The First Settlers
Summary: During the Ice Ages, when ocean levels dropped, a land bridge called Beringia connected Asia
with Alaska. Most scientists think the first settlers of North America migrated over this land bridge.
Lesson Review
Vocabulary:
Archaeologist-people who study artifacts, have learned about the lives of early hunters.
Surplus-Farming communities were able to specialize because they produced surpluses, or more food
than they need.
Specialize-early people in farming communities specialized, or spent time doing only on job.
What led to the start of early civilizations? Farming and trade led to the development of early
civilizations.
Why did Beringia appear? Sometimes so much water was frozen into glaciers that ocean levels dropped,
revealing land bridges.
What conclusions can you draw about hunter-gather groups? They traveled in small family bands, lived
by gathering wild plants, used spears to hunt animals, worked together to hunt large animals they
followed, did not settle in one place for long, used caves and animal-skin tents for shelter.
Write about how the first Americans survived the climate changes that occurred during the last Ice Age.
Early people had to eat more plants to survive. They moved south, away from the soggy land uncovered
by the melting glaciers.
List the main idea and details about the Maya.
The Maya grew strong through trade.






Created calendar
Wrote histories, poems
Religion/build pyramids
Worshipped Maya gods, wrote prayers
Cities: Uxmal, Tikal, Copan
Maya rulers were men and women