Early Humans Lesson Plans
By MARISSA DESPINS Updated August 18, 2025
Early Humans Lesson Plans
Teaching about early humans is a great way to spark curiosity and set the stage for later history lessons. Students love learning how the first people survived, created tools, and built communities—it feels like uncovering a real-life mystery. In this post, we’ll explore early humans lesson plans – why teaching this topic matters, share engaging lesson plan ideas you can try in your classroom, recommend a few high-interest books, and highlight some YouTube videos that bring early human life to life for your students.
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Why should I teach about Early Humans?
Teaching about early humans gives students a window into the very beginnings of human life. It helps them see how people first learned to survive, adapt, and work together. By looking at the development of tools, language, farming, and communities, students begin to understand the roots of today’s societies. This background knowledge also makes later historical events easier to connect and compare. Just as importantly, it sparks curiosity about archaeology and the process of uncovering our past, encouraging students to think critically about how humans have shaped—and been shaped by—their world.
Early Humans Lesson Plans – Engaging Lessons
From hands-on activities like creating “stone tools” out of clay to interactive group challenges where students plan how to survive the Ice Age, lessons on early humans can be both fun and memorable.
For a complete, no-prep set of early humans lesson plans with everything you need to teach your next unit, click on the image or button below!
Early Humans Unit – Book Recommendations
Well-chosen books bring your early humans lesson plans to life for students. Whether it’s illustrated nonfiction with vivid visuals or historical fiction that tells the story of survival through a character’s eyes, books give students a personal connection to the distant past.
Check out some of our favorites below!
Sapiens: Our Human Evolution
Annabelle & Aiden: SAPIENS: Our Human Evolution follows curious siblings Annabelle and Aiden as they journey alongside their friend Lucy, retracing humanity’s earliest footsteps in Africa and traveling across the globe to meet ancient creatures—from towering sloths to diminutive island dwellers. Through poetic rhymes paired with vivid illustrations, the story brings to life how humans learned to cook, communicate, farm, build empires, and dream—revealing that despite our differences, we all share the same evolutionary roots. Ultimately, this beautifully crafted children’s book shows readers that we’re all “children of Lucy,” connected by a shared story etched deep in our genes.
Early Humans: Eye Witness Books
This lively DK Eyewitness volume offers a vivid, photo‑driven tour through prehistoric life, tracing humanity’s journey from cave dwellings and early hunting practices to the rise of craftsmanship in the Bronze and Iron Ages. Packed with real‑world photographs—from ancient tools and jewelry to preserved bog bodies—this book brings to light how our ancestors stood upright, survived harsh Ice Age climates, crafted flint axe heads, baked bread, and even used magic in daily survival. It interweaves compelling historical anecdotes like the Piltdown Man hoax with hands‑on insights into everyday life, creating a richly visual and accessible introduction to early human history.
Evolution: The Human Story
Evolution: The Human Story is a richly illustrated, accessible journey through nearly eight million years of human evolution, tracing our lineage from tree-dwelling primates to modern Homo sapiens. Authored by Dr. Alice Roberts and brought vividly to life by the Kennis brothers’ paleoart, the book combines up-to-date fossil discoveries, detailed maps, and expert narration to chart our anatomical, behavioral, and migratory development—with full coverage of key ancestors, from Ardipithecus to Homo naledi, and insight into the interactions between modern humans and Neanderthals. It stands as a visually stunning and authoritative guide to the epic story of human origins.
When the Whales Walked
When the Whales Walked: And Other Incredible Evolutionary Journeys takes readers on a visually stunning exploration of thirteen astonishing evolutionary transformations—from whales evolving four legs to dinosaurs becoming birds, from snakes with legs to miniature island-dwelling elephants. With vivid illustrations, annotated diagrams, and family trees, this book brings to life pivotal stories in Earth’s evolutionary saga, revealing how nature’s most surprising journeys shaped the world.
YouTube Videos to Bring History to Life
Sometimes a short, well-made video can capture students’ attention faster than anything else. YouTube offers everything from quick animated explainers to longer documentaries with reenactments. These clips help students visualize early human life and make abstract concepts easier to grasp.
Below are some of my favorite YouTube videos related to the unit. I am in no way affiliated with these videos – they are simply ones I have enjoyed using in my own classroom.
As with all videos you choose to show in your classroom, I encourage you to view them before showing them to your students to make sure they are a good fit.
Please keep in mind that I do not own any of these videos, so I have no control if the links change or the videos are removed.
NOVA PBS Official – The Iceman Mystery
National Geographic Kids – All About Archaeology
National Geographic – Cave Art 101
Crash Course Biology – Human Evolution
PBS Eons – The Humans that lived before us
Wrapping up
Teaching about early humans gives students a foundation for understanding the bigger story of history. By blending thoughtful lessons, engaging books, and dynamic videos, you can turn this unit into an exciting journey of discovery. Whether your students are shaping their own survival strategies, reading about life thousands of years ago, or watching history unfold on screen, they’ll walk away with a deeper appreciation for how humans have adapted and grown. Most importantly, they’ll see that the story of early humans is also the beginning of their own story.
Looking for a fun Freebie to use with your Early Humans Lesson Plans?
Check out these FREE word wall cards! They contain 26 different word wall cards, each featuring a key vocabulary word, definition, and historical image.
You can grab yourself a copy of these cards for FREE by clicking here or on the image below.
Looking for more History Ideas?
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