Year-End Project

Your mini-project is due THURSDAY MAY 12.  Here's what we've gone over class.

*Decide on a topic that we have covered in Big History.  Topics include...

Big Bang
Creation Stories
Origins of Life
History of Cosmology
Evolution
Social Darwinism

*Decide what your final product will be (story/essay/art piece/film)
and customize this template to decide how you will grade your own product: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1fhBksEGWsy584dmHXB-GzSsoa0HMl8mE99bYkndb-dE/edit

*Your final product should be answering a driving question about the topic.
For example, if your subject is evolution, a driving question might be, "Why did humans evolve to walk on their hind legs?"

*If you want to get extra credit and raise your grade in this class, first focus on doing a good job on your mini-project.  Then, you can earn extra points through the extra current-event curriculum on the New York Times.  Click on this link to begin and let me know any questions.  Show me how many questions your respond to. NYTimes Current Events extra credit

4/19

Agenda:
Mind-mapping to prep for exam (1st hour)
During exam prep:  Conferences w/Matt about cosmology essays--if grade is not passing, it is likely because you did not include enough evidence or did not have a clear thesis in your essay.  Check with Matt during this time to get it right.

Homework:  None, unless essay needs to be revised.

Exam Prep

The three in-class essay questions tomorrow...
a.  Describe and explain the significance of the 6 mini-thresholds of the development of life
b.  Define evolution and give examples--include Darwin's example of the finches.
c.  Explain and define the 3 Goldilocks conditions for life

4/18

In-class worktime:
Read and critique the below model student essay.
Revise your cosmology essay based off of it.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NWCp9iNYfnmCVy8ypRwedWpNHRoRFXmP-zgN2pG1AuE/edit

4/12 Agenda

DUE:  Cosmology essay (see google classroom) is due by end of class on Tuesday
            Please send me the link to your timeline when you are done (anytime between now and end of            week)

When you're not in PARCC testing...

We are moving from Big Bang to the start of LIFE in Big History!

Log into Big History and move to Section 5 (the green section)

Click the 'Start Lesson" button

Get as far as you can  :)

We start the unit as a class when PARCC testing is done!

Agenda:
Write down daily log for 4/7: "Today we went into depth on how people did or did not change their minds about Ptolemy's model of the universe

Chronozoom tutorial--Lecture/Timeline worktime

What to include on timeline: Life and death dates of both scientists you were assigned
2 exhibits per scientist (books, ideas, influences, important events, etc)

Lecture slideshow:
https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/0BxmnlXt_7UBOQnZjMExLb2F4YVk

4/5

Agenda:

--Journal #1 of Unit 2 Big History:  "How do people change their minds?" Freewrite and pair-share w/musical chairs

--Copy down This Week's Question and Diagrams, both whiteboards

--Vocab games

--Note-taking video
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AffuwyJZTQQ
Choose the system you will use for today's lecture

--Lecture on Ptolemaic system of universe
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GevV1yvMJbc&list=PLoP9cLk9G4gH5-i85apvc3YxdxTv-UL1Z&index=4

--Turn in notes at end of class