PBL: That's How it went down!
Throughout the semester, you have read primary and secondary documents that have provided insight to major historical events. However, many of these resources have been written in language from their time period and it can be difficult to grasp just what exactly happened. If someone else explains it to you, don't you feel like you "get it" more than if you were to rely on historical resources?
For this project, you will select a historical event from any time period in WORLD HISTORY that we have studied. You will create a modern retelling of that historical event by filming a documentary, music video, or a PowToon. All projects should be well researched in order to give a thorough explanation of the event. All historical information given has to be told in your own words the way you would tell someone your age, and all projects have to end with the phrase "...and THAT'S how it went down!"
Project Guidelines
Students will be working in their assigned groups to research and create a video about a historical event from any of the units we have studied in class, including events from World War II and the Cold War. The selected event should be specific, instead of an entire broad era. For example, if a group is interested in the Middle Ages, they have their choice of events ranging from the Great Schism, the signing of the Magna Carta, Eleanor of Aquitane, the 3rd Crusade, etc.
Overall Requirements:
- 5 to 7 Minute Video posted on YouTube (videos can be edited with iMovie, Adobe Premiere, or any other cell phone app)
- Script, submitted to Schoology, with complete video dialogue
- Dialogue should be historically accurate but in your own words.
- ALL character and narrator dialogue should be scripted
- "...and THAT'S how it went down!" at end of video
Overall Requirements:
- 5 to 7 Minute Video posted on YouTube (videos can be edited with iMovie, Adobe Premiere, or any other cell phone app)
- Script, submitted to Schoology, with complete video dialogue
- Dialogue should be historically accurate but in your own words.
- ALL character and narrator dialogue should be scripted
- "...and THAT'S how it went down!" at end of video
Documentary Requirements:
- A Narrator, with opening introduction of "Hello, my name is ______________ and today I am going to tell you about..." - Identifiable Characters (use props/costumes/signs; the more RIDICULOUS the BETTER) - All group members must appear at least once in video - Clear audio or captions - Staging the Action (show us what happened) |
Music Video Requirements:
- Lyrics must be rewritten to be about historical event - Staging the Action - Identifiable Characters - All group members must appear in video - Captions for song lyrics |
PowToon Requirements:
- Total slides must match time requirement - Identifiable characters - Each section must have an author credit (Slide By: Your Name Here); all group members must contribute to receive credit on project - Link to Powtoon must be submitted to Schoology - All group members must have access to PowToon account; No Access will not be accepted as an excuse for incomplete work |
Topics
Each group will be allowed to pick their own topic. Topics can be from any unit we have covered over the entire course of the class, but there will only be one topic per unit allowed without repeats. This means that if one group has picked the Death of Julius Caesar, then all remaining groups are restricted from picking any events from Unit 2. Due to the short amount of time available for this project, no switches or trades will be allowed. You are not restricted to this list, but your topic must be approved by Mrs. Aguilar BEFORE you begin work.
Unit 1: Rise of Civilization
- Hammurabi's Code - Invention of the Wheel - Record-Keeping (Hieroglyphics, Cuneiform, etc.) - Mandate of Heaven/ Daoism |
Unit 2: Classical Civilizations
- Asoka & Buddhism - Alexander the Great - Death of Julius Caesar - The Great Wall |
Unit 3: Middle Ages
- Black Death - Joan of Arc - Signing the Magna Carta - The 3rd Crusade |
Unit 4: Renaissance, Reformation, Exploration
- Leonardo da Vinci - Henry VIII - Golden Age of Elizabeth I - Martin Luther - Conquering the Aztecs |
Unit 5: Revelations & Revolutions
- Louis XIV - Absolute Monarchs - Marie Antoinette - The Enlightenment - French Revolution |
Unit 6: Industrialization
- Industrial Revolution - Inventors/Inventions - Adam Smith & Capitalism - Socialism - Karl Marx |
Unit 7: Imperialism
- Scramble for Africa - India: Jewel in the Crown - Kaiser Wilhelm II - Queen Victoria - Panama and/or Suez Canals Unit 10: The Cold War
- Space Race - Red Scare - Fall of the Berlin Wall - Mikhail Gorbachev |
Unit 8: World War I
- MAIN Causes - Assassination of Franz Ferdinand - Weapons/Technology - Russian Revolution - Gandhi |
Unit 9: World War II
- Fascists & Militarism - Between the World Wars (Global Depression) - Appeasement - The Changing Role of Women - Winston Churchill |