What If's of History?- Project
We need imagination and creativity! This What If's of History project is designed to make you combine imagination and creativity with reason and logical thinking. If science and math did not have people who combined these elements together we would never have the technologies and innovations we have today. People who work in science and math ask themselves what if? . . . which leads them to new ideas never phathomed before. This project is designed to make you put these elements together in a historical setting. You will choose a What if question and write an essay on how you see the changed outcome for history. You will use imagination and creativity to invent a scenario that could logically happen given the what if had happened instead. How would the what if change the course of western civilization as we know it?
Proceedure:
1. Choose a What if topic from the list below or consult with me on a topic of your choosing that may not be on the list (I will need to okay any outside topics before starting)
2. You will be graded Holistically with a 4, 3, 2, or 1- a rubric will be provided to follow
3. Your essay should have a thesis statement that answers this question: How would this "What if?" . . . change the course of Western Civilization?
4. You then need to support this statement with three consequences (paragraphs that are the body of your essay). These consequences can be connected to each other or be seperate ideas of what you think might have happened.
5. Then you need a conclusion paragraph where you recap your thesis statement and what consequences this would have on Western Civilization.
List of What If's?
1. What if the Moors won the Battle of Tours in 732 AD?
2. What if Alexander the Great had lived to rule his empire?
3. What if Julius Ceasar had read the note put in his hand before entering the Senate? or What if Julius Ceasar had not been assasinated in 44 BC?
4. What if the Spanish Armada had defeated the English in 1666?
5. What if the English had won the 100 Years' War?
6. What if William of Normandy had been defeated by Herold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066?
7. What if the Spanish had ultimately taken control of North America during the First Global Age instead of the English?
8. What if the the Line of Demarcation had been flipped to Portugal getting the west and Spain getting the east of that line?
9. What if slavery was never outlawed by European countries?
10. What if slavery was never introduced to the Americas?
11. What if the Protestant Reformation never happened?
12. What if Diocletian had not divided the Roman Empire into West and East?
13. What if Napoleon had won the Battle of Waterloo in 1815?
14. What if the Greeks had been conquered by the Persians?
15. What if the Roman Empire never developed?
16. What if the Black Death had never reached Western Europe in the Middle Ages?
Proceedure:
1. Choose a What if topic from the list below or consult with me on a topic of your choosing that may not be on the list (I will need to okay any outside topics before starting)
2. You will be graded Holistically with a 4, 3, 2, or 1- a rubric will be provided to follow
3. Your essay should have a thesis statement that answers this question: How would this "What if?" . . . change the course of Western Civilization?
4. You then need to support this statement with three consequences (paragraphs that are the body of your essay). These consequences can be connected to each other or be seperate ideas of what you think might have happened.
5. Then you need a conclusion paragraph where you recap your thesis statement and what consequences this would have on Western Civilization.
List of What If's?
1. What if the Moors won the Battle of Tours in 732 AD?
2. What if Alexander the Great had lived to rule his empire?
3. What if Julius Ceasar had read the note put in his hand before entering the Senate? or What if Julius Ceasar had not been assasinated in 44 BC?
4. What if the Spanish Armada had defeated the English in 1666?
5. What if the English had won the 100 Years' War?
6. What if William of Normandy had been defeated by Herold at the Battle of Hastings in 1066?
7. What if the Spanish had ultimately taken control of North America during the First Global Age instead of the English?
8. What if the the Line of Demarcation had been flipped to Portugal getting the west and Spain getting the east of that line?
9. What if slavery was never outlawed by European countries?
10. What if slavery was never introduced to the Americas?
11. What if the Protestant Reformation never happened?
12. What if Diocletian had not divided the Roman Empire into West and East?
13. What if Napoleon had won the Battle of Waterloo in 1815?
14. What if the Greeks had been conquered by the Persians?
15. What if the Roman Empire never developed?
16. What if the Black Death had never reached Western Europe in the Middle Ages?
Misconceptions in History Project
Examples to share with the class
1) student has to find a misperception
2) explain how it got to be a misunderstanding which in of itself is good analysis
3) how, if it did change history. While you are at it, watch the video above for some
inspiration.
List of Misconceptions to choose from
1) student has to find a misperception
2) explain how it got to be a misunderstanding which in of itself is good analysis
3) how, if it did change history. While you are at it, watch the video above for some
inspiration.
List of Misconceptions to choose from