The Hominid Evolution Module consists of a comprehensive teacher guide on two teacher CD-ROMs (one for home preparation, one for in-class instruction); five student CD-ROMs (one per student team); and a class set of printed student readers (one per student).

Teacher CD-ROM

Each teacher CD-ROM is a complete curriculum for the Hominid Evolution Module. It includes:

• a brief overview of the module's content within the context of instruction
• a calendar of lessons and activities
• the detailed instructions for all lessons and activities, including learning objectives, student prerequisites, and commonly-held misconceptions
• the standards and benchmarks addressed
• science background information
• student activity sheets and directions
• assessments and answer keys
• materials lists and preparation instructions
• media:
  • 26 videos
  • the UV and Skin Reflectance Database
  • the Hominid Image Library, containing over 168 images with descriptions.
  • the Tool Image Library, containing over 9 images with descriptions.
  • the Grasses Image Library, containing over 64 images with descriptions.
  • 3 Interactive Views of Human Skulls
  • a media library that contains 68 images

The organization of the teacher CD-ROM provides quick and easy access for both planning and instruction. All of the information the teacher needs for planning is on one, compact, CD-ROM. The browser format and links between components facilitate finding what is needed.

Print Materials

All materials that must be printed, such as student activity sheets, are provided both as PDF files and as MS Word files, allowing teachers to modify printed materials if desired.

Student CD-ROM

The student CD-ROM contains most of the media section from the teacher CD-ROM, with the videos, images, the UV and Skin Reflectance Database, the Hominid Image Library, the Tool Image Library, the Grasses Image Library, and 3 Interactive Views of Human Skulls . Additional images and videos that are not integral parts of the core instruction are also provided in an Image Library. These will be useful for students who wish to go further. A glossary of terms used in the module is included, as well as the science overview article, written by a project scientist. While the article is written primarily as a resource for the teacher, it may also be appropriate for better students.

Student Readers

The Hominid Evolution Module student reader is a soft-cover printed collection of the following six articles:

• "The Naked and the Bipedal," Tom Folger, Discover magazine, Nov. 1993
• "Strong Bones, and Thus Dim-witted?" by Tim Folger, Discover magazine, January 1997
• "Black and White," by Gina Kircheger, Discover Magazine, February 2001
• "The Gift of Gab," Matt Cartmill, Discover, November 1998
• "Upright Characters: What Made Us Human," Dr. Nina Jablonski, California Wild, Summer 1999
• "Cooking in the Stone Age," Pat Murphy, Exploratorium Quarterly, 1982

The articles are integral parts of the instruction and are usually assigned as homework reading for specific activities. Each student receives a reader to keep. Students reading at or near grade level should be able to read the articles independently.

Materials

The equipment and materials required for the VTT activities are those typically found in most high school science departments or readily available at modest cost, either locally or from science education suppliers. Preparation directions and lists of materials, including those that must be addressed well in advance of instruction, are repeated at the module, lesson, and activity levels of the curriculum. Please see Material Requirements for more details.

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