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Titre : Human evolution: bipedalism
Niveau : lycée (de B1 à B2)
Langue : anglais
Objectifs
Cette séquence est conçue pour être réalisée au laboratoire de langues multimédia. Son contenu étant scientifique, elle intéressera davantage des élèves de section scientifique, voire de section européenne ayant les SVT comme DNL (discipline non linguistique).
Objectifs linguistiques :
- compréhension d’un message oral ;
- repérage des informations essentielles ;
- mise en œuvre d’un vocabulaire spécifique.
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Contenu de la séquence proposée
Document principal : Becoming Human – the documentary
Ce documentaire mis en ligne par The Institute of Human Origins nous présente les points majeurs des grandes découvertes de fossiles humains qui ont permis de faire avancer la théorie de l’évolution, en particulier concernant le passage à la bipédie. Les élèves travaillent sur certains passages du documentaire.
www.becominghuman.org/
Document secondaire
Le fichier image 2vs4.jpg, qui montre la différence de posture entre un humain et un singe, sert à la phase d’anticipation.
www.erin.utoronto.ca/
Déroulement de la séquence
Anticipation
L’activité d’introduction permet aux élèves d’anticiper, et donc d’aborder le document principal au cœur de la séquence dans de meilleures conditions. Pour se familiariser avec les notions (evolution, bipedalism), les élèves travaillent sur une image, puis sur deux sites internet à partir desquels ils cherchent des définitions et s’entraînent à la prononciation de mots qui seront réutilisés dans le documentaire vidéo.
1. Image
Travail d’exploitation de l’image « 2vs4.jpg » : les élèves observent ce document qui montre la différence de posture entre un humain et un singe et répondent dans le tableau (voir fiche élève).
2. Définitions
Demander aux élèves de chercher les définitions des mots-clés suivants : evolution – bipedalism – palaeoanthropologist – hominids – fossils.
Pour ce faire, ils peuvent se rendre sur le site de PBS - Public Broadcasting.
www.pbs.org/
3. Prononciation
Demander aux élèves de s’entraîner à la prononciation de ces mots en les écoutant sur le site du dictionnaire Webster’s.
www.m-w.com/
Exploitation du documentaire vidéo en ligne
Le documentaire se subdivise en cinq petits documentaires, eux-mêmes divisés en plusieurs parties. Sur l’écran, une bande horizontale fait apparaître les 5 parties. Quand on en télécharge une, il suffit de cliquer en haut à droite sur le symbole en forme de cigare pour voir apparaître une autre bande horizontale avec un compteur temps et les sous-parties. Cliquer sur un numéro pour accéder directement à la partie du documentaire que l’on souhaite analyser. Ainsi, on pourra se concentrer sur quelques parties du documentaire pour l’analyse fine (les élèves peuvent regarder les autres parties s’ils le souhaitent).
À tout moment, ils peuvent cliquer sur Hominid profiles pour avoir d’autres informations. Ces aides ne sont pas nécessaires pour effectuer les activités proposées. Elles peuvent s’avérer intéressantes si l’élève travaille en autonomie.
Les différentes parties du documentaire qui font l’objet d’activités en classe sont les suivantes (voir fiche élève) :
a. Prologue
b. Evidence
- Hadar
- Lucy
c. Anatomy
- The common ancestor
- Walking tall
Compréhension globale
1. Visionner le prologue sans le son. Demander aux élèves d’entourer les mots correspondant aux images qu’ils ont relevées dans l’extrait.
2. Demander aux élèves quels types de mots dans la liste ils sont susceptibles d’entendre sur cet extrait. Ils doivent les entourer au crayon. Puis ils vérifient leurs hypothèses en écoutant l’extrait et entourent au stylo les mots qu’ils ont effectivement entendus.
3. Mettre en commun avec le groupe classe.
Compréhension détaillée
Les élèves regardent un passage du documentaire puis font l’activité correspondante.
En laboratoire multimédia, il peut être intéressant de diffuser le documentaire depuis le « pupitre-prof » si l’on souhaite garder une totale maîtrise de la diffusion. On peut aussi laisser travailler les élèves en autonomie à leur pupitre.
Prolongements
On peut approfondir le travail sur la notion de bipedalism par deux activités :
1. Sur le site Becoming Human (www.becominghuman.org/), dans l’extrait intitulé Anatomy, cliquer sur Related exhibit (cartouche rouge), puis sur l’activité n°2 The anatomy of bipedalism.
Les élèves observent le nom des différents os impliqués dans l’acquisition de la bipédie.
Documents :
- Le dessin d’un squelette muet téléchargeable. Il est préférable d’effacer les lignes pour ne laisser que celles correspondant au schéma du documentaire.
www.geocities.com/auburngirl71/
- Une version non muette du document précédent que l’on peut imprimer sur un transparent pour la correction de l’activité en classe.
www.learning-connections.co.uk/curric/cur_pri/h_body/
2. Sur le même site, Becoming Human, dans le menu de gauche, cliquer sur Learning center ; puis, dans le menu de droite, Educational activities, sélectionner Building Bodies : dans cet exercice interactif, les élèves devront classer les os en deux colonnes, chimp ou human de façon à construire le bon squelette.
Fiche élève
1. Lead-in activity
1. Watch the picture and do the exercise below.
Which are the same and which are different? Tick the right column.
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Identical for
humans and apes |
Different for
humans and apes |
Spine-skull junction |
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Pelvis |
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Great toe |
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Centre of gravity |
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Two curves on the spinal chord |
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2. Definitions
Visit the following site (www.pbs.org/) and write down the definitions of the following words.
- evolution:
- bipedalism:
- hominids:
- fossils:
3. Pronunciation
Now go to this site (www.m-w.com/). Check how the words in 1.2 are pronounced.
2. Understanding the video
1. Global understanding
a. Watch the prologue with the sound OFF. Circle the words which correspond to the pictures.
A cave – an archaeologist – a palaeoanthropologist – fossils – apes walking in the woods – ancient drawings – a skull – a hand – an ape taking water from the river – rock painting – bones.
b. – Before listening: circle the words you think you may hear in the documentary with a pencil.
evolution – evolve – mankind – humanity – human – species – prehistoric man – ancestors – fossils – hominids – skeletons – remains – bones – discovery – man – walking – adapt – to go extinct – to die – to survive.
– After listening: circle the words you actually heard with a pen.
Write the words that are circled both in pen and pencil below.
______________________________________________
______________________________________________
2. Detailed analysis
Part a: Evidence
- Hadar
Watch the video and fill in the grid below.
Hadar |
First discovery |
What continent?
______________________ |
When?
______________________ |
What country?
______________________ |
What kind of fossil
___________________ |
What part of the country?
___________________ |
What part of the skeleton?
______________ |
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How old was it?
_____________________ |
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What did it reveal?
____________________ |
- Lucy
1. Watch the video and write down information about this discovery.
Global understanding: circumstances
- Time of day:
- Temperature (F°):
- Type of fossil:
Detailed understanding: the discovery
- Living group:
- Gender:
- Size:
- Age:
- Nickname:
- Species:
2. Portrait: watch the video and describe Lucy in your own words.
____________________________________________
_____________________________________________
______________________________________________
3. Conclusion: pick out the expressions showing how important the discovery was.
______________________________________________
Part b: Anatomy
- The common ancestor
1. Watch the video and fill in the chart below.
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1871 |
Today |
Who? |
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Key idea
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Argument |
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2. Right or wrong? If you think it is wrong, justify by quoting the video.
Humans evolved from chimpanzees. [ ] R [ ] W
___________________________________________________
Chimpanzees evolved from humans. [ ] R [ ] W
___________________________________________________
Millions of years ago, humans and apes had a common ancestor. [ ] R [ ] W
___________________________________________________
The older ancestors are, the more ape-like they look. [ ] R [ ] W
___________________________________________________
3. Watch the video and fill in the grid below.
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8 million years ago |
6 million years ago |
Type of natural environment
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Adaptation of apes to this environment
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Part c: Walking tall
1. Re-order the sentences in chronological order.
[ ] Animals left tracks on the soil.
[ ] The rain turned the ash into a kind of natural cement.
[ ] A volcano erupted in Tanzania.
[ ] Two hominids left tracks on the soil.
[ ] Everything was covered by ashes.
2. Watch the video and describe what the hominids left on the ground.
______________________________________________
What do we call these pieces of evidence now? Circle the correct answer:
[ ] the Italy footprints [ ] the Laetoli footprints [ ] the little footprints
3. Bipedalism
- List the information defining bipedalism.
______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
- Toes: Observe the two different toes and describe the difference between a human toe and a chimp toe in one sentence.
______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
- Listen again and explain the reason for such a difference: what is an ape toe supposed to do? What does a human toe help us do?
______________________________________________
___________________________________________________
3. More on bipedalism?
1. “The anatomy of bipedalism”
Look at the drawing explaining the names of the bones involved in bipedalism. Then rewrite these names on the drawing your teacher will give you.
2. Building Bodies.
On the Becoming Human site, select Learning center on the left. Then select Educational activities and click on Building Bodies. You can classify bones to check your understanding on bipedalism.
www.becominghuman.org/
Corrigé de la fiche élève
1. Lead-in activity
1. Watch the picture and do the exercise below.
Which are the same and which are different? Tick the right column.
|
Identical for
humans and apes |
Different for
humans and apes |
Spine-skull junction |
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X |
Pelvis |
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X |
Great toe |
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X |
Centre of gravity |
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X |
Two curves on the spinal chord |
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X |
2. Definitions
- evolution: Darwin defined this term as "descent with modification." This is the change in a lineage of populations between generations. In general terms, biological evolution is the process of change by which new species develop from pre-existing species over time. In genetic terms, evolution can be defined as any change in the frequency of alleles in populations of organisms from generation to generation.
- bipedalism: Of hominids, walking upright on two hind legs; more generally, using two legs for locomotion.
- hominids: Members of the Hominidae family, which includes only modern humans and their ancestors since the human lineage split from the apes.
- fossils: Most commonly, an organism, a physical part of an organism, or an imprint of an organism that has been preserved from ancient times in rock, amber, or by some other means. New techniques have also revealed the existence of cellular and molecular fossils.
2. Understanding the video
1. Global understanding
– After listening: circle the words you actually heard with a pen: human – species - ancestors – evolve.
2. Detailed analysis
Part a: Evidence
- Hadar
Watch the video and fill in the chart below.
Hadar |
First discovery |
What continent? Africa |
When? 1972 - 1973 |
What country? Ethiopia |
What kind of fossil? Human / hominid fossils |
What part of the country? Northern region |
What part of the skeleton? A knee joint |
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How old was it? About 3.4 million years old |
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What did it reveal? It was from a creature that walked upright (a Hominid). / Hadar became one of the most significant Hominid sites in the world. |
- Lucy
1. Watch the video and write down information about this discovery.
Global understanding: circumstances
- Time of day: about 12 o’clock
- Temperature (F°): 110 degrees
- Type of fossil: part of an elbow
Detailed understanding: the discovery
- Living group: Hominid
- Gender: female
- Size: small
- Age: 3.2 million years old
- Nickname: Lucy (because of the Beatles’ song)
- Species: Australopithecus afarensis (Southern ape from Hafar)
2. Portrait: watch the video and describe Lucy in your own words.
Lucy must have looked partly manlike, partly ape-like. On this picture, she resembles a chimp and yet we cannot classify her as an ape.
3. Conclusion: pick out the expressions showing how important the discovery was.
Although older fossils have been found, Lucy remains the benchmark by which all other human ancestor fossil discoveries are judged. She was the woman that stood up and the woman that shook up the human family tree.
Part b: Anatomy
- The common ancestor
1. Watch the video and fill in the chart below.
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1871 |
Today |
Who? |
Charles Darwin ( naturalist) |
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Key idea
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Humans and African apes must have shared a common ancestor. |
Our closest living relative is the African chimpanzee. |
Argument |
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Anatomical and molecular studies. Our two species share about 98% of the same genes. |
2. Right or wrong? If you think it is wrong, justify by quoting the video.
- Humans evolved from chimpanzees.
W, Our close relationship with chimps does not mean we evolved from chimpanzees.
- Chimpanzees evolved from humans.
W, Our close relationship with chimps does not mean that they evolved from us either.
- Millions of years ago, humans and apes had a common ancestor.
R
- The older ancestors are, the more ape-like they look.
R
3. Watch the video and fill in the chart below.
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8 million years ago |
6 million years ago |
Type of natural environment |
Lush forests – arboreal environment |
Much drier and colder. Open woodlands replaced forests. |
Adaptation of apes to this environment |
Apes had grasping toes and joint mobility in their arms and shoulders made them successful in this environment |
One species adapted to this new environment: our common ancestor. |
Part c: Walking tall
1. Re-order the sentences in chronological order.
[1] A volcano erupted in Tanzania.
[2] Everything was covered by ashes.
[3] The rain turned the ash into a kind of natural cement.
[4] Animals left tracks on the soil.
[5] Two hominids left tracks on the soil.
2. Watch the video and describe what the hominids left on the ground.
They left footprints that were discovered one million years later by a team of palaeoanthropologists.
What do we call these pieces of evidence now? Circle the correct answer: the Laetoli footprints.
3. Bipedalism
- List the information defining bipedalism.
Bipedalism is one of the defining characteristics of being a hominid.
- Toes: Observe the two different toes and describe the difference between a human toe and a chimp toe in one sentence.
Unlike chimps that have a diverted big toe, the human big toe is in line with the other toes.
- Listen again and explain the reason for such a difference: what is an ape toe supposed to do? What does a human toe help us do?
Chimp toes are adapted to grasp, whereas human toes help to propel the body forward.
Ressources en ligne
Articles et dossiers
PBS
Une page consacrée à l’évolution et notamment une activité à faire en ligne, intitulée Riddle of the bones (animation flash autour de la découverte de Lucy).
www.pbs.org/wgbh/evolution/
A landmark study of the human journey
Un dossier sur le site de National Geographic.
https://www5.nationalgeographic.com/
Lucy
Un article complet sur le site de la BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk/sn/
Institute of Human Origins
Une foire aux questions au sujet de Lucy.
www.asu.edu/
Darwin et l’évolution
Un dossier sur le site de la BBC.
www.bbc.co.uk/education/
Iconographie
Une photo de Lucy
Photo libre de droits sur l’encyclopédie Wikipedia.
http://en.wikipedia.org/
Schéma de squelette
Un schéma réutilisable montrant les squelettes de différents hominidés jusqu’à l’Homo sapiens sur le site de l’université Bellarmine.
http://cas.bellarmine.edu/
Carte d’Éthiopie
Le site des fouilles de Hadar sur ce site consacré à la préhistoire.
http://users.hol.gr/~dilos/
Exploring Africa
Un fond de carte à réutiliser.
http://exploringafrica.matrix.msu.edu/
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