Below you will find links to and descriptions of all the assignments we use for Choose Your Own
Adventure. Click on the individual assignment links to get the full instructions and printable worksheets.
We have divided the assignments into three categories based on what skills you will use to complete
them.
Detective: A detective closely examines historical facts and puts them
together in many forms. They work with charts to represent
information clearly and logically. They enjoy answering questions and
finding details.
Artist: An artist focuses on pictures to learn about the past. They
produce drawings and crafts to present information to others in unique
ways. They enjoy creating work that shows off their skill and talent.
Profiler: A profiler is mostly interested in people and how they think.
They like to imagine themselves in historical situations and write about
how they would have reacted. They usually present their findings
through short writings.
5 Point Assignments
20-30 Minutes to complete
Name
Type
Description
Acrostic Poem
PDF
A word from the unit is written vertically and then each letter is
used to start each line of a descriptive poem.
Advertisement
PDF
Create a print advertisement for an invention from the given
civilization.
Annotated Illustration
PDF
Draw a picture of a historical object or person and annotate it with
captions.
Be the Thing
PDF
Write a short explanation of the life experience of a particular
object from history like Da Vinci's first paintbrush.
Bio-poem
PDF
Complete a poem with a pre-made layout about a specific person
or group in history.
Bumper Sticker
Create a witty bumper sticker about a specific topic.
Recommended only for highly creative students.
Cause and Effect Chain
PDF
Describe two causes and two effects for a given historical event.
Countdown!
PDF
Complete a 5-stage graphic organizer including key terms, review
questions and a symbol.
Creative Line Art
123
Using a picture with random shapes and scribbles create a scene
from or representing the current unit.
Day Planner
PDF
Write out the daily schedule for someone living in an ancient
civilization.
Epitaph/Gravestone
PDF
Design the epitaph and gravestone for a famous figure. May
require outside research.
In 'N' Out
PDF
Complete a graphic organizer highlighting the influences and
contributions of a civilization or person.
Neo Venn Diagram
Like a Venn Diagram only less reliant on drawing properly sized
circles (which I can't do...)
Picture Analysis
PDF
Answer a series of thought-provoking analysis questions about a
photograph or piece of art.
Picture Frame
PDF
Design a graphic organizer in the shape of a picture frame about a
historical figure.
Postcard from the Past
PDF
Make a postcard as if you were visiting an ancient civilization.
Report Card
PDF
Gives grades to a historical figure in categories assigned by your
teacher.
TXT MSG SMRE
PDF
Write a summary of a historical event in the form of a text
message to a friend.
Venn Diagram
PDF
Complete a Venn Diagram (kinda...) to compare and contract two
historical figures, events or civilizations.
Wanted Poster
PDF
Create a wanted (or hero) poster for a person from history.
You are There Letter
PDF
Write a letter to a historical figure giving him or her advice on a
problem.
10 Point Assignments
1 hour to complete
Name
Type
Description
Bio Box
PDF
A 3-D graphic organizer that highlights the key characteristics and events
of a person's life courtesy of mrwoodside.com.
Brain Chain
PDF
List 10 important people, events, concepts, etc. and 5 generic history
terms then create conceptual links between them in a graphic organizer.
Character Clash!
PDF
Complete two bio-poems side to side to highlight the similarties and
differences between two historical figures or groups.
Circle Summary
PDF
Complete a graphic organizer as a history unit summary. Requires the unit
to be broken down into 5 parts to work as shown here.
Comic Strip
PDF
Create a 3-5 panel comic strip showing an event from a historical
perspective.
Flash Cards
PDF
Create flash cards for 4 key terms from the unit.
Illustrated Map
PDF
Draw a map and add captions or small pictures to bring the map to life.
Illustrated
Timeline
PDF
Draw a timeline and add captions or small pictures to bring it to life.
Instant Messages
PDF
Create an instant message conversation between two historical figures
about a historic event.
Introduction
Speech
PDF
Write and recite an introductory speech for a historical figure. May require
outside research.
Invitation
PDF
Create an invitation (the who, what, when, where, what to bring, etc.) to a
historical event we studied in the unit.
Legal Brief
PDF
Write a legal defense for a historical figure who may have committed a
crime.
Mannequin
PDF
Draw the clothing a historical figure would likely wear and describe some
of his/her inner thoughts and feelings.
Perspective
PDF
Imagine how a historical figure would view modern inventions and ideas.
Quest for
Knowledge
PDF
A series of activities to help get the most information possible out of a
section of reading in the textbook.
Recipe for a
Civilization
PDF
Write a recipe with a list of ingredients it would take to create a given
civilization. This definitely requires abstract thinking.
Song Rewrite
PDF
Rewrite the lyrics to a song to make it about a historical period.
Time Machine
PDF
Transport yourself back in time and figure out what would happen to
someone your age and gender in a given civilization.
Trading Cards
PDF
Create three trading cards for people, events or objects from a given unit.
The cards each include basic information and a "relevance rating." Try to
collect them all!
TV Guide
PDF
Create a television channel line-up based on a recent unit. Decide what
shows would on to match up to the culture.
Worlds Collide
PDF
Draw pictures contrasting key points of two civilizations.
You are There
Diary
PDF
Write a series of diary entries as if you were a certain historical figure
going through an assigned event.
20 Point Assignments
2 hours to complete
Name
Type
Description
Create a
Crossword
PDF
Make your own crossword puzzle using terms from the current unit.
Deadliest
Warrior
PDF
Research information on the warriors of two civilizations and then simulate
a battle between them.
HiStory
PDF
Write a creative fictional story using key terms and figures from the unit.
iHistory
PDF
Imagine what personal information would be included in a historical figures
apps.
Magazine Cover
Design a one-page magazine cover for a given section of the textbook.
Movie Madness
PDF
Use art and writing to recreate a given unit as a movie. Includes designing a
movie poster and writing a movie review.
Papper Bag
Puppet
PDF
Create a puppet of a historical figure along with a list of statements that
person might say.
Picture Book
PDF
Create a children's book about a given topic.
Play
Write and perform a short play about a historical event. Completed in pairs
or small groups.
Social Network
Create a social network page for a historical figure
Storyboard
Create a storyboard layout for a movie based on a historical event.
Travel Brochure
PDF
Create a six-panel foldout brochure that highlights the history, hot spots,
and accommodations of a civilization. You also get to design an amusement
park!
Web Page
PDF
Create the layout for a web page about a specific topic from the unit.
What If?
Flip the script on an event in history. Change one major detail from the
event then speculate how this would have changed the outcome. Show your
results in a recreated textbook page.
40 Point Assignments
All 40 point assignments require significant work outside of class and take up to 4 hours to complete.
Name
Type
Description
A-Z Book
Specialist
Working with a partner create a picture for 26 key terms each starting
with a different letter of the alphabet. If you ask nicely I might let you
skip 2 of the tougher letters.
Board Game
Specialist
Create a board game using historical information. Be creative and
follow directions carefully.
Model
Specialist
Write a report on and build a model of a historical object or location.
Newscast
Specialist
Working with a group of 3 - 4 students film a short newscast about a
historical event.
Newspaper
Specialist
Working with a partner create a newspaper with sports reports, comic
strips, ads and other articles about a civilization.
Mind Map
Specialist
Create a large word cluster using terms from the unit. Then write
sentences explaining how the words are connected. It is basically a
very large Brain Chain.
Slideshow
Presentation
(coming soon)
Specialist
Create a PowerPoint presentation on a topic. It must be at least as
good as what you see from me in class!
Text Twist
(coming soon)
Specialist
Create a textbook section on a topic from history. Our textbook is
terrible so help me make a better one!