Migrations of small groups of Paleo-Indians occurred over thousands of years. The first hunters from Asia may have stayed in what is now Alaska for thousands of years. Eventually groups of Paleo-Indians moved to the south and to the east. They most likely used paths opened up by the shifting glaciers. These paths led to the west coast, and along the ridge of the Rocky Mountains, and into the central part of North America. Eventually some groups moved into Central America and South America and some crossed the sea to the Caribbean islands. By 8,000 BC, Paleo-Indians had reached the southern tip of South America. By 5000 BC, early Mexicans learned to plant seeds to grow maize (corn) and other crops, such as squash and beans and they made vessels from the domesticated bottle gourd. They were among the first farmers. As farming spread throughout Central America and South America, a new way of life -- unfettered by the transient search for food -- fostered the growth of several world-class civilizations; among them, the Teotihuacano and the Maya.
Before the Spaniards from Mexico As Seen by Her Children (pp. 37-48) will be read and shown to students. This chapter offers childrens writing and artwork about the early peoples of Mexico -- Olmec, Maya, Aztec, Zapotec, Teotihuacano, Mixteca, et al --and serves as an overview to introduce this section.