpopulation\nNatural disasters","right":"Following animal herds\nBetter hunting grounds\nFresh water sources\nSuitable shelter locations"}
Task 2: The Motive-Driven Report
Identify one PUSH factor that forced early humans to leave Identify one PULL factor that attracted them to new areas Explain why understanding motives helps us map migration routes Connect push/pull factors to the evidence we see today
Out of Africa Migration Routes
Task 3: Primary Source Investigation
Use Evidence Cards (stone tools/shell beads) to make a claim Find supporting evidence from your cards Ask a detective question your evidence cannot answer Evaluate: Is your evidence 'Rock Solid' or 'Shaky'?
How Did Early Humans Reach Australia?
Consider: Australia was never connected to Asia by land Sea levels were lower 50,000 years ago Early humans needed boats or rafts What does this tell us about their abilities?
Task 4: Independent Evidence Evaluation
Select two types of evidence we discussed today Evaluate each as 'Rock Solid' or 'Shaky' Justify your evaluation with reasons Compare the strengths and weaknesses of different evidence types
Key Takeaways: Our Migration Story
Modern humans originated in Africa around 300,000 years ago Major migration out of Africa began around 70,000 years ago Humans reached Australia by 50,000 years ago using boats Multiple types of evidence support this theory Understanding push/pull factors helps explain migration patterns