Curated OER
The Earliest Americans
The topic of the peopling of the Americas offers the opportunity for a fascinating discussion. Give your class the knowledge they need to understand the migration across Beringia, the hunter-gatherer lifestyle, and the impact of...
Curated OER
First Latin Americans
Have your class imagine they are migrating hunters in the ice age to help them understand how the first Latin Americans arrived from Asia. They receive a brief overview of how the Americas were populated and the effects of agriculture....
Curated OER
Traveling as an Ancient American
What would you bring on a trip...if you had to carry it all through freezing temperatures for 3 months? Historians consider this question, faced with their family's need to move south for warmer temperatures in the ancient world....
Curated OER
Ancient Hunters of the Great Lakes
Students describe theories on how the first humans came to America and show the evidence that supports it. In this investigative instructional activity students study given material and prepare written or oral reports in their groups.
Other
Geo Times: The Ice Free Corridor Revisited
A very comprehensive article about the ice-free corridor which was possibly the passageway for Paleoindians to enter North America. The discussion includes geology as well as anthropolpgy.
Other
Geo Times: Quest for the Lost Land
A discussion of a migration theory of Paleoindians that went down the west coast of North America. Read about food sources, the geology, and the research behind the theory.
Other
Trans Pacific Project: Transpacific Migrations
What an incredible resource that looks at Transpacific migrations peopling the Western Hemisphere, the Pacific islands, and the Chinese diaspora. Included is information about genetic research that traces DNA patterns across the world....
OpenStax
Open Stax: The Americas
After reading this section, students will be able to locate on a map the major American civilizations before the arrival of the Spanish, discuss the cultural achievements of these civilizations and also the differences and similarities...
Curated OER
National Park Service: Bering Land Bridge National Preserve
Hands-on curriculum unit in which students will explore the Bering Land Bridge National Preserve and learn about the past and present cultures of this arctic landscape. Students will also discover the plants, animals, and geology of this...
University of California
Beringia Chronology: Prehistoric Beringia
Extensive coverage of the prehistoric era where groups settled into the region called Beringia from the Bering Land Bridge that once connected North America and Asia. Provides information about various groups, where they settled, and...
Wikimedia
Wikipedia: Indigenous Peoples of the Americas
Looks at migration theories proposed in regard to the early peopling of the Americas, European colonization, early agriculture and culture. Also looks at contemporary indigenous groups, then groups within each country in the Americas.
University of Calgary
Peopling North America: Theories Regarding First Migrations to the Americas
An overview of the multiple theories of the earliest migrations into North America.
Curated OER
National Park Service: What Is Beringia?
This resource provides a brief explanation of Beringia, the geographical region surrounding the Bering Strait.
Adventure Learning Foundation
Adventure Learning Foundation: Exploring the Past: An Archaeological Journey
Site offers discussion of Beringia theory and information about culture and activities of Inuit and their Asian ancestry.
BBC
Bbc: North America's First People
Easy-to-understand explanations for the theories revolving around first Americans. Each theory: Clovis First and Pacific Coast Route, is explained as well as the basis for the debate.
University of California
Beringia Chronology: Prehistoric Beringia
The last ice age exposed the ocean floor between Asia and North America for thousands of years. During this time, Nomadic tribes from Asia used the "land bridge" to migrate into North America.
Other
Exploring the Past: An Archeological Journey
Through an overview of past archeological expeditions, the author recounts the "Land Bridge" theory and delves into the life of the first inhabitants of North America.
University of Groningen
American History: Outlines: Early America: The First Americans
Gives an overview of the timeline of humans establishing themselves in the Americas, starting with the crossing of the Bering Sea land bridge some time before 12,000 B.C. Archaeological evidence shows humans moving south and eventually...
Curated OER
Exploring the Past: An Archaeological Journey
Site offers discussion of Beringia theory and information about culture and activities of Inuit and their Asian ancestry.
Curated OER
Bering Landbridge Animation
During the last ice age the water level in the oceans fell by more than 120 metres. The drop in water levels exposed the floor of the Bering Straight. Over time, people from Asia migrated across this "land bridge" to North America. As...