This unit covers human prehistory, from our origins in Africa, to the advent of agriculture in the Middle East. 

Above is a depiction of early humans making their way across the Bering Strait to the New World - from NPR.org

In this first unit of Social Studies 7, you will learn that there were once many species of humans, cousins with whom we shared the earth, but that modern humans are the only ones remaining. You will find out about the many innovations of our ancient ancestors and how we managed to hold on to these new ideas in order to pass them on to subsequent generations. 

You will follow the journey of these brave, early people as they spread out across the planet, inhabiting terrain that had never seen anything like us. In some cases we encountered our cousins such as Neanderthals in Europe and the so-called "hobbit people" of Flores Island in Indonesia, yet we do not know what these encounters were like. 

You will find out about the tools that we made from wood, stone, bone, sinew and fibres, that allowed us to be successful in new and strange environments. 

Finally, you will study modern humans as we settled down into permanent villages to grow crops and tend animals, creating the foundations for states and empires to come.