Ice Age Trailblazers Slides History Field Guide
Ice Age Trailblazers
How early hunters crossed the frozen world to find a new home in North America.
Lesson 1: The First Migration
Simplified Edition
What Was the Ice Age?
Part 1 of 4
Thousands of years ago, the Earth was much colder. Giant sheets of ice called glaciers covered the land.
Glaciers locked up much of the Earth's ocean water.Because of this, the ocean level dropped lower and lower.
Deep sea water disappeared, revealing brand new dry land .
Climate Report
Colder & Drier
Ocean water dropped down by over 300 feet , exposing the sea floor.
Key Word: Glacier = A massive, slow-moving river of solid ice.
Following the Food
Part 2 of 4
The early people were **hunters** and **gatherers**. They did not live in one spot or grow crops.
"To survive, hunters had to follow their food. Wherever the giant animals went, the humans followed closely behind."
The Hunter's Target: Woolly Mammoths
🍖
Meat & Fat
Tons of high-energy food for entire bands of people.
🧥
Thick Fur
Used to stitch ultra-warm clothing and sturdy winter tents.
🦴
Massive Bones
Used as building poles and carved into hunting tools.
Key Word: Migration = Moving from one place to another to find food and survive.
The Beringia Land Bridge
Part 3 of 4
A Natural Bridge
The low sea levels uncovered a 1,000-mile-wide plain connecting Asia to North America.
It was a cold, grassy tundra. It was perfect grazing land for heavy woolly mammoths!
Migration Route Map
ASIA (Siberia)
BERINGIA (Land Bridge)
N. AMERICA (Alaska)
Hunters Moving East
◀ West (Cold Forests) The Route East ▶
Key Fact: Beringia was not a narrow strip. It was as wide as the entire United States is today !
A Rich New World
Part 4 of 4
1. Fresh Water
Clean streams and large lakes created by melting glacier ice.
2. Thick Forests
Plentiful wood for building warm shelters and roasting meat over campfires.
3. Abundant Wildlife
New animals like bison, caribou, birds, and fish filled the valleys and rivers.
4. Strong Stones
Sharp volcanic glass and flint stones perfect for making spear points.
The Result: Early Americans thrived because of these natural resources .
Let's Review!
Check-In
Why did early hunters travel across the Bering Land Bridge?
A
They wanted to explore warmer places with golden sand deserts.
B
They were following woolly mammoths and other animals for food.
C
They were looking for large farming fields to plant crops like corn.
Discuss with a partner: What is another resource they found?
Beringia Crossing Map Activity Visual Geography
Beringia Crossing Map
Name:
Date:
Instructions: Thousands of years ago, hunters crossed from Asia to North America. Use the map below to see their journey. Complete the matching task and answer the questions.
Ice Age Migration Route (circa 15,000 Years Ago) West ◀ ▶ East
A ASIA B BERINGIA C N. AMERICA D GLACIER E OCEAN WATER 🦣 🦣 WOOLLY MAMMOTH ROUTE
1 Part 1: Map Label Matching
Write the correct Letter (A, B, C, D, or E) next to each geographic label below.
Asia (Siberia)
Beringia Land Bridge
North America
Glacier (Ice Sheet)
Ocean Water
2 Part 2: Map Reading Questions
1. Look at the arrows on the map. Which direction did the mammoth hunters travel?
West (From North America to Asia)
East (From Asia to North America)
2. Why is Beringia (B) colored differently on this map than the surrounding oceans (E)?
Quick Explorer Check: Trace the orange migration path on the map with a highlighter or crayon!
Ice Age Hunters Worksheet History Reading & Vocab
Ice Age Hunters
Name:
Date:
Read the three short stories below. Then complete the vocabulary check.
Story 1
The Cold Earth
Thousands of years ago, the Earth was in an **Ice Age**. The weather was extremely cold and dry. Giant mountains of solid ice called **glaciers** covered large parts of the land. Because so much water was frozen as ice, the oceans became much lower.
Story 2
Follow the Mammoths
The early humans did not have farms or houses. They were **hunters** who traveled to find food. They relied on giant furry animals called **woolly mammoths** to survive. Mammoths provided thick fur for warm clothes, strong bones for tents, and lots of meat to eat.
Story 3
The Land Bridge
As oceans dropped, dry land appeared where the water used to be. This brand new land was called **Beringia**. It connected Asia and North America like a massive bridge. The woolly mammoths walked across Beringia to eat grass, and the early **hunters** followed right behind them.
Vocabulary Match-Up Fill in each blank using the Word Bank
Glaciers Beringia Ice Age Hunters
Early people were called because they traveled to search for food.
The was a colder, drier period of Earth's history.
Huge mountains and sheets of moving ice are called .
The land bridge that connected Asia and North America is .
Unit: First Peoples of America Go to Page 2 ▶
History Application
Resources & Writing
Name:
Date:
Discover the natural resources of North America and complete the tasks below.
3 Part 3: Resource Match-Up
Draw a straight line from the Natural Resource to how it helped early people survive.
🌲 Thick Forests (Wood)
💧 Melting Glaciers (Fresh Water)
🦫 Wildlife (Small Game & Fish)
🪨 Flint & Stones
• • • •
For drinking and cooking food •
To carve sharp hunting spears •
For building hot shelter campfires •
Extra food and warm animal hides •
4 Part 4: Short Answer Reflection
1. Why did the early hunters travel all the way from Asia to North America?
2. Draw ONE item that a hunter would make using North American resources (like wood, stone, or fur):
Draw Inside Box
Completed Page 2 of 2 Great Job, Trailblazer! 🦣
