Land Bridge Theory of Migration

Submitted by:Cheryl Turk-Barrus
School or Affiliation: Eastside Elem., Cody, WY
Endorsed by: These lesson plans are the result of the work of the teachers who have attended the Columbia Education Center's Summer Workshop. CEC is a consortium of teacher from 14 western states dedicated to improving the quality of education in the rural, western, United States, and particularly the quality of math and science Education. CEC uses Big Sky Telegraph as the hub of their telecommunications network that allows the participating teachers to stay in contact with their trainers and peers that they have met at the Workshops.

Date: May 1994

Description:

Students work in cooperative groups solving the mystery of the crossing of the Bering Strait and how it relates to the early presence of man in Wyoming.

Grade Level/Subject: Appropriate for grade 4, social studies

Goal:

The purpose of this activity is to allow students to work within their groups on problem solving skills and coming to a group consensus on an issue while introducing them to the study of early Wyoming history.

Objectives: As a result of this activity, the students will:

1. Understand the effects of the ice age on the levels of the oceans waters.
2. Be able to identify the Bering Strait.
3. Understand that a land bridge between Asia and North America existed at the Bering Strait.
4. Be able to trace the migration of early man from Asia to the state of Wyoming.

This activity is designed to be used as an opening activity for the students into the study of the state's history. It can easily be used as a cooperative education activity that will reinforce the groups understanding of coming to consensus on an issue.

Materials:

World map that shows Asia to the left of the United States, activity sheets (end of lesson)

Procedure:

News Flash Game

To introduce the unit before any reading takes place create the following challenge game. With students in small groups of cooperative teams, produce the following story using a world map to trace your tale. (hint: I recorded the story and used it in a learning center. The more you add to and elaborate on the tale, the better the activity)

A time long ago on this continent (point to Asia), a group of people who followed their food, such as bison and mammoths, roamed the area. As the people continued their daily search for food they were slowly lead to this point (point to the Bering Strait). As they continued to follow their food they found themselves here (point to North American side of Bering Strait). As these people continued to follow their food they eventually scattered themselves throughout North America. Now, here is the challenge -- you can see that there is no land between these two continents, yet animals and people crossed here. Your task is to tell me how the people got across, or what did they walk on to get to North America.

As the teams begin solving the challenge write the first news flash on the board, then continue to supply news flashes until the teams can secretly report the correct answer.

News Flash: The animals had no boats and most people walked.

News Flash: The weather turned very cold.

News Flash: An Ice Age occurred.

News Flash: As ice bergs grew oceans shrank.

News Flash: The animals and people walked on bare ground.

(correct answer: they walked across land bridge)

Tape Challenge

Activity Sheet

Name: ____________________________

Use the world map below to trace the story:

(you will need to get a map of the world for students to use. Place map here)

Take notes as you listen

Newsflash #1:_______________________________________________

Newsflash #2:_______________________________________________

Newsflash #3:_______________________________________________

Newsflash #4:_______________________________________________

Newsflash #5:_______________________________________________

Nomads:_____________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________

Point where they crossed the ocean _________________________

Ice Age: ___________________________________________________

Answer to the challenge: The nomads reached North America
by _________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________

Tying it All Together:

1. Discuss the theory of the Land Bridge Crossing.
2. Discuss how people use clues to come up with the various theories.
3. Have the students try the challenge exercises to check for understanding the theory.

Challenge exercises

A Fishy Fossil

An amateur archaeologist was exploring in a remote mountain region in Wyoming know as Owl Creek. On a sheltered southern exposure hillside overlooking a natural spring the archaeologist discovered petrified fish scales. Through closer study of the general site, skeletal remains of an unknown fish were discovered. Once the site was carefully excavated the fish remain were sent to a lab for identification. The lab made the following discoveries:

1. The fish bones and scales were left behind, the meat of the fish was not left at the site, it was removed from he scales and skeleton. The skeleton had marks that indicated that a knife like tool had been used to remove the flesh from the bones.
2. The fish was identified as a rare freshwater fish that is only found in the northeastern areas of Asia.
3. No other fish of this origin had ever been found in North America.
4. On further lab test, traces of fire carbon were found on the skeletons.

Using the above information, form a hypothesis about this archaeological find. Make sure you note the laboratories findings in your hypothesis of the situation.

Bridging a New Continent

Suppose that the land bridge that joined Asia and North America had joined North America to Africa. How would North America and its early history be changed because of the land bridge? Use the following topics to develop your ideas of possible changes that might have occurred.

1. Animal Species
2. Native Americans
3. Artifacts Left Behind

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