Uncover the Story of America’s Oldest Footprints.

A ready-to-use, discovery-based homeschool curriculum exploring Ice Age footprints, ancient humans, and groundbreaking science.

The White Sands Footprints and Our Human Past:

Exploring Ethics, Evidence, and Ancient Lives

Step into the distant past and walk in the footprints of Ice Age humans. This 12-lesson unit study explores one of the most groundbreaking discoveries in American archaeology—the fossilized human footprints at White Sands National Park. Perfect for middle and high school homeschoolers, this immersive curriculum combines critical thinking, ethics, geography, ancient history, and science—all through the lens of a real archaeological mystery.

Key Features:

12 engaging, self-guided lessons (student & teacher guides included)
Over 175 full-color pages + optional black-and-white printable activity sheets
Hands-on activities, writing prompts, maps, and discussion questions
Emphasis on critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning
Introduces archaeology, Ice Age environments, migration theories, and Indigenous perspectives

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—————————— What You’ll Get ——————————

Student Guide

A self-guided, digital workbook designed for curious learners aged 10 and up. This guide combines history, science, storytelling, and ethics into one immersive learning experience. Students work independently through:

Engaging Readings that read like a story—exploring Ice Age life, ancient migration, fossil footprints, and ethical dilemmas in archaeology.
Creative Writing Prompts that build empathy and imagination (“Write from the perspective of an Ice Age child…”).
Hands-On Experiments like simulating fossil formation and testing different sands for footprint preservation.
Critical Thinking Activities that challenge assumptions about early humans and migration theories.
Visual Projects including maps, timelines, and fossil flipbooks.
Reflection Journals & Open-Ended Questions to foster deep thinking and discussion.

No lectures or additional materials are required—students can complete the entire unit at their own pace.

Teacher’s Guide

For parents or educators who want extra support. This guide includes:

Lesson Objectives & Background Information to quickly get you up to speed on the topic.
Suggested Responses & Discussion Guidance for open-ended questions.
Answer Keys for factual activities, worksheets, and charts.

Even if you're not a history buff or science expert, this guide helps you feel confident supporting your student’s learning.

Printable Activity Pages

Printer-friendly versions of the student activity pages. Ideal for those who prefer hands-on work in notebooks or want to reduce printing costs. These include:

All worksheets from the unit
No images or backgrounds—easy on ink and clear to use

This makes the unit flexible for screen-free or portfolio-based homeschoolers.

Step into the past. This immersive, story-based unit for grades 6–9 brings archaeology, ethics, and early human life to your homeschool.

See the journey ahead. Explore 12 thoughtfully structured lessons blending science, history, and storytelling.

Everything is laid out for independent or guided learning.

Begin in the Ice Age. Students dive into the environment of ancient North America, setting the stage for fossil footprints, megafauna, and early migration stories.

Think like a historian. This writing prompt encourages students to reconstruct the past by imagining themselves as ancient observers. A powerful blend of research and creativity.

Explore early human adaptation. Through this focused reading, students examine clothing, survival, and cultural ingenuity in Ice Age environments.

Center Indigenous knowledge. Students compare oral traditions with archaeological evidence, fostering empathy, perspective-taking, and ethical thinking.

Support your student at every step. The Teacher’s Guide includes lesson objectives, background info, suggested answers, and discussion tips to help guide meaningful learning.

—————————— What To Expect ——————————

From Day 1, your student will dive into a mystery 23,000 years in the making.

They’ll begin by imagining the journey of an Ice Age woman and the child she carried—then transition into understanding the science behind fossilization, how archaeologists date footprints, and what we can (and can’t) know about ancient people.

Over the course of this unit, learners will:

Follow the real-life discovery of the White Sands fossil footprints and analyze what they tell us
Explore big questions like:
- Who were the first Americans?
- How do stories and science shape our understanding of the past?
- What responsibilities do we have when studying ancient human remains?
Reconstruct ancient environments and trace the paths of Ice Age animals and humans
Compare scientific and Indigenous perspectives through oral traditions and ethical inquiry
Create their own interpretations of history through writing, mapping, debating, and lab work

This is not just a history unit.
It’s a cross-disciplinary exploration of evidence, imagination, ethics, and wonder.

By the end of the unit, students will not only have learned new facts—they’ll have practiced the skills of a historian, asked hard questions, and connected deeply with the human past.