1. *
Map: The map
shows the route
that nomadic
humans took as
they moved
into the
America’s from
Asia.
North America
Asia
Map: Shows Beringia, the Land Bridge, between Asia
and North America.
UNIT 1: GLOBAL HERITAGE
OF THE AMERICAN PEOPLE
PRIOR TO 1500
Image:
Iroquois
Indians lived
in present day
New York
State.
1
PART 1: EARLY AMERICANS

2. 1. THE FIRST AMERICANS
Map: The map
shows the route
that nomadic
humans took as
they moved into
the America’s
from Asia.
Images: These images show how early humans
dressed. Animal skins and plants were used to
make clothes.

3. A. The Last Ice Age:
1. Between 20,000 and 40,000 years ago during the last Ice Age, glaciers covered a large part of
the Northern Hemisphere (North America, Europe, and Northern Asia).
2. Water level in oceans decreased due to increase in size of glaciers.
3. Land was exposed in Bering Strait between Asia and North America.
4. Land bridge is known as Beringia. About 750 miles wide.
ICE AGE: Period of time when glaciers covered many parts of the Northern Hemisphere.
GLACIERS: A huge sheet of ice.
This map shows where
glaciers existed on the
continents of North
America, Europe, and
Asia.

4. This map shows the modern day Bering Sea and
Strait. As you can see, Asia and North America are
NOT connected. Humans, today, can not walk from
Asia to North America.

5. This map shows the same area, but during the Ice Age. During the Ice Age, glaciers caused the
ocean levels to drop. The light brown shaded area shows the land that was exposed when the
ocean levels went down. This land is called the “Land Bridge” or “Beringia.”

6. B. Early American Migration:
1. Herds of animals migrated over land bridge.
2. Groups of human nomads followed herds across land bridge from Asia.
3. Over thousands of years, early Americans migrated to all parts of the America’s.
NOMAD: A person or group of people who move from place to place in search of food.
Asia
North America
Bering Strait
4. These early humans were Stone Age
people. Stone was their most advanced form
of technology for tools and weapons.

7. This map shows animals migrating out
of Asia and into North America across
the “Land Bridge” or Beringia.
Following the animals are humans.
Humans lived as nomads and had to
move to find food.

8. This map shows the route that animals and humans took when
they migrated out of Asia and into North America across the
“Land Bridge” or Beringia.

9. This map shows where
humans spread to when they
entered the America’s. This
took thousands of years to
take place.
This image shows a group of
humans. The weapons that they
have are basic; stone and wood were
used to make spears, knives, and
hammers/axes.

10. 5. Early humans lived during the period of time known as prehistory.
PREHISTORY: The period of time before humans learned to write.
-Early humans did not know how to write, therefore, they left no written records such as
books, journals, or articles.
-Since early humans did not know how to write, archeologists and historians have to rely on
artifacts to learn about early humans.
Since early humans did not
know how to write, they
drew cave paintings to tell
stories and record important
events such as a hunt.
Early humans left behind
things that they made. These
include arrow heads and
spear tips, clothing, and
human bones that were
buried. These human made
things are called artifacts.

11. ARCHEOLOGIST: A scientists who searches for and studies
artifacts in order to learn how early people lived.
ARTIFACT: An object made by humans, such as tools,
weapons, and pottery, and left behind by them.
6. Knowledge and culture was passed on through oral history.
ORAL HISTORY: The passing on of a person or group’s
history through the telling of stories and singing of songs.
CULTURE: The way of life for a group of people.
Archeologists search for
artifacts in “dig sites.”
The further down you go,
the older the objects
become.

12. C. First Americans:
1. Depended on hunting and gathering for food and clothing.
2. Could not farm.
3. Tools and weapons made from stone, bone, and wood.
4. Followed herds of animals across land bridge to North America.
Mammoths, deer,
bison, and bear were
common animals that
were hunted by early
humans. Fruits were a
common plant gathered
by early humans.

13. D. Farming:
1. Around 7,000 BC, humans in Central
America learned to plant seeds, grow food,
and farm.
2. At first, they grew corn, beans, and squash.
In addition, they also grew peppers, tomatoes,
pumpkins, tobacco, and cotton.
3. Over time, other humans in the America’s
learned to farm.
4. This allowed for civilizations to emerge.
People could settle down in one area and not
live as nomads. People needed to stay in one
area in order to plant seeds, tend crops, and
harvest crops.
5. The 1st
American civilizations; Mayans,
Aztecs, and Incans were created in Central
and South America.
CIVILIZATION: Advanced culture with a
religion, cities, government, written language,
social classes.
BeansSquash
Corn (Maize)