1. The first Americans came from Asia between 20,000-20,000 years ago during the last Ice Age when lower sea levels exposed a land bridge connecting Asia and North America. They followed animal herds as nomads across this land bridge. 2. Over thousands of years, groups of humans migrated throughout North and South America and developed different cultures based on their environments and available natural resources. These early peoples were the ancestors of Native Americans. 3. Archaeologists study artifacts left by early Native Americans to learn about the cultures since they did not have written records.

2. •First Americans: They came from Asia during the last Ice Age, between 20,000-
20,000 years ago, and crossed a land bridge that connected Asia with North America.
They followed herds of animals and lived as nomads.
Land Bridge: Berengia
ASIA
NORTH
AMERICA
•Stone Age Man: Early people did
not know how to farm and used stone
and wood for weapons. They
gathered food from the environment
and hunted in order to survive.
•Over thousands of years, groups of humans
migrated into the America’s and spread to all
parts. They developed different cultures due the
environment in which they lived and the natural
resources around them. These early people
became the Native Americans.
•Nomads: People who move from place to place in
search of food.
Animal skin
clothing.
Stone and wood
weapons.
•Glaciers covered much of
Northern Hemisphere.

3. •These early Native Americans spread throughout the America’s and created different cultures. The cultures that these early Native Americans
developed depended on their environment and the natural resources that they had to use. They lived during the Prehistoric Period and have only
left behind artifacts. They did not know how to write (No written records).
Artifact: Objects made by man such as tools, weapons, and jewelry. Example: arrowheads
Archeologist: Scientists who study artifacts to learn about early people.
Prehistory: Time before written records were kept.
Culture: The way of life for a group of people.
Primary Source: A source of information created by a person who witnessed the event.
For example; a photograph, a journal entry, a letter home from a soldier.
Secondary Source: A source of information created by a person who did not witness
an event, but relied on others for their information.
For example; a textbook.
•Ice Age man
found in grave
with artifacts.
•Original print
of the
Declaration of
Independence:
Primary Source
•Painting of Washington crossing the Delaware River done
in 1851 by German artist: Secondary Source
•Archeologists searching for artifacts
in dig site in order to study the way
people lived.

4. The First Americans:
1. With which field of study are the terms artifact, carbon dating, and dig site associated?
(a) archeology (b) economics (c) civics (d) sociology
2. What is the primary method archaeologists use to study history?
(a) reading diaries of a given group of people (c) observing people in their natural environment
(b) Examining artifacts of a group of people (d) practicing local customs of people
3. Which is a primary source for evidence that Columbus sailed to find a new route to the Indies in 1492?
(a) a television show about the explorations of Columbus
(b) a letter from the current ambassador from Spain describing the voyage
(c) a painting showing Columbus landing in the New World
(d) a diary entry written by a crew member aboard Columbus ship
4. Which document is considered a primary source?
(a) a textbook account of the American Revolution
(b) a personal diary kept by a person who fought during the American Revolution
(c) an encyclopedia article about the Reconstruction Period
(d) a biography of the life of John D. Rockefeller
5. Which source of information is an example of a primary source?
(a) encyclopedia (b) dictionary (c) thesaurus (d) journal entry

5. The First Americans:
6. Which source would provide an archaeologist with a primary source of information about pre-Columbian Indians who
settled in New York?
(a) an article about the Iroquois in an encyclopedia
(b) an interview with a historian who specializes in early American cultures
(c) artifacts left by the Iroquois
(d) a social studies textbook
7. A primary source telling about the troubles of life as an American plantation slave would most likely be found in:
(a) the Encyclopedia Britannica (c) the Emancipation Proclamation
(b) A diary kept by a slave (d) a current U.S. history textbook
8. Which is a primary source for evidence of the first Dutch settlement in what is now New York?
(a) a letter from a Dutch settler describing New Amsterdam
(b) an article in a history magazine about the colony of New Netherlands
(c) a diary entry by someone who toured a New York history museum in 2006
(d) an interview with a historian who researches early European settlements in New York
9. The best of example of an artifact is a:
(a) animal bone (b) fossilized plant (c) human bone (d) arrow head made from stone

6. The First Americans:
10. Which term best describes a people’s entire way of life?
(a) technology (b) environment (c) religion (d) culture
11. The study of economics focuses on:
(a) production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services
(b) Earth and its relationship to our environment
(c) different types of governments and how they operate
(d) past cultures of different peoples
12. A scholar of which of these fields would be most likely to discover new information about the pre-Columbian Indians
who settled in New York?
(a) sociology (b) geography (c) psychology (d) archaeology
13. The First Americans developed many different styles or ways of living. The best explanation for this is that each culture:
(a) planned to be different (c) decided to keep all their Asian traditions
(b) had to follow a written plan (d) was shaped and influenced by their environment around them
14. The study of prehistoric Americans is often made difficult because early American’s:
(a) left too many artifacts to keep track of (c) left no written records because they did not know how to write
(b) used all of the animal fossils for fuel (d) moved around to much and did not create permanent settlements

7. The First Americans:
15. The most widely accepted theory of the earliest human migration to the Americas is that people:
(a) crossed the polar ice cap from Norway to northern Canada
(b) walked across a land bridge from Asia to Alaska
(c) used seagoing vessels to sail from Africa to Central America
(d) traveled in rafts and small boats from Pacific islands to South America
Base your answer to question 16 on the map and your knowledge of social studies.
16. The map indicates that the first Americans:
(a) only reached Canada (c) crossed from Asia
(b) traveled just one route (d) never settled in Central America
17. During the Ice Age, humans crossed a land bridge between Asia
and America because they were:
(a) looking for gold, silver, and spices (c) following game animals for food
(b) moving west to start a new life (d) looking for cheap land to buy