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Evolution and Creativity of Ancient Humans
Special Online Event for Families
Camp Croods at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History
February 23, 2021
Visit Camp Croods and take a journey back in time to explore evidence scientists use to understand the lives of early humans.
How do scientists uncover how early humans lived? How do artists create interpretations of early humans and their environments? Meet Archaeologist Briana Pobiner and Production Designer from "The Croods: A New Age," Nate Wragg, as they answer these questions and take you behind-the-scenes into the process of discovery and creativity in their work. During this video, take a virtual tour of the Human Origins exhibit, watch clips from the movie, learn about related activities you can do with your family!
Resources for Kids, Families, and Teachers
Check out these activities, videos, virtual tours, and collection objects related to early humans.
Activities
- Create an Imaginary Animal: Design your own imaginative animal inspired by both an artifact and the animals from the movie, "The Croods: A New Age."
- Natural Jewelry: Create your own jewelry using objects from nature.
- Handprints of Your Family: Create handprints similar to cave art made by prehistoric artists.
- Make Your Own Cave and Cave Art: Build your own cave using household furniture items and create your own cave art inside.
- Fossil Forensics Interactive: Look at fossil bone specimens to see what scientists have learned about it by studying it up close.
- Human Evolution Timeline Interactive: Explore the important milestones in human evolution and how they are related to fluctuations in climate.
- Adventures in the Rift Valley Interactive: Explore a virtual excavation of the Rift Valley in Kenya, Africa.
Videos
- Webinar: Early Human Diets
- Family Program Webinar: How Archaeologists Learn from Objects Left Behind
Video Shorts
- Meet the Scientist: Briana Pobiner
- Evidence for Human Evolution
- Primate Heritage: Language and Symbols
- Primate Heritage: Social Life
Virtual Tours of The David H. Koch Hall of Human Origins
Collection Objects in 3D
This collection of viewable fossil and prehistoric artifact 3D models was produced by the Smithsonian’s Human Origins Program by 3D-scanning casts, other replicas, and some original objects which are now on display in the Hall of Human Origins at the National Museum of Natural History.