The connections and similarities between the past and the present are the emphases of this unit. There are many themes that recur throughout history such as revolution, exploration, the push for human rights, etc. This project seeks to do that by having students identify themes they study in history units and finding modern day examples of those themes in the present. Using conventional research materials and telecommunications, students research a past event from the course of study and a modern event. They create timelines for both events, a brief oral summary, a log of articles, and a Venn diagram showing the areas of similarities and differences between the two events.
Students work collaboratively in groups on their research and to jointly present an oral report.
Individually they prepare timelines and Venn diagrams. Major Historical Events Student teams of three work together for this six-week project. Each group goes through a chapter of the unit being studied and identifies the major historical events that happen in that chapter. In a large group discussion, students identify events happening currently which are showing up on the front pages of newspapers and on the news. They categorize these events as fitting into the themes of history that were used earlier.