History Lesson: Giving Students Freedom to Create Their Own Projects Published Online: May 19, 2015 By Brison Harvey In Kentucky, there are end-of-course assessments that count as students’ final exams. Unfortunately, since the testing schedule can place test dates a month away from the end of the school year, teachers in tested content areas often find themselves with nothing left to teach and no ending exam to keep students engaged. But instead of viewing this period as dead time, I found room for a little creativity. The premise of the project is that students select a topic connected to U.S. Boring and uninspired PowerPoint presentations are unacceptable, as are the trusty research papers. Creating a Rubric One of the first aspects of the project that needed to be addressed was the way students would be graded. Students came up with some interesting ways of measuring their success. Choosing a Topic Next, I had students choose topics. But to my surprise, students were extremely enthusiastic. Facing Challenges Working to the Finish Line Web Only Back to Top
Home/IWitness:Video testimonies from Holocaust survivors and witnesses American History A Teaching Strategy: Teaching U.S. History Backwards Contributing Editor's Note: This is the first of a series of columns about specific teaching experiences and strategies. The contributing editor welcomes submissions of your strategies in your fields. I teach my American history survey course backwards. I don't mean, of course, that I stand for the entire semester facing the blackboard (as my fifth grade math teacher did), but that I start in the present and work my way backwards—at least part of the time. Most students in this class will never take another history class so this is it, this is my last chance to persuade them that history is worth their taking seriously. My Method Day 1: First thing, I ask the students to list 10 issues that most concern them. Day 2: From the interviews we come up with a collective list of "our" issues. Then, turning to the textbook, we start the process of identifying the most important people, events, ideas, and trends in the last 20 years. To emphasize another of my concerns, we then shift emphasis.
World War II Objectives Students will research daily life for women in either Britain, the United States, or Germany; write a fictional account of daily life based on their research; and compare cultural attitudes during this time period among these three countries. Materials Paper and pencils Computer with Internet accessWorld War II video and VCR Procedures Ask students what they know about World War II. Back to Top Evaluation Use the following three-point rubric to evaluate students' work during this lesson. Extensions Show students the In Memoriam: Holocaust segment of the video. The period beginning with the Great Depression and ending with World War II offers many examples of how positive changes can emerge from difficult times. Vocabulary BlitzDefinitionThe bombing of Britain by the Nazis that began in September 1940 and continued through May 1941ContextThe bombings that took place during the Blitz affected daily life and caused much ruin throughout the country. Standards Credits
World History for Us All World History For Us All: Big Era 6 Home > The Big Eras > At the level of the human species as a whole, the most striking aspect of the period from 1400 to 1800 was the enormous extension of networks of communication and exchange that linked individuals and societies more and more tightly. Every region of the world became intricately connected to every other region, a development that we call the Great Global Convergence. First, human societies and the networks that connected them became much more complex. <a href="/shared/glossary.htm" target="_blank">(Glossary-without Javascript)</a> A second major development was the A third change was the emergence of a truly global economy. The remarkable rise of European political and military power relative to the rest of the world was the fourth major change. Humans and the Environment Big Era Six was characterized by two contrasting major trends in human demography. Within these discordant trends, some important continuities may be seen. Regional Populations in Millions Footnotes:
Historyteacher.net Index Decades - USH /Ms Linder / Decades Project - NSHS guides at Newton South High School Library Decades Project – A Variety Show 1950s 1960s 1970s 1980s Mrs. A large assessment of 4th term is a group project to research and create a 20-25 minute class presentation in the form of a variety show, news broadcast or other television broadcast (with commercials) that teaches your peers about the culture of either the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s or 1980s. The dates for the presentations are as follows: 1950s and 1960s: May 31st 1970s and 1980s: June 7th IMPORTANT – these projects are done during our regular history units, thus some of the presentations may not be at the “most convenient time.” This project will be a great way to give you some freedom to explore how best to represent the doings of an entire decade in a single class period. You will have two library days (May 17th and May 22nd) and one class day (May 30th) to meet and coordinate with your group. The research should include Your 20-25 minute presentation must include the following: In addition you must create 25 copies of a worksheet:
Canada 1812: Forged in Fire World History For Us All: Big Era 7 Home > The Big Eras > The period from 1750 to 1914 was a pivotal moment in human history. Historians have named it the era of the modern revolution. The modern revolution involved numerous interacting developments. First, a revolutionary transformation occurred in human use of energy. Second, unprecedented global population growth accompanied the fossil fuel revolution. Third, an industrial transformation got under way. Fourth, a revolution took place in communications and transport. Fifth, the modern revolution was partly a democratic revolution. Finally, the era witnessed the rise of new colonial empires. Humans and the Environment The fossil fuel revolution was a fundamental breakthrough in human history. At the start of Big Era Seven, world coal output per year was less than 10 million metric tons. Many more people. World Population Trends in Millions Rapid urbanization accompanied world population growth. Mass migrations. A third pattern was the migration of Asian laborers. This