Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Frayer Model 5: Survival Strategy
Target Concept Hunter-Gatherer
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Evidence of Paleolithic Life • Student Vocabulary Portfolio Page 3 of 7
Lifestyle & Resource Gathering
Notice how nomad and forage connect directly!
Frayer Model 6: Human Movement
Target Concept Nomad / Nomadic
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Frayer Model 7: Food Sourcing Action
Target Concept Forage (Action / Verb)
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Evidence of Paleolithic Life • Student Vocabulary Portfolio Page 4 of 7
Global Movement & Material Evidence
Connecting physical traces to past behavior
Frayer Model 8: Out of Africa Movement
Target Concept Migration
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Frayer Model 9: Physical Objects
Target Concept Artifact
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Evidence of Paleolithic Life • Student Vocabulary Portfolio Page 5 of 7
Scientific Fields of Study
Distinguish between studying objects vs studying societies & bodies
Frayer Model 10: Study of Material Remains
Target Concept Archaeology / Archaeologist
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Frayer Model 11: Study of Human Societies
Target Concept Anthropology / Anthropologist
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Evidence of Paleolithic Life • Student Vocabulary Portfolio Page 6 of 7
Genetic Evidence & Unit Word Application
Synthesis of all unit vocabulary
Frayer Model 12: DNA Evidence
Target Concept Genomic (Genetic / DNA Testing)
Definition
Facts / Characteristics
Examples
Non-Examples
Applying All 27 Words
Part A: Dating the Past (BCE vs CE Application)
In 1-2 complete sentences, explain how dates in BCE are counted differently from dates in CE, and state why all Paleolithic events take place in BCE.
Part B: The Global Migration Route (Geography Bank)
Trace the migration of early Homo sapiens from their origin continent across the globe by numbering the regions in chronological order (1 = first settled, 5 = last reached):
Africa
Middle East
Asia & Europe
Australia
The Americas
Part C: Synthesis Reflection
How do artifacts and genomic evidence work together to confirm human life during the Paleolithic Era?
Evidence of Paleolithic Life • Student Vocabulary Portfolio Page 7 of 7
Non-Examples:
• 2026 CE (the present day)
• 1492 CE (voyages across the Atlantic)
• 1969 CE (Apollo 11 moon landing)
Stone Age Word Power • Teacher Evaluation & Exemplar Key Page 1 of 5
Models 3, 4 & 5
Frayer Exemplar 3: CE (Common Era) Essential Dating Term
Definition:
The dating designation for all years from the year 1 to the present day, counting forward in ascending chronological order.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Formerly referred to as "A.D." (Anno Domini)
• Secular, globally accepted historical standard
• Numbers increase into the future (1 → 2026)
Examples (Dates):
• Year 2026 CE (today)
• 476 CE (fall of Western Roman Empire)
• 1776 CE (American Declaration of Independence)
Non-Examples:
• 200,000 BCE (early human fossils in Africa)
• 10,000 BCE (Paleolithic cave dwellers)
Frayer Exemplar 4: Prehistory Word/Concept
Definition:
The vast duration of human past before the invention and widespread use of written language and written documents.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Represents >95% of human existence on Earth
• Requires archaeology, anthropology, and DNA to study
• Ended at different times across the world
Examples:
• The Paleolithic Era and early Neolithic communities
• Early human fire sites without written accounts
Non-Examples:
• Sumerian clay tablets written in cuneiform
• Written legal codes such as the Code of Hammurabi
Frayer Exemplar 5: Hunter-Gatherer Word/Concept
Definition:
A person who gets their food entirely by hunting wild animals, fishing, and gathering wild uncultivated plants, nuts, and berries.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Followed migrating animal herds and seasonal flora
• Possessed deep ecological knowledge of animal habits
• Maintained small, cooperative groups
Examples:
• Paleolithic groups hunting reindeer and collecting tubers
• Modern San people of southern Africa
Non-Examples:
• A farmer harvesting domesticated wheat
• A shepherd penning sheep inside a barn
Stone Age Word Power • Teacher Evaluation & Exemplar Key Page 2 of 5
Models 6, 7 & 8
Frayer Exemplar 6: Nomad / Nomadic Word/Concept
Definition:
A person who moves frequently from place to place following food sources and has no fixed or permanent home.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Sheltered in caves, rock overhangs, or animal hide tents
• Owned few material possessions so they could travel light
• Kept population small to match resource availability
Examples:
• Paleolithic hunting bands moving with the seasons
• Pastoral nomadic herders tracking pastures
Non-Examples:
• Settled villagers living in stone houses permanently
• Modern suburban homeowners
Frayer Exemplar 7: Forage Word/Concept (Verb)
Definition:
The act of searching widely across the wild natural environment to gather wild foods such as roots, berries, seeds, and plants.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Performed without farming, plowing, or sowing seeds
• Accounted for the majority of daily Paleolithic caloric intake
• Relied on wooden digging sticks and woven fiber bags
Examples:
• Digging wild tubers and wild onions from woodland soil
• Harvesting wild elderberries and acorns
Non-Examples:
• Planting rows of corn in an agricultural field
• Buying produce at a supermarket grocery aisle
Frayer Exemplar 8: Migration Word/Concept
Definition:
The long-distance movement of groups of people or animals from one region or continent to settle in another.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Homo sapiens migrated out of Africa across the globe
• Motivated by following game herds and climate shifts
• Enabled by lower sea levels and land bridges (Beringia)
Examples:
• Human expansion from East Africa into the Middle East and Asia
• Crossing Beringia into the Americas ~15,000 BCE
Non-Examples:
• Taking a seasonal hunting walk within the same home valley
• Commuting to school or work
Stone Age Word Power • Teacher Evaluation & Exemplar Key Page 3 of 5
Models 9, 10 & 11
Frayer Exemplar 9: Artifact Word/Concept
Definition:
An object made, modified, or used by human beings in the past, such as tools, weapons, art, pottery, or clothing.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Primary evidence for prehistoric human behavior
• Must be interpreted since objects do not explain themselves
• Often made of durable materials like stone, bone, or antler
Examples:
• Flaked obsidian spear tips and scrapers
• Carved bone sewing needles and harpoon heads
Non-Examples:
• A naturally smoothed river rock untouched by people
• A fossilized dinosaur femur bone
Frayer Exemplar 10: Archaeology / Archaeologist Scientific Field
Definition:
Archaeology is the scientific study of the past by excavating and analyzing physical artifacts and skeletons. An archaeologist is the scientist doing this work.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Uses careful grid excavation and stratigraphic dating
• Reconstructs daily diet, shelter, and tool industries
• Faces limitations from decayed organic materials
Examples:
• Excavating a 30,000 BCE campsite hearth
• Uncovering tool caches in Olduvai Gorge
Non-Examples:
• Paleontologists excavating Jurassic dinosaurs
• Modern political scientists polling voters
Frayer Exemplar 11: Anthropology / Anthropologist Scientific Field
Definition:
Anthropology is the scientific study of human societies, cultures, behaviors, and physical evolutionary development across time. An anthropologist is the researcher in this field.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Studies both physical skeletons and living cultures
• Investigates kinship, social rituals, language, and beliefs
• Compares modern foraging societies to infer prehistoric life
Examples:
• Studying dental wear on skeletons to determine diet
• Observing social organization in San foraging bands
Non-Examples:
• Geology (analyzing rock mineral composition)
• Meteorology (tracking modern weather storms)
Stone Age Word Power • Teacher Evaluation & Exemplar Key Page 4 of 5
Model 12 & Final Assessment Key
Frayer Exemplar 12: Genomic DNA / Genetics
Definition:
Relating to DNA and genetic testing that scientists use to determine ancient biological relationships and ancestral origins.
Facts & Characteristics:
• Uses genetic markers to calculate when groups diverged
• Proves all modern humans descend from ancestral African populations
• Can extract ancient DNA (aDNA) from fossil teeth and bones
Examples:
• Tracing mitochondrial DNA maternal haplogroups
• Comparing Neanderthal DNA with modern human genomes
Non-Examples:
• Carbon-14 radioactive isotope decay testing
• Oral mythology or folklore passed down verbally
Part A: Dating the Past (BCE vs CE)
Correct Answer: Dates in BCE (Before Common Era) count backwards toward the year 1 (e.g., 20,000 BCE occurred prior to 10,000 BCE). Dates in CE (Common Era) count forward from year 1. Because the Paleolithic Era ended around 9,000 BCE—thousands of years before the year 1—all Paleolithic events occurred during BCE.
Part B: Global Migration Chronological Order
Africa #1 (Origin)
Middle East #2 (~100,000 BP)
Asia & Europe #3 (~70,000 BP)
Australia #4 (~50,000 BP)
The Americas #5 (~15,000 BP)
Part C: Synthesis Reflection (Artifacts + Genomic Testing)
Exemplar Response: Artifacts (such as projectile spearheads and hearth ashes) show physical proof of how early humans adapted, lived, and utilized technology. Genomic testing provides biological timelines establishing when human groups diverged and migrated across continents. Together, they validate each other: DNA proves who migrated, while artifacts prove how they survived.
Stone Age Word Power • Teacher Evaluation & Exemplar Key Page 5 of 5
2. Demystify Chronology (BCE vs. CE): Use Slide 4 timeline axis. Explicitly model counting backward for BCE (Before Common Era): larger numerals indicate deeper past. Contrast with CE (Common Era) counting forward. Emphasize that all Paleolithic events occurred in BCE.
3. Introduce the Frayer Model Strategy: Project Slide 2. Explain why memorizing a dictionary definition is weak, whereas populating 4 quadrants (Definition, Facts/Traits, Examples, Non-Examples) cements conceptual mastery.
Student Work Time (25-35 minutes)
WE Do - Class Modeling Activity (8-10 minutes):
• Anchor Model Construction: Using the document camera and Slide 5, teacher and class co-construct Frayer Model 1: Paleolithic Era on Page 1 of the student worksheet.
• Guided Discussion Prompts: Cold-call students to synthesize: "How would you explain Old Stone Age to a 5th grader without copying the textbook?" (Definition). "What makes a non-example strong?" (Non-examples: Neolithic farming, Bronze tools, written books).
• Turn & Talk Check: Partners spend 60 seconds drafting one fact and one non-example for BCE on Page 2 before sharing out.
YOU Do - Small Group/Independent Work and Learning Tasks (18-22 minutes):
• Task Execution: Students transition to paired or independent work in their 7-page Frayer Model Packet (Page 2 through Page 7), analyzing terms: CE, Prehistory, Hunter-Gatherer, Nomad, Forage, Migration, Artifact, Archaeology, Anthropology, and Genomic.
• Application & Synthesis: Students who complete the Frayer models proceed to Page 7 to solve Part A (BCE/CE reasoning), Part B (Out-of-Africa migration routing 1-5), and Part C (synthesis reflection).
• Teacher Facilitation & Small Group: Teacher pulls a small group of 4-6 students to the back table for guided sentence framing and vocabulary card matching.
Verbal Closing (1 minute):
Teacher brings class back to whole group. "Today we mastered the language of human survival before written history. Who can remind us which scientist studies artifacts versus human skeletons and societies?" (Archaeologist vs. Anthropologist).
Daily Formative: (1-2 minutes):
Students complete the 2-minute Exit Ticket check at the bottom of Page 7: "Explain in one sentence why dates in BCE count down toward 1, while CE counts up, and write one non-example for an artifact."
Evergreen Charter School • Daily Lesson Plan (Date: 9/22) Page 2 of 3
Supports, Assessment & Accountability (Day: 9/22) Evergreen Charter School
Differentiation
High and Low Students:
• Accelerated: Complete Part C extension comparing how genomic tracking confirms archaeological strata dating; construct an analogy comparing Ice Age migration across Beringia to modern human migration.
• Approaching: Focus on mastering core 6 terms first (BCE, CE, Paleolithic, Nomad, Forage, Artifact); provided with word bank and sentence stems for the Definition box.
ENL Students:
• Provide visual reference cards with dual-language cognates (*nómada*, *migración*, *artefacto*, *arqueología*, *antropología*).
• Use illustrated slides to anchor abstract vocabulary (e.g., photo of flint knapping, cave excavation).
• Allow verbal description of non-examples to partner before writing.
IEP / 504 Students:
• Chunk assignment: check in after every two Frayer models.
• Allow bullet points and illustrated sketches in place of full sentences for the Characteristics box.
• Preferential seating near document camera; provide pre-highlighted slide note outlines.
Assessments & Homework
Homework:
Select 2 vocabulary terms from today's packet (e.g., nomad and forage). Write a short 4-5 sentence historical journal entry from the perspective of an early Paleolithic human hunter or gatherer, correctly using both terms in context.
Formative Assessment:
Summative Assessment:
Unit 2.1 Exam (End of Unit): Stimulus-based multiple choice assessing student ability to analyze archaeological artifacts and map Paleolithic migration patterns; enduring issues paragraph on human adaptation.
Teacher Post-Lesson Reflection Notes: Record pacing adjustments, words requiring reteach during Do Now tomorrow (check BCE vs CE accuracy).
Evergreen Charter School • Daily Lesson Plan (Date: 9/22) Page 3 of 3
Subsistence Practices
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
Subsistence refers to the methods a society uses to obtain food and basic resources necessary for survival.
Gathering wild botanical foods including roots, seeds, nuts, wild grains, honey, and seasonal berries.
Calorie Reality: Provided 65% to 80% of daily nutrition.
Cooperative hunts targeting mammoths, woolly rhinos, and bison using natural traps and spears.
Resource Yield: Supplied dense fats, bone tools, and warm pelts.
Moving through territories in sync with annual animal migrations, river fish runs, and fruit ripening.
Key Trait: Zero farming; completely dependent on natural cycles.
Direct Link to Migration: When game moved or vegetation dried up, humans were forced to relocate. Subsistence → Movement
Global Migration Map & Video
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
1. Route Map & Dates Out of Africa
Key Dates: Africa (~150k ya) → Middle East (~100k ya) → Australia (~50k ya) → Europe (~40k ya) → Americas (~12k ya).
2. Animated Migration Video Watch & Analyze
Watch For: How shifting Ice Age climate barriers and coastlines guided human movement across continents.
Active Inquiry: How did geographic barriers (oceans, ice sheets, deserts) shape the paths seen on the map? Video & Map Synthesis
Migration Stage 1 • Africa
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
150,000 – 100,000 YA
Anatomically modern Homo sapiens emerged in Africa (~150,000–300,000 years ago), living across the savanna grasslands and coastlines of East and South Africa.
Genetic Reality: Every human living today traces ancestry back to this African population.
Volcanic lakes supported foraging for edible tubers, fishing, and coordinated hunting of antelope herds.
During megadroughts (~160,000 BCE), humans shifted subsistence to marine shellfish and engineered heat-treated stone tools.
Engraved red ochre bars and shell beads show complex language, cooperation, and trade networks.
Causation Note: Climate-driven droughts in Africa forced humans to seek new coastlines. Stage 1 Complete
Migration Stage 2 • Asia & Australia
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
60,000 – 50,000 YA
Crossing the Red Sea (~100,000–90,000 ya), bands followed the Indian Ocean coastline east toward South Asia, reaching Australia by ~60,000–50,000 years ago.
Following tidal estuaries offered reliable crabs, oysters, and sea turtles without needing to reinvent hunting methods in unfamiliar inland forests.
Change Over Time: Savanna hunting shifted to shoreline foraging.
Australia was never connected by land. Humans built bamboo rafts and watercraft to cross deep open-ocean trenches across Wallacea.
Significance: Demonstrates maritime planning and navigation.
By 50,000 years ago, Aboriginal Australian societies had established continuous culture. Seafaring Breakthrough
Migration Stage 3 • Eurasian Steppes
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
40,000 – 25,000 YA
Entering Europe (~40,000 ya) and Central/North Asia (~35,000–25,000 ya) required adapting to treeless permafrost grasslands swept by Arctic winds.
With no wood on the frozen tundra, humans constructed winter dome dwellings out of mammoth tusks, skulls, and ribs draped in thick pelts and banked with soil.
Key Sites: Mezhirich (Ukraine) and Sungir (Russia).
In Europe and Asia, Homo sapiens encountered Neanderthals and Denisovans who had adapted there for hundreds of thousands of years.
Genomics: Modern non-Africans carry 1–2% Neanderthal DNA.
Change Over Time: Cultural and technical adaptability replaced biological evolution. Cold Climate Mastery
Migration Stage 4 • The Americas
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
12,000? – 11,000? YA
Glaciers locked up sea water, lowering global sea levels by over 300 feet and exposing a 1,000-mile-wide land bridge called Beringia between Siberia and Alaska.
1. Pacific Kelp Highway: Coastal boat travel harvesting seals, kelp, and fish (Monte Verde, Chile ~14,500 BCE).
2. Ice-Free Corridor: Inland passage between Laurentide and Cordilleran ice sheets.
Hunters invented fluted spear points engineered to penetrate the thick hides of mammoths, mastodons, and giant ground sloths.
Impact: Humans reached the southern tip of South America rapidly.
The Americas were the final continental landmass populated by early humans. Global Dispersal Achieved
Change Over Time Matrix
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
Analyze how migration into new environments forced technological innovations that transformed subsistence.
Region & Period
Environment
Key Technology
Subsistence Shift
East Africa (~150k YA)
Savanna & Lakes
Handaxes, fire, digging sticks
Scavenging & plant foraging
Australia (~50k YA)
Tropical Shorelines
Bamboo watercraft, shell tools
Tidal shellfish & marine fish
Eurasian Steppe (~35k YA)
Subzero Ice Tundra
Bone needles, mammoth shelters
Megafauna hunting
Americas (~12k YA)
Glacial Plains & Coast
Clovis fluted projectile points
Big-game & kelp harvesting
Synthesis: Human culture and technology evolved faster than our biological DNA. Adaptive Mastery
Skill Check • Causation
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
Historical Scenario: Siberian Steppe (~22,000 YA) CFU 3
"A multi-family band of 35 humans notices local reindeer herds migrating east across the dry expanse of Beringia. Temperatures drop to -30°F. The band decides to pack up their hide tents and follow the herd."
1. Causation
Push: Freezing temps & scarce game.
Pull: Following herd into new territory.
2. Subsistence
Diet: High-fat reindeer meat and marrow; no edible vegetation on frozen ground.
3. Essential Tech
Tools: Bone needles for airtight clothing, fat lamps, and atlatl spears.
Turn & talk: formulate a complete sentence connecting all three factors. Partner Discussion: 2 Minutes
Unit 1.1 Exit Ticket
Objective: Describe subsistence, migration patterns & tech in the Paleolithic
Unit 1.1 Big Picture Takeaway
By 10,000 BCE, on the eve of the Agricultural Revolution, human hunter-gatherers lived on every continent except Antarctica. This global triumph was caused not by biological evolution, but by adaptive subsistence strategies and continuous technological innovation in response to new environments.
Exit Ticket Writing Prompt (Write 3–4 sentences) Individual Task
Explain how subsistence practices and technological innovations caused humans to migrate throughout the world during the Paleolithic Era.
Unit 1.1 • Paleolithic Migration & Technology Submit your Exit Ticket before leaving
