BIG HISTORY 3
The Big History Project is a social studies course that spans 13.8 billion years. It weaves insights from many disciplines to form a single story that helps us better understand people, civilizations, and how we are connected to everything around us.
Rise Out has adapted this curriculum into a three-semester format suitable for homeschoolers. In this third and final semester we will cover the last thresholds of human history, from the Roman Empire through the modern revolution, ending with speculations about “deep future.”
This is an ambitious course that will have at least 3 hours of homework every week, including writing assignments, independent and group projects, and a semester-long timeline project that you do at home. You also have the option of taking this course for a grade. Taking it for a grade is not required, but we’re offering this option because some parents have requested more ways to show colleges that their students’ work has passed independent assessment.
This is an exciting class that we’ve spent over a year developing. It combines art, archaeology, philosophy, biology, astronomy, history, geology, and other disciplines to answer the question: “How did we get here?”
For more information about The Big History Project and the curriculum we will be using, see David Christian’s TED Talk or visit The Big History Project web page.
NOTE:
o This third-semester class assumes you have taken the first semester of Big History, covering the Big Bang through the beginnning of the solar system, and the second semester, covering the beginning of life through the invention of agrarian civilizations. If not, you can still enroll, but you may be asked to do an extra module before class begins to familiarize yourself with the topics and the format.
o The first two semesters of Big History covered a great deal of science content and could be cross-listed as science courses. This final semester in the sequence is exclusively a world history course.
Instructor: Laura Fokkena
Grading Assessment: Heidi Sandler and Janee Ronca
DETAILS:
Suggested age range: 13+
Outside work: 3+ hours of homework per week. All materials are provided online. Students will need an internet connection and access to a computer or laptop with a keyboard and reasonable screen size. The course can be accessed by a smart phone but the readings have not been adapted for small screens and the writing assignments require a keyboard.
When & where: Fridays at Voyagers in Chelmsford (directions) from 12:30-1:30, Sept. 20-Dec. 13, 2019. No class Nov. 29 (Thanksgiving break).
Fee: $250 for the semester, which includes a non-refundable registration fee of $10. Please read our media policy. $10 discount for Voyagers members. Payment plans available. Fees waived for families with financial need. (Waivers and payment plan information.)