12.2: What Does it Mean to be Human?
- Page ID
- 138552
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What Does it Mean to be Human?
Learning Objectives
- Analyze the traditional categories for human ancestors.
- Evaluate the human traits that are most essential to modern humans.
Supplies Needed
- Yellow sticky notes (if in-person)
- Handout (provided, if in-person)
- Discussion board (if online)
Readings
- Chan, Keith. 2019. Chapter 12: Modern Homo sapiens. Explorations.
Introduction
Steps
- Distribute the worksheet (attached).
- In the worksheet, ask students to generate the characteristics of modern humans. After giving them time to think about the list, ask them to prioritize the characteristics and choose one or two of the most important to write on a sticky note.
- Distribute sticky notes to students (1-2 per student, depending on instructor preference and class size).
- Ask students to write on a sticky note 1-2 defining characteristics of humans. In other words: what makes humans different from any other living species today? Remind students that there are no right or wrong answers, but to choose the characteristic(s) they find most specific to our species. I don’t typically give them examples, but examples include: a clear sense of self; language; religion; belief in an afterworld; forethought/planning; compassion; etc. The sticky notes can be anonymous as their purpose is to generate discussion.
- Instruct students to quietly put their sticky note on a whiteboard or a similar common area where the instructor can read the comments after everyone has contributed.
- Once all students have pasted their sticky notes, the instructor reads what is inevitably a diverse list of characteristics.
- Discuss students’ impressions of the list, pointing out again that all the traits (and more) are indeed characteristics of humans and that through the slow and cumulative processes of evolution, the characteristics have been refined. The discussion could also summarize how some characteristics can be traced to other “species” that came before modern humans.
- Wrap up the discussion by acknowledging the persistent misunderstandings that many people have about human evolution: that it was a stepwise process, or that there were drastic changes, or that pre-humans are often thought of as drastically different than us (even though many shared some of the characteristics that students identified as uniquely human).
- Ask students to write their impressions of the discussion or take-away points as well as any questions they still have and collect their responses (if grading this activity/discussion).
Adapting for Online Learning
For Further Exploration
- What does it mean to be human website: https://humanorigins.si.edu/human-characteristics