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Survival Before Technology

Activity

How Did Early Humans Adapt?

Imagine living in a time before modern inventions like air conditioning, heating, weatherproof homes, or store-bought clothing. How would you adapt to the summer heat or winter cold where you live? Brainstorm how early humans might have adjusted to the environment by using natural resources. Would your group need to migrate to survive the seasons more easily? Decide where you’d move, at what times of the year, and why. How could these migrations have shaped human movement patterns over time? For example, how have they influenced where people live today?

Science Seed

Human migration is the movement of people from one place to another, often driven by the need to survive. In ancient times, humans migrated in response to challenges like extreme weather, changing seasons, or low food supplies. For example, the region near Palmer Elementary lies in the Rio Grande Valley, an area that was historically home to indigenous peoples who moved seasonally to access food, water, and shelter. These communities relied on the Rio Grande for water and fertile land but adapted their movements based on the river’s flow and changing weather patterns, moving to places where conditions were more favorable. These migrations shaped human settlements and influenced where people live today. Advances in technology, agriculture, and global transportation have reduced the need for migration, allowing many people to adapt to their environments without moving.

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earn Badges

Badges can be earned through hands-on experiences within each of the 16 branches of science, or “Science Slices.” You can earn a badge in each branch of science by doing four activities in these categories. We also encourage participants to keep a Nature Journal to record their memories, and to express themselves creatively through writing or drawing after each activity. We recommend that each child (and parent if they’d like) write or draw in a journal after each activity, with expectations of your children that match their age (the goal is self-expression, not perfection).

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join Families in Nature

It is our vision to inspire all families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists. Becoming a member of Families in Nature will give your family the opportunity to have adventures in nature, experience field science, develop as youth conservation leaders, and make memories that will last a lifetime. Memberships are free for everyone.

Who are we?

Families in Nature works to create opportunities for nature connection with the purpose of sparking a deep love and desire to protect, conserve and restore the environment. Our mission is to connect children and their families to nature and to each other through time spent learning, playing, and volunteering outdoors. It is our vision to inspire ALL families to fall in love with nature and foster the next generation of conservationists.

This project was made possible by HEB.