2. Group Discussion Norms
• *Full participation is required when working in
groups and when deliberating with others. A
group leader will be chosen to keep the group on
task, but everyone in the group is responsible
for their position.
1. One person speaks at a time
2. Debate the issue, not the person
3. Listen carefully to what others say
4. Listen and look for reasons and evidence in what is said
5. Base your comments in the text
4. Data Set #1:
• Native American groups assert that they have
inhabited North America from the time that the world
was created. They do not believe in the scientific
work that is being done on their ancestors and
consider the truth about the past is only revealed
through the oral history that is passed down to each
generation. Maurice Eben of the National Congress
of American Indians states, “It’s never enough for
scientists. They turn over a rock, and then another
rock and then another rock. Why don’t they ask us?
We can tell you what it was like 10,000 years ago.”
6. Data Set #2:
• People came to North America from Asia, by way of boats. Using winds
and currents Thor Heyerdahl made a voyage in a balsa-wood raft, Con-
Tiki, covering 4,300 miles in 101 days from Callao in Peru to the Tuamotu
Islands. In addition, he made other voyages in traditional Egyptian boats
made out of reeds similar to the ones made by those in the earliest known
civilizations in Mesopotamia, Egypt, China, and the Mediterranean. He
and his crew crossed the Atlantic Ocean in his vessel, Ra II, a trip from
Safi in Morocco to Barbados in 57 days.
• People came to North America from Europe by way of boat. Some
artifacts in the East (some near Pittsburgh) of North America are said to
date back 13,000 years. These people crossed the North Atlantic following
a northern ice pack.
• Clovis points that were found at different sites throughout the Americas are
evidence of the people who lived in the different regions. These Clovis
points are chipped and shattered bones of bison and mammoths and are the
first proof that people had arrived in time to see, and kill, the last great
beasts of the Ice Age.
11. Data Set #3:
• Humans crossed into North America on a land mass in the
location of today’s Bering Strait. This area, called Beringia,
separated Alaska and northeast Siberia. During the last ice
age the water level dropped around 300 feet allowing people
to cross the “bridge”. Humans came from Asia as they
followed big game during hunts. From this point, they
traveled down the coast of the North and South America.
• As illustrated in data set #2, Clovis points are one of the
many artifacts found in areas inhabited by the first people.
They have been found under the water in the Bering Strait,
as well as down the coast of the Americas, reaching the tip
of South America.
In spirals write three hypotheses about how people came to the Americas.
How did they get to this continent?
Review expectations of classroom discussion.
Share your views, but everyone’s voice will be heard.
If the same people volunteer, we will call on individuals to share.
Ask for volunteers to share and write on White Board.
Read aloud.
Explain what Oral History is.
N. Americans believe they have been here since the beginning of time. They know this because of their stories that have been passed down through the generations. “We were the first people”.
In your spirals, write if your opinion has changed at all by what was read, or if your opinion is still the same.
Share with your group.
Problems:
Oral history is not held up by scientific research or evidence
Can change from generation to generation.
Read
One trip was in 1947, the other later.
Again, write whether your opinion has changed or stayed the same.
Share with your group
Ask for volunteers to share
Ra II
Problems:
Some scientists do believe
Heyerdahl traveled from S Americca to Indonesia, then from Africa to the Carribbean.
Problems:
Some scientist believe the could do this.
Could he cross from west to east?
Look at the current directions. Usually only near the equator or up north
Heyerdahl believed there were multiple waves of people that came here thousands of years before.
Found in several points throughout America, from Alaska to the tip of
Also found on the east coast
Clovis Points have been found under the water of the Bering Strait.
Could explain why the clovis points were in this area.
Has your opinion changed?
Write, share with group, share with class “Who’s idea has changed?”
Problems:
Last migration was believed to be 12,500 years ago.
Some clovis points have been dated to 13,000 years ago.
Some artifacts including clovis points have been dated anywhere from 20-200,000 years old. People would have had to have arrived way before we thought.
