MODERN WORLD HISTORY CULMINATING PROJECT
Guiding Question:
How can I demonstrate my knowledge of history in a creative, effective way?
AOI:
Approaches to Learning
Overview: Choose any topic from modern world history (1850-present) and
research it thoroughly. Share your expertise with a creative, engaging project
proposed and designed by you.
Due dates: Mini-due dates will occur until the final presentation date(s)
Step I: Explore topics and choose one. You may research a specific person,
movement, concept, idea, artifact, or event. (Try to avoid specifically American
topics). Choose a category or time period you are particularly interested in (for
example, post-WWII art or Science/tech of the early 1900’s)
Examples:
People: Leni Riefenstahl, Hitler’s female propaganda filmmaker; Henri de ToulouseLautrec, famed sketch and poster artist of turn-of-the-century France; Lewis Carroll,
author of Alice Through the Looking Glass; Winston Churchill; Gavrilo Princip (teen
who shot the Archduke Franz Ferdinand); Pu Yi (Last Emperor of China)
Movements: The Impressionist Art movement, Swing music; The Green Revolution
Concepts: How the use of Propaganda produces both positive and negative effects;
What sacrifices do people make in war/ for freedom?; How does art help people
deal with trauma?
Idea(s): Social Darwinism; genocide; environmental protection; Malthusian
“overpopulation”; eugenics
Artifact(s): The Eiffel Tower; machine guns; the atomic bomb; famous World War II
films; the painting “The Scream” by Munch; Grimm Brothers Fairy Tales
Events: D-Day; the sinking of the Titanic; the shooting of Czar Nicholas’ family
during the Russian Revolution; Kristallnacht; Fall of the Berlin Wall; Chernobyl
Step II: Invent a way to present your knowledge in a creative, effective way. It
should be a project that you enjoy doing and that highlights a particular interest or
talent you possess. It should also articulate the information clearly and be enjoyable
for the viewers (your peers and perhaps the world at large!). Turn in your written
proposal early for suggestions. You will also be asked to tweak the IB rubric to suit
your project.
Step III: Work on research and creating your project. Meet with teacher when
needed.
Step V: Post your project and adjusted rubric with a reflection on your blog and be
reading to present. (non-digital items may be photographed)
Ideas: (you may invent your own or adapt these as needed)
Technology-based: (all videos should be at least 3 minutes in length)
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original song or rap and music video (use iMovie, Animoto, Moviemaker, or
Premiere)
movie trailer video
Public Service Announcement video
Design a video game or make a commercial for a fictional video game based
on history
Podcast (radio show) with sound effects
PhotoStory or digital book (use Blurb)
Design a web site
Use visual storytelling to share a poem, literature excerpt, or first-hand
account (make movie or vodcast)
Photo essay/ restaging
Vuvox presentation
After-Effects animated film illustrating an idea or event
Low-tech:
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write a script and do a performance
artistic representation
design a game
design a fashion line related to the topic
make a quilt;
constructing an object/building
recite a speech or excerpt from a work of literature
compare/contrast analysis of films (use clips)
design an ironic tee-shirt line
graphic novel
childrens’ book
compose and perform music
what-if essay (propose what would have happened if history changed)
dress up like the person and have students “interview” you (you create the
questions and answer as if you were them)
RESOURCES:
All kinds of links, by topic:
http://www.chccs.k12.nc.us/chhs/InstructionalTechnology/index_files/Bickley.
htm
WWW Virtual Library of Sources (including maps, radio broadcasts, newspaper
clips)
http://www2.etown.edu/vl/
100 People Who Changed the World (be sure they fit into the time frame)
http://www.biographyonline.net/people/people-who-changed-world.html
Famous Modern Scientists and their Discoveries
http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/aso/databank/bioindex.html
BIOS of people who made a difference in the world
http://www.pitara.com/magazine/people.asp
19th century Artists
http://wwar.com/masters/centuries/18th.html
20th century Artists
http://wwar.com/masters/centuries/19th.html
Composers of the 19th-20th century
http://www.vaughns-1-pagers.com/music/music-composers.htm
Famous Musicians of the 20th century
http://www.wwwk.co.uk/people/musicians/index.htm
Writers of the 19th century
http://www.literaryhistory.com/19thC/Outline.htm
Writers of the 20th century
http://www.literaryhistory.com/20thC/Modernists.htm
Events that Changed the World – 20th century
http://www.biographyonline.net/events/changed-world.html
http://history1900s.about.com/od/famouscrimesscandals/u/events.htm
Events That Changed the World – 19h century
http://history1800s.about.com/od/timelines/u/19thcenturyevents.htm
Famous World Political Leaders and Bios
http://www.thefamouspeople.com/political-leaders.php
Inventors and inventions of the 19th century
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/Nineteenth.htm
Inventors and inventions of the 20th century
http://inventors.about.com/od/timelines/a/twentieth.htm
Frontline (search Culture, History, etc. for modern topics)
http://www.pbs.org/frontlineworld/educators/culture.html
Ism wiki
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_philosophy
TIME – the 20th century and beyond (mentions key events)
http://205.188.238.181/time/time100/leaders/stage.html
or….
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,988149-1,00.html
Guide to the 20th century (organized by concept category)
http://www.channel4.com/history/microsites/H/history/guide20/part02.html
TIME’s most important people of the 20h century (organized by type)
http://205.188.238.181/time/time100/index_2000_time100.html
and the wiki about it
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Person_of_the_Century
WWI great links
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/special_report/1998/10/98/world_war_i/197437.s
tm
All about Genocide (20th century to today)
http://www.genocidewatch.org/
Holocaust survivor stories
http://remember.org/
WWII Films list (great if you are doing the comparison)
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_World_War_II_films
or
http://www.worldwar-2.net/world-war-2-on-film/world-war-2-on-filmindex.htm
WWII Propaganda/Art
http://www.teacheroz.com/WWIIpropaganda.htm
The Story of Africa
http://www.bbc.co.uk/worldservice/africa/features/storyofafrica/11chapter3.
shtml
History of Photography
http://www.neatorama.com/2006/08/29/the-wonderful-world-of-earlyphotography/
History of Cinematography
http://www.precinemahistory.net/
Timeline of Computer History
http://www.computerhistory.org/timeline/?gclid=CMr51pCduZwCFRkpawodtz
7Lmw
History of Inventions
http://www.ideafinder.com/history/index.html
CREATE:
***Don’t forget all the tools you’ve learned this year, such as digital
timelines, Prezi, Storify, iMovie, Wix or Weebly, Voicethread, etc. Of ocurse
you can also do non-digital things or a combination of high-tech and lowtech.
TIS SITE HAS A MULTITUDE OF RESOURCES: (just search for something like
“cartoon making”) http://www.ilearntechnology.com/ or go to her digital
storytelling list of tools: http://ilearntechnology.com/?p=3190
THIS SITE ALSO HAS A GAZILLION TOOLS and IDEAS:
http://www.eduTecher.net/
SUPER DUPER SITE for online tutorials (the school pays for it- use it)
www.atomiclearning.com (user name=lja password= bulldogs)
Make a digital poster or movie with archival photos
http://www.digitalvaults.org/?#/create/
Web 2.0 Drawing, Charting, Mapping tools
http://webtools4u2use.wikispaces.com/Drawing%2C+Charting+%26+Mapping
+Tools
Make a digital book (download the free software)
www.blurb.com
Make a cool multi-media collage using Vuvox
www.vuvox.xom
Make a cartoon using
http://www.toondoo.com/
Make a radio show or pdcast with lots of bells and whistles at
http://www.spreaker.com/
7 Animation tools:
http://h30411.www3.hp.com/posts/10450527_Web_2_0_animation_tools?mcid=Twitter
****For those making a MUSIC VIDEO or MOVIE using iMovie, MovieMaker, or
Premiere…I have special folders for you
****please see me for help with a podcast using Garageband
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DUE DATES TO KNOW:
Due Date #1: Written proposal of topic choice (s) and project idea due
Example: I want to study the SS (Hitler’s special forces) and then make a rap.
The rap will discuss important information about the SS. I’ll make the music
video by recording the rap in Audacity and then using Animoto to create a video
with images from the internet and key words from the rap.
Due Date #2: Adjusted rubric and plan of making due
Due Date #3 for people doing raps or music videos- first draft lyrics due
Due Date #4: last status check; choose presentation schedule
Due Date #5: project, rubric, and reflection due (posted on blog) PLUS
presentations