Big History Project - free online science/history course

Rosie · September 18, 2016, 11:45am

Have any homeschoolers seen or used this? Apparently it’s been around for several years. Homeschoolers can sign up under the school/teacher section.

Big History Project

I’m thinking about using it next year with my eldest. She’ll be in 8th grade. I think it may be possible, when creating your lesson plans, to insert other links and assignments and take out anything you don’t want. For the origins section I was going to include a link to John Walton’s 2 hour talk that is somewhere on the Biologos site. Maybe some stuff from the free Denis Lamoureux course. I haven’t thought through it too much yet. I think it might be a good resource to get us talking about the big questions.

@Homeschool_Forum If you’ve used it, what did you think?

April · September 20, 2016, 4:02am

This looks FAR more promising than most free online history courses. I swear I learn more than my kids by constantly needing to experiment with courses and do ‘previews.’ I think I’m going to start going through this myself now.

Rosie · October 5, 2016, 5:20pm

Well, I’ve gone through the teacher training, looked through the course some more, and found theology/philosophy links to insert where I think it would be appropriate, and I think I’ve got a tentative plan now. I want my kids to hear the philosophical naturalism and materialism in the presented material and be able to counter it from a Christian perspective. So I guess what I’m doing is making this a Science/History/Writing/Philosophy/Theology/Worldview course! Whew!

Here is my course plan: I downloaded the Year Long Science course plan and inserted my own links. So, anything you see with a link is added by me… (I couldn’t figure out how to upload it from my computer, so had to copy and paste. Sorry for the formatting issues! Also, it was too long for one post, so the rest will be in the next post.)

BHP Science

2016/17 SAMPLE YEAR-LONG COURSE
PLAN

Course Learning Outcomes

```
Explain
```

how thresholds of increasing complexity, differing scales of time and space,
claim testing, and collective learning help us understand historical, current,
and future events as part of a larger narrative.

```
Integrate
```

perspectives from multiple disciplines to create, defend, and evaluate the
history of the Universe and Universal change.

```
Deepen
```

an understanding of key historical and scientific concepts and facts; use these
in constructing explanations.

```
Engage
```

in meaningful scientific inquiry and historical investigations by being able to
hypothesize, form researchable questions, conduct research, revise one’s
thinking, and present findings that are well-supported by scientific and
historical evidence.

```
Critically
```

evaluate, analyze, and synthesize primary and secondary historical, scientific,
and technical texts to form well crafted and carefully supported written and
oral arguments.

```
Communicate
```

arguments to a variety of audiences to support claims through analysis of
substantive texts and topics; use valid reasoning and relevant and sufficient
evidence through individual or shared writing, speaking, and other formats.

```
Locate
```

and understand how our own place, our community’s place, and humanity as a
whole fit into and impact Big History’s narrative.

```
Engage
```

in historical analysis using the theories and practices from multiple
disciplines, toward an integrated, interdisciplinary understanding of the
history of the Universe.

Unit 1—What Is Big History?

Start Date: August 22,
2016 (2 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Define
```

thresholds of increasing complexity, origin stories, and scale.

```
Understand
```

that Big History is a modern, science-based origin story that draws on many
different types of knowledge.

```
Understand
```

how you fit into the Big History narrative, using the concept of thresholds to
frame your past, present, and future as well as the history of the Universe.

```
Understand
```

what disciplines are and consider how the viewpoints of many different scholars
can be integrated for a better understanding of a topic.

```
Learn
```

to use timelines as a way to compare the scale of personal and historic events.

Unit 1 Driving Question

“Why do we look at things from far away and close
up?”

Lesson 1.0—Welcome to Big History

·
Listen: Science and Religion, Introduction &
Categories 1-3 (plus notes) - CHRTC 350 Science and Religion Online Course Fall and Winter
(Frontloading, no need to try to understand everything here, print his notes
and write your questions down in them, 10-15 minutes per day)

·
Activity: History as Mystery

·
Watch: What Is Big History?

·
Watch: Big Bang - Crash Course

·
Activity: Big History Website Scavenger Hunt

·
Watch: A Big History of Everything - H2

·
Watch: The Big Story (Biologos) - The Big Story: From Stardust to The New Creation - Resource - BioLogos

·
Watch: Seeing Things Differently - Account Suspended

·
Watch: Beyond the Evolution vs. Creation Debate

High School Web Lectures

·

Lesson 1.1—Scale

·
1.1.1 Watch: Powers of 10

·
1.1.2 Activity: Powers of 10

·
1.1.3 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
1.1.6 Activity: Scale of Human History on a
String

·
1.1.7 Activity: Timelines and Scale

Lesson 1.2—Origin Stories

·
1.2.1 Watch: Big Questions - H2

·
1.2.2 Activity: “Intro to Origin
Stories”

·
Watch: What About the Bible? - What about the Bible? - Resource - BioLogos

·
Listen: Phil Vischer Episode #9, Genesis and the
Origins of the Universe - https://philvischer.com/the-phil-vischer-podcast/episode-9/

·
1.2.3 Read: “Origin Stories
Introduction”

·
1.2.4 Read: “Origin Story: Modern
Scientific”

·
1.2.5 Activity: “Origin Stories Article
Collection”

·
Watch: The Book of Genesis - http://biologos.org/resources/audio-visual/the-book-of-genesis

·
1.2.6 Read: “Origin Story: Chinese”

·
1.2.7 Read: “Origin Story: Judeo -
Christian”

·
Watch: Myth and Meaning (John Walton) - http://biologos.org/resources/audio-visual/john-walton-on-myth-and-meaning

·
1.2.8 Read: “Origin Story: Iroquois”

·
1.2.9 Read: “Origin Story: Mayan”

·
1.2.10 Read: “Origin Story: Greek”

·
1.2.11 Read: “Origin Story: Zulu”

·
1.2.12 Read: “Origin Story: Efik”

·
1.2.13 Read: “Cosmology and Faith”

·
Watch: The Bible and Ancient Science - High School Web Lectures

·
Watch: Origins Today: Genesis Through Ancient
Eyes (John Walton) - https://vimeo.com/66282642

·
1.2.14 Closing: DQ Notebook

Lesson 1.3—Claim Testing

·
1.3.1 Opening: Claim Testing Snap Judgment

·
1.3.2 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
1.3.3 Read: “Approaches to Knowledge”

·
1.3.4 Watch: How Do We Decide What to Believe?

·
Read: Different Types of Questions (4 pages) - http://www.faradayschools.com/re-topics/re-year-7/raisin-ballet/

·
Listen: Science and Religion, Categories 2,
Episodes 14-16 (with notes) - CHRTC 350 Science and Religion Online Course Fall and Winter

·
(Find something on epistemology from a Christian
perspective for kids/teens)

·
1.3.5 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
1.3.6 Read: “The Claim Testers: Episode 1 -
First Contact”

·
1.3.7 Closing: Investigation 1

Lesson
1.4—Yardsticks and Clocks

·
1.4.1 Opening: Measuring Great Distances (Part 1)

·
1.4.2 Read: “How Did We Find the Distance to the Sun?“
(Sci)

·
1.4.3 Watch: Distances: Crash Course Astronomy #25 (Sci)

·
1.4.4 Activity: Measuring Distances Using Parallax (Sci)

·
1.4.5 Watch: How Old is the Earth? (Sci)

·
1.4.6 Activity: Modeling Measuring Time Using Radioactivity
(Sci)

·
1.4.7 Closing: Measuring Great Distances (Part 2)

Unit 2—The Big Bang

Start Date: September 5,
2016 (2 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Explain
```

the basics of the Big Bang theory and the primary evidence that supports this
theory.

```
Using
```

evidence from texts and claim testing, explain why views of the Universe have
changed over time and the roles that scientists played in shaping our
understanding of the origin of the Universe.

```
Understand
```

how to use claim testing to evaluate a claim or resource.

```
Locate
```

Ptolemy, Copernicus, Galileo, Newton, and Hubble on a timeline and explain what
each added to our collective understanding of the structure of the Universe.

Unit 2 Driving Question

"How and why do individuals change their minds?
"

Lesson 2.0—The Big Bang

·
2.0.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
2.0.2 Watch: A Big History of Everything - H2
(Clip 8:25 to 12:04)

·
Watch: The Fine-Tuning of the Universe - Fine Tuning | Reasonable Faith

·
Watch: A Deeper Story - http://biologos.org/blogs/archive/fine-tuning-a-deeper-story

·
2.0.3 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
2.0.4 Read: “Complexity and
Thresholds”

·
2.0.5 Watch: Introduction to Thresholds

·
2.0.6 Watch: Threshold 1: The Big Bang

·
2.0.7 Activity: This Threshold Today

·
2.0.8 Watch: Questions About the Big Bang

·
2.0.9 Closing: Big Bang Infographic

·
Watch: The Cosmological Argument - The Kalam Cosmological Argument | Reasonable Faith

·
Read: The Big Bang Theory and Creation (7 pages)

RE Year 7 - Never Off Topic

·
Watch: Leibniz’ Contingency Argument - Leibniz Contingency Argument | Reasonable Faith

·
Watch: The Whys and Why Nots - The Meeting House

·
Watch: Limits of Science - http://www.testoffaith.com

·

Lesson 2.1—How Did Our Understanding of the Universe Change?

·
2.1.1 Opening: Big Bang Snap Judgment

·
2.1.2 Watch: How Did Our View of the Universe
Change?

·
Watch: An Enriched Creation - An Enriched Creation - Resource - BioLogos

·
2.1.3 Activity: Changing Views Timeline

·
2.1.4 Read: “Claudius Ptolemy”

·
2.1.5 Read: “Galileo Galilei”

·
Watch: Galileo the Theologian - High School Web Lectures

·
2.1.6 Read: “Nicolaus Copernicus”

·
2.1.7 Read: “Isaac Newton”

·
2.1.8 Read: “Henrietta Leavitt”

·
2.1.9 Read: “Edwin Hubble”

·
2.1.10 Activity: Views of the Universe Debate

Lesson 2.2—What Are Disciplines?

·
2.2.1 Opening: Who Knows What?

·
2.2.2 Watch: Are We Alone? - H2

·
2.2.3 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
2.2.4 Watch: Ways of Knowing - Introduction to
Cosmology

·
2.2.5 Watch: Ways of Knowing - Introduction to
Astrophysics

·
2.2.6 Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

·
2.2.7 Activity: Claim Testing - The Big Bang

·
2.2.8 Closing: Investigation 2

Lesson
2.3—Ways of Knowing: The Expanding Universe

·
2.3.1 Opening: Doppler Effect Demonstration

·
2.3.2 Watch: What is the Universe Expanding Into? (Sci)

·
2.3.3 Activity: Big Bang Balloon (Sci)

·
2.3.4 Watch: Hubble’s Expanding Universe, Redshifts, and
the Big Bang (Sci)

·
2.3.5 Read: “Hubble Finds Ghostly ring of Dark Matter“
(Sci)

·
2.3.6 Watch: What Are Dark Matter and Dark Energy (Sci)

·
2.3.7 Closing: Universe Comics (Sci)

Unit 3—Stars & Elements

Start Date: September 26,
2016 (4 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Describe
```

how stars form.

```
Explain
```

what happens in the life of a star and explain what happens when a star dies.

```
Explain
```

how the death of stars results in the creation of heavier elements.

```
Understand
```

what scholars from multiple disciplines know about a topic and the questions
they can ask to gain an understanding of the topic from an integrated
perspective.

```
Understand
```

how to use and apply the concept of periodization.

Unit 3 Driving Question

"How can looking at the same information from
different perspectives pave the way for progress? "

Lesson 3.0—How Were Stars Formed?

·
3.0.1 Opening: The Life of a Star

·
3.0.2 Watch: How Were Stars Formed?

·
3.0.3 Activity: My Threshold Card

·
3.0.4 Watch: A Big History of Everything - H2
(Clip 12:05 to 16:47)

·
Watch: Intelligent Design - High School Web Lectures

·
3.0.5 Activity: Star Comic

·
3.0.6 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
3.0.7 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
3.0.8 Closing: This Threshold Today

Lesson 3.1—Creation of Complex Elements

·
3.1.1 Opening: Is It in There?

·
3.1.2 Watch: Threshold 3: New Chemical Elements

·
3.1.3 Watch: What Did Stars Give Us?

·
3.1.4 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
Watch: How Did God Create the Ingredients for
Life? - How did God Create the Ingredients for Life? - Resource - BioLogos

·
3.1.5 Watch: Stars and Galaxies - Crash Course

·
3.1.6 Activity: Superhero Element

·
3.1.7 Read: “A Little Big History of
Silver”

·
3.1.8 Watch: Silver Supernova - H2

·
3.1.9 Activity: Grading Silver Supernova

·
3.1.10 Closing: Little Big History of an Element

Lesson 3.2—Ways of Knowing: Stars and Elements

·
3.2.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
3.2.2 Watch: Ways of Knowing - Intro to
Chemistry

·
3.2.3 Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

·
3.2.4 Watch: Crash Course Chemistry - Periodic
Table of Elements

·
3.2.5 Read: “Dmitri Mendeleev - Building
the Periodic Table of Elements”

·
3.2.6 Read: “Marie Curie - Chemistry,
Physics, and Radioactivity”

·
3.2.7 Activity: Timelines and Periodization

·
3.2.8 Closing: Investigation 3

Lesson
3.3—Sorting Stars

·
3.3.1 Opening: Colors of Stars (Part 1) (Sci)

·
3.3.2 Watch: Crash Course Astronomy — Stars (Sci)

·
3.3.3 Read: “Morgan-Keenan Luminosity Class” (Sci)

·
3.3.4 Read: “Wonder Women of History: Annie Jump Cannon“ (Sci)

·
3.3.5 Activity: Star Class - Blue, White, Yellow and Red
(Sci)

·
3.3.5 Closing: Colors of Stars (Part 2) (Sci)

Lesson
3.4—How Old is the Sun?

·
3.4.1 Opening: Solar Phenomena (Sci)

·
3.4.2 Watch: How Do We Know How Old the Sun Is? (Sci)

·
3.4.3 Read: “Why Does the Sun Shine?” (Sci)

·
3.4.4 Watch: Crash Course Astronomy — The Sun (Sci)

·
3.4.5 Activity: Plasma Party (Sci)

Unit 4—Our Solar System & Earth

Start Date: October 24,
2016 (4 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Explain
```

why planets are more complex than stars.

```
Use
```

evidence to explain how the Earth and its atmosphere developed and changed over
time.

```
Explain
```

the basic mechanisms and key pieces of evidence for plate tectonics, and how
plate tectonics impacts life on Earth.

```
Define
```

geology, the types of questions geologists ask, and the tools they use to
answer those questions.

```
Explain
```

why geology is important to understanding the history of the Earth.

```
Understand
```

how geologists can work with scientists and historians from other disciplines
to form a deeper understanding of the history of the Earth.

Unit 4 Driving Question

“How and why do theories become generally
accepted?”

Lesson 4.0—Earth & the Formation of Our Solar System

·
4.0.1 Opening: Planet Card Sort

·
4.0.2 Watch: Threshold 4: Earth and the Solar
System

·
4.0.3 Watch: How Did Earth and the Solar System
Form?

·
4.0.4 Watch: The Sun - H2

·
4.0.5 Activity: Active Accretion

·
4.0.6 Read: “How Our Solar System
Formed”

·
4.0.7 Closing: This Threshold Today

Lesson 4.1—What Was Young Earth Like?

·
4.1.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
4.1.2 Watch: What Was the Young Earth Like?

·
4.1.3 Watch: The Early Atmosphere

·
4.1.4 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
4.1.5 Closing: DQ Notebook

Lesson 4.2—Why Is Plate Tectonics Important?

·
4.2.1 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
4.2.2 Watch: The Solar System and the Earth -
Crash Course

·
4.2.3 Watch: Our Shifting Globe

·
4.2.4 Activity: Claim Testing - Geology and the
Earth’s Formation

·
4.2.5 Read: “Why We’re All Lava
Surfers”

·
4.2.6 Closing: Biography of a Continent

Lesson 4.3—Ways of Knowing: Our Solar System and Earth

·
4.3.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
4.3.2 Watch: Introduction to Geology

·
4.3.3 Read: “Alfred Wegener and Harry
Hess”

·
4.3.4 Read: “Eratosthenes”

·
4.3.5 Watch: Introduction to the Geologic Time
Chart

·
4.3.6 Read: “Principles of Geology”

·
4.3.7 Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

·
4.3.8 Activity: Was There Science Before the
Scientific Revolution? Timeline

·
4.3.9 Closing: Investigation 4

Lesson
4.4—True Nature of Our Solar System

·
4.4.1 Activity: Fleeing the Surface of the Earth (Part 1)
(Sci)

·
4.4.2 Crash Course Astronomy: Introduction to the Solar
System

·
4.4.3 Read: “A Brief History of Pluto” (Sci)

·
4.4.4 Activity: Scale Model Solar System (Sci)

·
4.4.5 Watch: To Scale: The Solar System

·
4.4.6 Read: “Comets - Portents of Doom?” (Sci)

·
4.4.7 Activity: Fleeing the Surface of the Earth (Part 2)
(Sci)

Lesson
4.5—Exoplanets

·
4.5.1 Opening: Observing Transit

·
4.5.2 Watch: Crash Course Astronomy — Exoplanets (Sci)

·
4.5.3 Read: How We Find Exoplanets (Sci)

·
4.5.4 Activity: Interpreting Transit Graphs (Sci)

·
4.5.5 Activity: What Do You Know? Who Do You Ask? (Sci)

·
4.5.6 Closing: Fleeing the Surface of the Earth (Part 3)
(Sci)

Unit 5—Life

Start Date: November 21,
2016 (4 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Describe
```

the conditions that made it possible for life to emerge on Earth.

```
Explain
```

the differences between life and nonlife.

```
Describe
```

the major events in the development of life on Earth and explain what is meant
by the term biosphere.

```
Use
```

evidence to explain adaptation and evolution, including Darwin’s theory of
natural selection and DNA.

Unit 5 Driving Question

“How does extinction drive evolution?”

Lesson 5.0—What Is Life?

·
5.0.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
5.0.2 Watch: A Big History of Everything - H2
(Clip 26:45 to 39:42)

·
5.0.3 Watch: Threshold 5: Life

·
5.0.4 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
5.0.5 Activity: How Closely Related Are We?

·
5.0.6 Watch: The Origin of Life - Crash Course

·
5.0.7 Read: “Life and Purpose”

·
Watch: God as Artist - Account Suspended

·
Watch: An Unfolding Creation - An Unfolding Creation - Resource - BioLogos

·
Watch: Does Science Disprove Faith? - http://biologos.org/resources/audio-visual/does-science-disprove-faith

·
5.0.8 Closing: Claim Testing - What Is Life?

Lesson 5.1—How Did Life Begin and Change?

·
5.1.1 Opening: Spontaneous Generation

·
5.1.2 Watch: How Did Life Begin and Change?

·
5.1.3 Watch: Mini-Thresholds of Life

·
5.1.4 Activity: Are These the Right
Mini-Thresholds of Life?

·
5.1.5 Watch: Life in All Its Forms

·
5.1.6 Activity: The Tree of Life Infographic

·
5.1.7 Watch: The Evolutionary Epic - Crash Course

·
Watch: How Evolution Works, Part 1 - How Evolution Works, Part 1 - Resource - BioLogos

·
Watch: How Evolution Works, Part 2 - How Evolution Works, Part 2 - Resource - BioLogos

·
Watch: From Chaos to Order - http://biologos.org/resources/audio-visual/from-chaos-to-order

·
Watch: Beyond the “Creation vs. Evolution”
Debate - Beyond the "creation vs. evolution" debate | Denis Lamoureux | TEDxEdmonton - YouTube

·
Watch: Debating Darwin - The Meeting House

·
5.1.8 Closing: DQ Notebook

Lesson 5.2—How Do Earth and Life Interact?

·
5.2.1 Opening: Living in the Extremes of the
Biosphere

·
5.2.2 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
5.2.3 Read: “What Is the Biosphere?”

·
5.2.4 Watch: How Do Earth and Life Interact?

·
5.2.5 Activity: A Year in the Life of a Species

·
5.2.6 Watch: How We Proved an Asteroid Wiped Out
the Dinosaurs

·
Watch: Cleaning Up the Mess - The Meeting House

·
Watch: Beyond the Evolution vs. Creation Debate

High School Web Lectures

·

Lesson 5.3—Ways of Knowing: Life

·
5.3.1 Activity: The Voyage of the Beagle

·
5.3.2 Read: “Darwin, Evolution, and
Faith”

·
Watch and Write down important terms/ideas:
Aren’t Science and Faith Incompatible? (Blackhawk Church) - https://vimeo.com/106735035

·
Find a political cartoon about Evolution/Faith
and decide which approach to the topic it represents.

·
Watch: The Religious Evolution of Darwin - High School Web Lectures

·
5.3.3 Read: “Watson, Crick, and
Franklin”

·
5.3.4 Watch: Codes - H2

·
5.3.5 Activity: Evolution and Life Timeline

·
5.3.6 Closing: Investigation 5

Lesson
5.4—Impacts!

·
5.4.1 Opening: Predicting Disaster (Part 1) (Sci)

·
5.4.2 Watch: The Three Biggest Space Impacts Ever (Sci)

·
5.4.3 Read: “Found: First Amino Acid on a Comet” (Sci)

·
5.4.4 Activity: Making Craters (Sci)

·
5.4.6 Watch: The Chelyabinsk Meteor: What We Know (Sci)

·
5.4.8 Closing: Opening: Predicting Disaster (Part 1) (Sci)

Unit 6—Early Humans

Start Date: January 9,
2017 (2 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Describe
```

human evolution, using evidence and connection to other species of mammals.

```
Explain
```

whether or not symbolic language makes humans different.

```
Describe
```

how early humans lived.

```
Explain
```

collective learning.

```
Understand
```

what scholars from multiple disciplines know about a topic and the questions
they can ask to gain an understanding of the topic from an integrated
perspective.

```
Show
```

early human migration on a map.

Unit 6 Driving Question

“What makes humans different from other
species?”

Lesson 6.0—How Our Ancestors Evolved

·
6.0.1 Opening: Early Ancestors

·
6.0.2 Watch: Threshold 6: Humans and Collective
Learning

·
6.0.3 Watch: Human Evolution — Crash Course

·
6.0.4 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
6.0.5 Activity: Evolution Comic

·
6.0.6 Read: “Lucy and the Leakeys”

·
6.0.7 Read: “Jane Goodall”

·
6.0.8 Activity: Investigation Writing — Content
Knowledge

·
Watch: The E Word - The E Word | April Maskiewicz | TEDxPointLomaNazareneUniversity - YouTube

·

Lesson 6.1—Ways of Knowing: Early Humans

·
6.1.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
6.1.2 Watch: Intro to Anthropology

·
6.1.3 Watch: Intro to Archaeology

·
6.1.4 Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

·
6.1.5 Activity: Historos Cave

·
Watch: How Our Creator Shapes Us - Account Suspended

·
Watch: Image of God - Account Suspended

·
Read: What Does “Image of God” Mean? - http://biologos.org/blogs/archive/series/what-does-image-of-god-mean

·
Watch: Made in God’s Image - The Meeting House

·
6.1.6 Closing: Little Big History Kickoff

Lesson 6.2—Collective Learning

·
6.2.1 Opening: Collective Learning Snap Judgment

·
6.2.2 Read: “Collective Learning”(Part
1)

·
6.2.3 Watch: Common Man — H2

·
6.2.4 Activity: Claim Testing — Collective
Learning

·
6.2.5 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
6.2.6 Watch: Early Evidence of Collective
Learning

·
Watch Expanding the Paradigm - http://biologos.org/resources/audio-visual/expanding-the-paradigm

·
6.2.7 Activity: Culture and Collective Learning
Debate

·
6.2.8 Closing: DQ Notebook

Lesson 6.3—How Did the First Humans Live?

·
6.3.1 Watch: How Did the First Humans Live?

·
6.3.2 Read: “Foraging”

·
6.3.3 Watch: From Foraging to Food Shopping

·
6.3.4 Activity: Hunter Gatherer Menu

·
Watch: Navigating the Crisis - Navigating the Crisis - Resource - BioLogos

·
6.3.5 Watch: Genealogy and Human Ancestry

·
6.3.6 Activity: Human Migration Patterns

·
6.3.7 Activity: Little Big History — Choosing
Your Focus

·
6.3.8 Closing: Investigation 6

Unit 7—Agriculture & Civilization

Start Date: January 23, 2017 (4 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Define
```

agriculture and describe where it emerged.

```
Identify
```

the features of agrarian civilizations.

```
Understand
```

the similarities and differences between the lifestyles of hunter-gatherers and
farmers.

```
Describe
```

how early civilizations formed and their key features.

```
Understand
```

what scholars from multiple disciplines know about agriculture and civilization
and the information they can derive from them using an integrated perspective.

```
Describe
```

how agrarian civilizations formed and analyze their key similarities and
differences.

Unit 7 Driving Question

"Was farming an improvement over foraging? "

Lesson 7.0—The Rise of Agriculture

·
7.0.1 Opening: This Threshold Today

·
7.0.2 Watch: Threshold 7: Agriculture

·
7.0.3 Watch: Why Was Agriculture So Important?

·
7.0.4 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
7.0.5 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
7.0.6 Watch: Jacqueline Howard Presents: The
History of Domestic Animals

·
7.0.7 Read: “Collective Learning”(Part
2)

·
7.0.8 Activity: Investigation Writing — Evidence

·
7.0.9 Activity: Biography of a Crop

·
7.0.10 Read: “What’s for Dinner Tonight?
Evidence of Early Agriculture — The First Farmers”

·
7.0.11 Closing: Little Big History Biography

Lesson 7.1—The First Cities and States Appear

·
7.1.1 Opening: Comparing Crops

·
7.1.2 Watch: Where and Why Did the First Cities
and States Appear?

·
7.1.3 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
7.1.4 Read: Agrarian Civilizations Introduction

·
7.1.5 Activity: Comparing Civilizations

·
7.1.6 Read: “Uruk”

·
7.1.7 Read: “Mesoamerica”

·
7.1.8 Read: “Jericho”

·
7.1.9 Read: “East Asia”

·
7.1.10 Read: “Greco Roman”

·
7.1.11 Read: “Aksum”

·
7.1.12 Read: “Ghana”

·
7.1.13 Read: “We’re Not in Kansas Anymore:
The Emergence of Early Cities”

·
7.1.14 Read: “The Origin of World Religions”

·
7.1.15 Read: Early Civilization Museum Project

·
7.1.16 Activity: Comparing More Civilizations

Lesson 7.2—Ways of Knowing: Agriculture and Civilization

·
7.2.1 Opening: Social Status, Power, and Human
Burials

·
7.2.2 Watch: Intro to History

·
7.2.3 Read: “Recordkeeping and
History”

·
7.2.4 Activity: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

·
7.2.5 Watch: Migrations and Intensification —
Crash Course

·
7.2.6 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
7.2.7 Read: “The Origin of Agriculture in
Africa”

·
7.2.8 Activity: Little Big History — Research
Questions

·
7.2.9 Activity: The Rise, Fall, and Collapse of
Civilizations

·
7.2.10 Closing: Were They Pushed or Did They
Jump?

·
7.2.11 Closing: Investigation 7

Lesson
7.3—What Should We Eat?

·
7.3.1 Opening: Best Lunch Ever (Part 1) (Sci)

·
7.3.2 Watch: Fundamentals of Nutrients and the History of
Nutrition (Sci)

·
7.3.3 Read: “Protein-Rich Diet Helps Gorillas Keep Lean” (Sci)

·
7.3.4 Read: “For Most People Eating Bugs Is Only Natural” (Sci)

·
7.3.5 Activity: Nutrition Hunt (Sci)

·
7.3.6 Watch: The Real Paleo Diet (Sci)

·
7.3.7 Opening: Best Lunch Ever (Part 1) (Sci)

Rosie · October 5, 2016, 5:21pm

Unit 8—Expansion & Interconnection

Start Date: February 27,
2017 (3 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Analyze
```

what propelled the expansion and interconnection of agrarian civilizations.

```
Explain
```

how new networks of exchange accelerated collective learning and innovation.

```
Describe
```

the changing characteristics of societies in the four world zones before and
after oceanic travel and the thickening of global networks.

Unit 8 Driving Question

"What are the positive and negative impacts of
interconnection? "

Lesson 8.0—Expansion

·
8.0.1 Opening: What Caused Expansion?

·
8.0.2 Watch: Why Did Civilization Expand?

·
8.0.3 Watch: The Modern Revolution — Crash
Course

·
8.0.4 Activity: World Zone Game

·
8.0.5 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
8.0.6 Read: “The Four World Zones”

·
8.0.7 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
8.0.8 Activity: Investigation Writing — Argument

Lesson 8.1—Exploration & Interconnection

·
8.1.1 Opening: World Travelers

·
8.1.2 Watch: How Did the World Become
Interconnected?

·
8.1.3 Read: “China: The First Great
Divergence”

·
8.1.4 Read: “An Age of Adventure”

·
8.1.5 Activity: An Age of Adventure

·
8.1.6 Read: “Ibn Battuta”

·
8.1.7 Read: “Marco Polo”

·
8.1.8 Read: “Zheng He”

·
8.1.9 Activity: Explorers Mini Project

·
8.1.10 Watch: Brain Boost — H2

·
8.1.11 Activity: Human Migration Patterns II

·
8.1.12 Closing: Issues of Colonization Mini
Project

Lesson 8.2—The Columbian Exchange

·
8.2.1 Opening: Goods of the Columbian Exchange
Snap Judgment

·
8.2.2 Watch: Crash Course World History: The
Columbian Exchange

·
8.2.3 Read: “Investigating the Consequences
of the Columbian Exchange”

·
8.2.4 Read: “When Humans Became Inhumane:
The Atlantic Slave Trade”

·
8.2.5 Activity: Columbian Exchange Timeline

·
8.2.6 Closing: Columbian Exchange Infographic

Lesson 8.3—Commerce & Collective Learning

·
8.3.1 Opening: Quick Poll — Has the Scientific
Revolution Ended?

·
8.3.2 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
8.3.3 Watch: Jacqueline Howard Presents: The
History of Money

·
8.3.4 Read: “One Lump or Two? The
Development of a Global Economy”

·
8.3.5 Watch: Systems of Exchange and Trade

·
8.3.6 Read: “Benjamin Banneker: Science in
Adversity”

·
8.3.7 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
8.3.8 Read: “The First Silk Roads”

·
8.3.9 Read: “Lost on the Silk Road”

·
8.3.10 Read: “A Curious Case: African
Agrarianism”

·
8.3.11 Activity: Personal Supply Chain

·
8.3.12 Activity: Little Big History Final
Project

·
8.3.13 Read: “She Blinded Me with Science:
Collective Learning and the Emergence of Modern Science”

·
8.3.14 Activity: Has the Scientific Revolution
Ended? Debate

·
8.3.15 Closing: Investigation 8

Unit 9—Acceleration

Start Date: March 20, 2017
(5 weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Describe
```

accelerating global change and the factors that describe it.

```
Understand
```

the key features that define the Anthropocene.

```
Describe
```

the acceleration in world population, technology, science, communication, and
transportation. Explain how they have benefited and threatened humanity.

```
Explain
```

the changes in the use, distribution, and importance of natural resources on
human life.

Unit 9 Driving Question

“To what extent has the Modern Revolution been a
positive or a negative force?”

Lesson 9.0—Transitions, Thresholds, and Turning Points in Human History

·
9.0.1 Opening: Periodizing Big History

·
9.0.2 Activity: A Day in the Life

·
9.0.3 Watch: Threshold 8: The Modern Revolution

·
9.0.4 Closing: How Would You Periodize Human
History?

Lesson 9.1—Acceleration

·
9.1.1 Opening: The Appetite for Energy

·
9.1.2 Watch: Threshold 8: The Modern Revolution

·
9.1.3 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
9.1.4 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
9.1.5 Watch: Crash Course World History: The Industrial
Revolution

·
9.1.6 Read: “The Industrial
Revolution”

·
9.1.7 Watch: How Did Change Accelerate?

·
9.1.8 Read: “Acceleration”

·
9.1.9 Activity: Is Change Accelerating? Debate

·
9.1.10 Watch: Jacqueline Howard Presents: Energy

·
9.1.11 Closing: Investigation Writing — Peer
Review

Lesson 9.2—The Anthropocene

·
9.2.1 Watch: The Anthropocene and the Near
Future - Crash Course

·
9.2.2 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
9.2.3 Read: “The Anthropocene”

·
9.2.4 Read: “Anthropocene Africa: Out of
Every Crisis, an Opportunity”

·
9.2.5 Activity: Population Growth

Lesson 9.3—Changing Economies

·
9.3.1 Opening: DQ Notebook

·
9.3.2 Read: “Collective Learning”(Part
4)

·
9.3.3 Watch: A Big History of Everything — H2
(Clip 1:07 to 1:14)

·
9.3.4 Read: “Smith, Marx, and Keynes”

·
9.3.5 Activity: This Threshold Today

·
9.3.6 Closing: Investigation 9

Lesson 9.4—How Was the Modern World Created? Industrialism

·
9.4.1 Opening: New Jobs

·
9.4.2 Watch: How Was the Modern World Created?

·
9.4.3 Read: “Why Is That T-Shirt So Cheap?
The Origins of the Industrial Revolution”

·
9.4.4 Watch: Crash Course World History:
Globalization I — The Upside

·
9.4.5 Closing: What Role Did Industrialism Play
in Creating the Modern World?

Lesson 9.5—How Was the Modern World Created? Modern States and Identities.

·
9.5.1 Opening: Who Are You? Braided Identities
Quick Poll

·
9.5.2 Activity: Forming the Concept of
Nationalism

·
9.5.3 Read: “You Say You Want a Revolution:
Political Change on Both Sides of the Atlantic”

·
9.5.4 Watch: Crash Course World History:
Imperialism

·
9.5.5 Read: “Imperialism and Resistance
Shape a Modern World: 1850 — 1914”

·
9.5.6 Closing: Rights and Resistance Timeline

Lesson 9.6—Crisis and Conflict on the Global Stage

·
9.6.1 Read: “Crisis and Conflict on the
Global Stage”

·
9.6.2 Activity: Understanding the Causes of
World War I

·
9.6.3 Watch: Crash Course World History:
Archdukes, Cynicism, and World War I

·
9.6.4 Activity: Understanding the Consequences
of the Global Depression

·
9.6.5 Watch: Crash Course World History: World
War II

·
9.6.6 Activity: Propaganda and World War II

·
9.6.7 Read: “A Bird’s Eye View:
Acceleration and Global Chaos in the Early Twentieth Century”

·
9.6.8 Closing: Mapping the World: 1914, 1945,
1985, Today

Lesson 9.7—Acceleration, Demographic, Political, and Technological

·
9.7.1 Activity: Comparing Most Populous Cities
by Century, 1500 to Present

·
9.7.2 Read: “And Then Gandhi Came:
Nationalism, Revolution, and Sovereignty”

·
9.7.3 Read: Declaration of Rights Document
Collection

·
9.7.4 Activity: Comparing Rights Documents

·
9.7.5 Closing: Democratic and Independent States
Timeline

Lesson
9.8—To Infinity and Beyond!

·
9.8.1 Opening: Surviving Mars (Part 1) (Sci)

·
9.8.2 Watch: TedX - Who Won the Space Race? (Sci)

·
9.8.3 Read: “Which Way to Space?” (Sci)

·
9.8.4 Activity: Debate — Collaboration or Completion in
Space (Sci)

·
9.8.5 Read: “Will We Ever Colonize Mars?” (Sci)

·
9.8.6 Watch: TedX – Could We Actually Live on Mars? (Sci)

·
9.8.7 Closing: Surviving Mars (Part 2) (Sci)

Lesson
9.9—Energizing the Future

·
9.9.1 Opening: Energy Sort (Sci)

·
9.9.2 Watch: Crash Course World History: Humans and Energy (Sci)

·
9.9.3 Watch: Nuclear Energy Explained: How Does It Work?
(Sci)

·
9.9.4 Read: “Benefits of Renewable Energy” (Sci)

·
9.9.4 Read: “Comparing Costs of Renewable and Conventional
Energy Sources” (Sci)

·
9.9.6 Watch: Running on Renewable Energy (Sci)

·
9.9.7 Activity: Elsewhere’s Energy (Sci)

Unit 10—The Future

Start Date: May 1, 2017 (4
weeks)

Learning Outcomes

```
Explain
```

the Big History story and its defining features and patterns.

```
Identify
```

important human and environmental issues that affect the future of our species
and the biosphere.

```
Propose
```

a vision of the future based on new understandings of the past.

Unit 10 Driving Question

"What’s the next threshold? "

Lesson 10.0—Looking Back

·
10.0.1 Opening: Timeline Review

·
10.0.2 Vocab Activity: Part I

·
10.0.3 Watch: The History of Everything — TED

·
10.0.4 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
10.0.5 Activity: Scale

·
10.0.6 Closing: What Do You Know? What Do You
Ask?

Lesson 10.1—The Biosphere

·
10.1.1 Opening: Natural Disasters

·
10.1.2 Watch: Crash Course World History:
Globalization II — Good or Bad

·
10.1.3 Vocab Activity: Part II

·
10.1.4 Watch: The Atmosphere and Climate

·
Watch: Caring for Creation - Account Suspended

·
10.1.5 Watch: Jacqueline Howard Presents: A Day
on Mars

·
10.1.6 Activity: Gapminder Card Sort

·
10.1.7 Closing: Visions of the Future

Lesson 10.2—Looking Forward

·
10.2.1 Opening: My Timeline Redux

·
10.2.2 Watch: A Big History of Everything — H2

·
10.2.3 Read: “Complexity and the
Future”

·
10.2.4 Watch: Visions of the Future — Bill Gates

·
10.2.5 Watch: The Deep Future — Crash Course

·
10.2.6 Read: Sylvester James Gates, Jr.: At the
Forefront of Science"

·
10.2.7 Activity: DQ Notebook

·
10.2.8 Closing: The Future of Our Planet

Lesson
10.3—Are We Alone?

·
10.3.1 Opening: Alien Life – What Might It Look Like? (Sci)

·
10.3.2 Watch: The Fermi Paradox - Where Are All the Aliens?
(Sci)

·
10.3.3 Activity: Anyone Out There? (The Drake Equation)
(Sci)

·
10.3.4 Watch: Neil deGrasse Tyson - Are We Alone (Sci)

·
10.3.5 Read: “Are We Alone? Now is the Time to Find Out”
(Sci)

·
10.3.6 Read: “40 Years Ago Earth Beamed Its First Postcard
to the Stars” (Sci)

·
10.3.7 Activity: First Contact (Sci)

Note: Lesson numbers may
be not be sequential. BHP World History content is omitted from the Science
Year-Long Course Plan.

Extra Resources:

·

·
What Convinced Me (Reasons to
believe in God, Bruxy Cavey) - The Meeting House (What
Convinced Me)

·
The Meaning and Purpose of
Creation (John Lennox) - - YouTube

·
Bishop Barron on Scientism and God’s
Existence - Bishop Barron on Scientism and God's Existence - YouTube

·
Coming to Terms with Evolution, A
Personal Story (Denis Lamoureux) - 3_story

·
The Language of God (Francis
Collins) - http://www.veritas.org/language-god-2/

·
The Scientism Delusion (Ian
Hutchinson) - The Scientism Delusion? Ian Hutchinson Explores Science and Faith at Emory University - YouTube

·

Rosie · October 5, 2016, 5:23pm

Please post any links you know of that might be helpful to add in!

Christy · October 6, 2016, 2:35am

Thanks for sharing all your work!

Casper_Hesp · October 6, 2016, 9:09am

Hi Rosie, this is great! Starting from last year, this course is also being taught on my own university here in Amsterdam. What bothered me when I skimmed through the course schedule is that it appears to ignore the topic of religion as much as possible. From an anthropological perspective that seems to be a problem. As far as I know, signs of religious activity constitute one of the core “diagnostics” for identifying human civilizations in archeological excavations.

I think that any course that purports to treat “all of history” should devote a large section to the topic of religion. That doesn’t suit their agenda, apparently. But I may be mistaken because I didn’t dive into the material itself, only looked at the course outline.

Rosie · October 6, 2016, 11:29pm

Yes, I agree with you. I wish Biologos (or somebody somewhere!) could create something like this for homeschoolers! I love the idea of looking at history more holistically, combining subjects, looking at something from the perspective of various disciplines,… I would love a course like this coming from a Christian perspective and including more info on religion and philosophy. And geared toward middle schoolers. Not really too much to ask, right?

April · October 7, 2016, 7:35pm

This thread is so legit! Thanks for the updates.

beaglelady · October 8, 2016, 3:00am

@Rosie This list is most impressive! Don’t forget HHMI’s Biointeractive, which has hundreds of high quality, free science education resources, including the excellent “holiday lectures” series of talks for high school students by scientists. As a matter of fact, this coming Thursday there will be a live webcast on Ecology of Rivers and Coasts—Food Webs and Human Impacts

Lecture description: Two leading ecologists describe the complex interactions between species and their environment in aquatic ecosystems. Using field experiments, the researchers illustrate how interactions among organisms such as fish, crab, insects, snails, and algae determine the vitality of rivers and coastal ecosystems and how these factors are affected by human activities.

Rosie · October 8, 2016, 1:05pm

Thank you! I’ll check that out!

Mervin_Bitikofer · October 8, 2016, 7:04pm

Wow! – what an impressive course schedule. I’d be very impressed if a high school student successfully completed this, much less an 8th grader!

I see you included one of my favorite youtube go-to voices for learning of religion and philosophy – Bishop Barron. He is always a voice of reason to help illuminate and navigate current trends.

Thanks for this list of references and links. This is a gold-mine of resources. I’ll probably refer back here frequently.

Simone · June 10, 2017, 11:51pm

We are using the middle school history series from Oxford University Press next year. The books also include quite a lot of science, philosophy and religion. “The World in Ancient Times” includes 8 fully illustrated books and goes a lot more in depth then the Big History Project. It starts with human origins and moves on to ancient Near East (really helpful for Biblical context!), then Egypt, Asia, Africa, Romans, Greeks, Ancient Americas. Each book was written by a team of a historian/scholar together with young adult fiction author. The result is engaging and reads like a story, without sacrificing scholarship. In fact many of them are written by PhDs. Each book also includes recommendations for further reading, websites, etc.

There is also a series continuing world history for the middle ages and into the scientific revolution (continuing with the global aspect, it includes Africa, Asia, the America’s, etc.) called “The Medieval and Early Modern World”.

The books also have optional teacher guides and student guides (normally I pass on those, but these are really well done and round everything out nicely).

The only downside is there is so much information here that it would take a long time to get through… and it’s expensive. Thirty chapters per book, 8 books… that’s just one year. That said, after reading through a good chunk of it I am impressed enough that I think it will be worth our time. In fact, it might not be an understatement to say going through this curriculum could be life changing not only for my kids but for myself also. Because it goes so in depth, it’s going to be our spine for at least the next 2 years.

I plan to add videos to go along with the books. I’m working my way through them. There are so many great documentaries to choose from. Our favourites are from the BBC, History Channel, PBS, National Geographic.