Would you like to dig up the skeleton of someone who lived thousands of
years ago? Or explore the bottom of the ocean for treasure from sunken
ships? Or do things to help people live better and be happier? Those are
things that “people watchers” do.
People watchers are men and women who are interested in people
everywhere. Some people watchers are trying to find out about what they
think were the very first people who lived millions of years ago. Some
people watchers are interested in how people lived thousands or hundreds
of years ago. Others study the ways that people now live, and work, and
think. Still others work with individuals and families to help them
solve their problems.
All this work is important and useful. The things that people watchers
learn about us add to our knowledge of ourselves, and may help us find
ways of making life better for people everywhere.
Learning about people everywhere
The way that a group of people live is called its culture. Each group of people has some ways of life that make it different from all other groups of people. Scientists called cultural…
Learning about physical differences
Where did people come from? Why do people have different skin colors? Why are some groups of people taller or shorter than others? These are some of the questions that scientists called physical…
Learning about people of long ago
Scientists who study the things made by people who lived long ago are called archaeologists. By digging in places where people once lived, archaeologists find houses, tools, dishes, weapons, and…
Learning about people’s problems
Immigrants—people who have moved from one country to another—often have to learn to read, write, and speak another language. Here, a social worker is teaching English to Asian immigrants. …