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Resources for English Learners

Chapter 1 Section 1 TE p. 6
RSG p. 5
IDR p. 11, 14
RSG Audio
FA p. 5

Human Origins in Africa

Step 1 The purpose of this step is to have students contribute information about something
Activate Prior in their own life that can be related to the lesson. Teachers should isolate and
Knowledge emphasize student contributions that most closely parallel concepts in the lesson, and
explain their relationship to what students are about to learn. Engaging students by
beginning with what they know more easily engages them in learning new material.
Use the Think-Pair-Share strategy to have students discuss where their families
originated. What countries are they from? How far back can they trace their
families’ ancestors? How have their families’ ways of life changed over time? Help
students relate their family history to the history of human beings as a group.
Explain that students will learn about the earliest people to live on Earth.

Step 2 Connect Visually Using visuals to increase comprehension and reinforce learning is
Preview Main important for English Learners. This activity has students connect with a visual in
their text that illustrates the main theme or idea of the section.
Ideas and
Use the time line on pp. 8–9 to discuss how human beings developed. Ask students
Language
to examine the skulls and note the changes they see from one to the next. Describe
several of the skulls on the time line and have students point to the correct one.
Build Vocabulary The purpose of this activity is to clarify student understanding of
vocabulary that is essential for understanding the section. The key term or terms that
explain the main concepts of the lesson must be defined and discussed. It is important
that teachers check for accurate understanding of terms and clarify as needed.
Use Part A of Activity Sheet 1.1 to have students complete a Cluster Map for the word
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company.

culture. Begin by asking students what words they associate with culture, such as art,
music, and literature. Then explain that culture refers to a people’s entire way of life and
elicit some everyday examples from students, such as wearing makeup or eating
certain types of food. Have students take notes on the activity sheet as you discuss the
categories listed. Review student contributions as a class and clarify understanding as
needed.

Continue

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Step 3 It is important to clarify objectives before having students read a section so that they
Make Objectives understand why they are reading. Making objectives clear helps students focus on
what is most important in the section. There is one objective given for each major
Explicit
heading. The language of the objectives listed here may vary slightly from that of
the TE to make them more easily understood by English learners.
Read aloud each of the objectives listed below. Have students signal whether they
understand each one by raising one, two, or three fingers. Three fingers indicate the
fullest understanding. If an objective isn’t clear to all of the class, ask a student who
held up three fingers to explain it. If students’ first language is Spanish, have them
read the lesson summary in the Reading Study Guide (English or Spanish).
• Describe key findings about human origins.
• List human achievements during the Stone Age.
• Describe how modern humans developed.
• State discoveries about early humans.

Step 4 Cooperative Work Cooperative learning is especially important for English learners.
Support Student One of the key principles for making information comprehensible to English
learners is increasing interaction in the classroom. Increased interaction promotes
Reading communication, which in turn provides increased practice with language skills. It
has been shown that this cooperative work helps students retain new language as
well as new content knowledge.
Using graphic organizers helps English learners visualize complex information in a

Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company.

systematic and orderly fashion. Graphic organizers allow students to take concepts
learned through verbal skills and represent them visually, which helps to increase
understanding. Review students’ answers as a class to check comprehension and
clarify information as needed.
Using Part B of Activity Sheet 1.1, have students complete a Jigsaw Reading to
help them learn the traits of early humans. Assign each expert group a part of the
chart to complete. Then have students work with their home groups to complete the
rest of their chart. Be sure to review student answers as a class.
On One’s Own These questions are intended to check student comprehension. By
previewing them and clarifying their meaning before students read, English learners
will have a tool to guide and focus their reading. To further help students, the page
and paragraph indicating the location of the answer is provided.
Preview the following questions by asking students what they understand them to
mean and providing clarification as needed. Have them use the questions as a guide
for reading the section. Once students have finished reading, help them create
complete sentences to reflect their answers.
1. Which advance by a hominid group do you think was the most significant?
Explain. (pp. 7–10)
2. What clues do bones and artifacts give about early peoples? (p. 5)

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3. What were the major achievements in human history during the Old Stone Age?
(p. 7)
4. How did Neanderthals and Cro-Magnons differ from earlier peoples?

Step 5 Alternative Assessment This activity allows English learners to demonstrate

Prepare for understanding of the material without formal testing. It also prepares students for
Assessment more qualitative types of assessment.
Have students complete the Differentiating Instruction Activity “Understanding
Abstract Ideas” from p. 6 of the TE. Encourage students to include examples in the
chart from their own cultural heritage. Use the Standards for Evaluating a Product
or Performance on p. 16 of Integrated Assessment to evaluate students’ work.
Formal Assessment This activity provides preparation, practice, and options for
undertaking formal testing.
To assess comprehension, have students complete Section Quiz 1.1 on p. 5 of
Formal Assessment.
Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company.

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NAME DATE

ACTIVITY SHEET 1.1

Part A. Build Vocabulary

Complete the Cluster Map based on your discussion in class.

What is it? What are examples

of it?

culture

Why is it How is it learned?

important?

Part B. Cooperative Work

Copyright © McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin Company.

Work with your expert and home groups to complete the chart.

Name Description
1. australopithecines (p. 7, pars. 1–4)

2. Homo habilis (p. 8, par. 2)

3. Homo erectus (p. 8, pars. 3–5)

4. Neanderthals (pp. 9–10, pars. 1–4)

5. Cro-Magnons (p. 10, par.1–2)

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