First G6 Unit Test of 2013

I am planning to have a test on Thursday, September 19^th, 2013.  Please begin to study for it.

Essential Question #1 for the Prehistory Unit:  What makes us human?

Standard #3:  Examine the interpretation of the fossil evidence of a selected species of extinct upright apes, beginning with Australopithecus afarensis (“Lucy”) all the way to Cro-Magnons (the early humans of Europe), to compare-contrast them to us in order to discover what makes us uniquely human today. 

• Know everything on your study guide “Uncovering Clues to Our Past (Part 1)” (Chapter 4, Lesson 1) EXCEPT the exact dates.
• Instead of exact dates, you only need to know the meaning of all the names and the order of all the hominids that we studied, i.e., from “Lucy” all the way to Homo sapiens.  Therefore, you should just get the information about the meaning/reason for the names and the order of the names on the study guide of Chapter 4, Lessons 1 and 3 as well as all the information about Homo heidelbergensis.  We will deal with the rest of the information about Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons on the next test.
• Make sure you can recognize the pictures of the different fossils finds such as “Lucy,” the first Homo habilis fossils that were found, and “Lampang Man.”  Basically, be ready to recognize and name all the pictures found on your study guides and on the PDFs on my blog.
• Study all the information on your “Lampang Man” Summary that you took from the PDF about Homo erectus in Thailand / Homo erectus fossils found for the first time in Thailand. 
• Be ready to answer the essential question we have been asking:  “What makes us human?”  We have been reviewing this again and again.  You can also use the note taking exercises that we have done.
• Make sure you study for at least TWO HOURS.  The test will be easy if you study hard.  Good luck!

EXTRA INFORMATION:

• Be prepared to answer these questions on Lampang Man:

1. What exactly was found?
2. Where were the fossils found?
3. When were the fossils found?
4. Who found the fossils?
5. What mistake did Thai scholars make when they first found the fossils?
6. How old were the fossils really?
7. What does this fossil find mean to us as humans?
8. Are the fossil finds in Thailand similar to other finds?
9. What do other scholars think about the fossils found in Thailand?

• WHAT MAKES US HUMAN?

1. Art (something that makes us uniquely human)
2. Walking Upright (We are the last species of upright ape on the planet)
3. Opposable Thumb (to grasp tools, etc.)
4. Tool Use (to adapt to the environment, access food, etc.)
5. Curiosity (to explore new things as scavengers to find food)
6. Large Brain (thanks to eating meat, i.e., protein)
7. Inventiveness (to acquire food and adapt to the environment)
8. Teamwork (to acquire food)
9. Running (for long periods during the heat of the day unlike other animals)
10. Hairless Body (to release heat)
11. Sweat (not pant to release heat)
12. Brain Interprets the Environment (to unlock nature’s secrets, e.g., animal tracks.  If you can understand the world, you can control it.)
13. Understand Others (about 1/6 of our calories goes to our brain to help with social interaction)
14. Hunters (Erectus was probably the first hunter)
15. Language (Erectus was probably the first to use basic language skills)
16. Rely on Family and Friends (to survive and be taken care of in old age)
17. Populate the World (Erectus was the first to leave Africa)
18. Innovation, i.e., Our Technology Changes (the handaxe of H.erectus did not change for a million years, but perhaps used bamboo in Asia)
19. Fire (Erectus was the first to use fire)
20. Cooking also makes us uniquely human