Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key ideas are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Part 1

Reading Check

1. About how long ago did humans evolve in Africa?

2. What significant human ability developed during the “Cognitive Revolution”?

3. About how long ago were dogs domesticated?

4. Prior to the Cognitive Revolution, where did virtually all humans live?

5. What is the extinction event taking place in modern times called?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. How has humanity’s place in the food chain changed over time?

2. How did the ability to make fire spur changes in human physiology?

3. What are “imagined realities,” and how do they allow for larger group sizes?

4. Why has collective knowledge become more important in modern times?

5. What devastating impact on the environment did human incursion into Australia and North America have?

Paired Resources

“What Makes Our Brains Special?”

• This article from Scientific American reviews recent research into the distinctness of human neurology.
• This resource relates to the theme of Shared Fictions.
• According to our current understanding, what makes the human brain unique? What older theories about our cognitive uniqueness have been debunked? What is neurological “plasticity,” and how might it relate to the kinds of cultural adaptability and the “imagined realities” described in Part 1 of Sapiens?