Blog Archives

Aug. 30/Sep. 2: Intro to Unit 2: Civilizations

8/29/2019

Watch the following video and take notes: "Why humans run the world" (Harari)

While watching practice QCI: Questions, Connections, Comments & Ideas, Insights
Make a list of questions this video raises for you.
Also record the reasons Harari gives for the rise of humans -- what "evidence" does he provide for his reasons?
Be prepared to share your questions within a small group.

JOIN BIG HISTORY PROJECT!

Throughout this course, there are times we will use resources from The Big History Project (BHP). It is important that you sign up with BHP during today’s class.

Take a look at the Agriculture and Civilization Timeline on Big History Project (BHP).

Link to Big History Project

Pre-assessment Day 2: India Partition

8/25/2019

Helpful resources for today's lesson:

Suggested Outline

Extension: If there is time...

Partition Voices starts on 31 July at 9am on BBC Radio 4.
The three-part series can be heard online bbc.co.uk/radio4

BBCRadio, Audio - of first-hand testimonies of people (British, British Asian, Muslim, Hindu…) who experienced the partition
The Guardian, Opinion Article - Break the Silence
The New Yorker, article - The Great Divide: the violent legacy of India Partition
BBC2, Video - India’s Partition, the forgotten Story
Al Jazeera, Article - Remembering Partition - ‘It was like a slaughterhouse’
Al Jazeera, Video - Partition: Borders of Blood

WH Pre-assessments: The India Partition

8/22/2019

Class: Watch the following video:

While watching, practice thinking like a historian and use critical thinking skills.
Pay attention to the details.

Individual Task: Watch the following video & Take Notes:

Homework - Due next class
A Blocks: Mon. Aug. 26; B Blocks: Tues. Aug. 27
HW: Close Reading Pre-assessment (paper copy given out in class)

Thinking like a historian: the lunchroom fight

8/19/2019

Today's lesson is to consider the challenge we face to understand history that we did not witness.

We will practice using the tools of a historian and to think like a historian to gather as much evidence as possible to draw conclusions about past events--as this can help us make decisions about the present and the future. We will use a fictitious scenario of a fight that occured in a school lunch room. How do we know what really happened if we weren't there to witness it?

What does it mean to think like a historian?

Look at the top 2 strands of the World History Explanatory Rubric (as shown above)

WH Explanatory Rubric

This is what you are practicing--writing a claim, giving a couple of reasons and then giving some proof (evidence) to support your reasons. This will require you to do a bit of search to find 2 reasons and a fact from history that supports the reasons you've stated to support your claim.

To think and write like a historian, you need to state what you believe to be true based on evidence. This is a pre-assessment of your ability to write a claim statement, provide reasons and supporting evidence (CRE). This assignment should take approx. 20-30 minutes.

There is a document in your World History (WH) Drop folder. Complete this homework task within that document. We will go over this next time in class (A Blocks: Aug. 22; B Blocks: Aug. 23)