INVITATION

How do we involve students in a historical look at the world in which they live and prepare them as they move into the new century? How do we motivate students to create a visual representation of history and allow them to reflect on the importance of their own lives? How can we help them to synthesize and record material while creating a presentation that allows them to project their own existence into the next millennium?

TASKS

Students develop a multimedia presentation that demonstrates their perspective of world history from the ancient world to the twentieth century. Students also include as a part of their presentation what they envision the world will be like through the twenty-first century. Students use a variety of software tools to create an interactive tour in Director Academic, or a Web-based project using Electrifier Pro or The VR Worx for interactivity. Students predict what life be like throughout the new century and can use Cinema 4D XL and Photoshop LE or Photoshop Elements for futuristic creations and animations. Students use Sherlock to search the Internet and explore The Archives of History to find resources to help with their research.

TOOLS

Computers; the Internet; Sherlock.

AppleWorks; Inspiration; The Archives of History.

Cinema 4D XL (optional); Director Academic (optional); Electrifier Pro or The VR Worx (optional); Final Cut Pro (optional); Photoshop LE or Photoshop Elements (optional).

INTERACTIONS

Students work individually and with the teacher. Based on the availability of technology tools, students may work in groups to create group presentations. If group presentations are to occur, the teacher will assign each group to a specific part of the world for research and presentation. For the purpose of this activity, students work individually and with the teacher in order to assess individual student perspectives on world history and the advent of the future.

SITUATIONS

Students work in the classroom, computer lab, media center, and community. Depending on prior student knowledge of the software, this project will take approximately three weeks. The teacher should allow a week for research and gathering of resources and two weeks for the development of the project. Class presentations will also add significant time to the overall project. In order to preserve class time for instruction, students can present their projects to family and community members after school.

ASSESSMENT

The teacher assesses student presentations based on historical content and research and development skills. A rubric developed before students begin the assignment will allow students to understand expectations for the project and therefore encourage them to set personal goals. The teacher may consider writing a rubric with a point value assigned reflecting a letter grade or percent students need to attain in order to receive a particular grade. The students may then consider setting a goal and deciding what point value they want to strive for.

Now that the millennium has finally arrived, it would be interesting to find out if anyone feels they have been suddenly transformed. Most of us probably did not expect to trade our earthly jeans and T-shirts for space attire, and are relieved that the only bolts of light in the sky were the fireworks that were planned. Still, the coming of this new century and millennium presents us with a wonderful opportunity to reflect on the past, on where we've been, who we are, and what we hope to become.

This project helps move students to do exactly that: reflect on the past, look at where they have been, who they are, what they have become, and also, where they are going. During this project, students create a multimedia project that answers these questions through a review of world history and a challenge of future events.

Phase 1: Take a trip through HyperHistory

As a starting point, show students the Web site http://www.hyperhistory.com, the introduction page to HyperHistory online, and allow them to explore the history of the world. Then let students use Sherlock for independent research on the Internet. Students should research world history from the ancient world to the twentieth century, focusing on the people, places, and events that have made a significant mark on our society.

Encourage students to work with multiple applications during this phase. While searching the Internet with Sherlock, for example, students can organize their research in Inspiration, using either the written outline form or the graphical interface. As students research, ask them to narrow down their topic from the general categories to one topic and track its evolution from beginning to the present. Create a large list of historical events to move students in the right direction, including topics such as the Reformation, the Civil War, apartheid, the space exploration, and others.

Phase 2: Time to focus

After students have finished their research, move them towards a focused topic for presentation. If they are going to research events, for example, they might choose to focus on athletics. This particular student (or student group, depending on the way you set up the project) might begin researching the development of athletic contests, such as the Greek and Roman Olympics, and also begin thinking of ideas for the category of athletics in the twenty-first century. If students are working in groups, the category of athletics can be explored in more detail. For example, one student might research athletic events that have changed history while another might focus on people in athletics who have helped shape our culture. Another student might research locations where major athletic events have been held and the historical influence this might have had on our current society, and a fourth student might focus primarily on the future of athletics through the twenty-first century. During this phase, students should keep track of research information and take notes using AppleWorks. If your school has a file server set up, you can create shared folders for students to use to put their individual research in so that all group members have access to all the research.

Phase 3: Make a plan

After their research is complete, students use AppleWorks or Inspiration to create an outline for their presentation. If students are working in groups, members work on the outline together to guarantee smooth transitions from one subtopic to another.

Phase 4: Deciding on the tools

During this phase, students decide what kind of presentation they want to create and what tools they need to build it. Will they create an interactive Director Academic presentation? A Web-based presentation? Will it include clips from The History of Archives CD? Will they create video clips of their own to represent the future using Final Cut Pro? Will they use Cinema 4D XL to create a futuristic animation? Much of the detail needs to be decided during this phase in order for students to move to the next phase with a focused vision.

Phase 5: Re-creating history and planning for the future

Students, either individually or working in groups, bring all of the research together and analyze what is necessary for the audience to know. Although all the information is important, can some of it be left out without compromising the final product? Students should refer to the rubric handed to them at the beginning of the project to ensure that they do not have more material than the designated presentation time will allow. (This needs to be decided and incorporated into the rubric before the projects begin.) Students should then begin creating their projects or, if they are working in groups, begin creating their portion of the project. The groups should create the beginning and end of the presentation together for consistency.

PREPARATION

Make sure that students have a general understanding of the software tools they plan to incorporate into their presentation.

Ensure that students feel comfortable using the Internet and Sherlock.

Create an assessment rubric and checklists for students to use as guidelines.

Review with students the geography and history of the Eastern and Western Hemispheres.

Show examples of well-organized student multimedia projects.

Invite other students and teachers to view projects during a History Day.

Shoot video of the students creating the projects and make your own documentary using Final Cut Pro.

Tour local historical museums.

Invite guests who can speak specifically about major historical events.

HyperHistory
http://www.hyperhistory.com

A Trip in Time
http://www.escape.com/~farras/ancient.html

Exploring Ancient World Cultures
http://eawc.evansville.edu/

Dr. Silvestri's WWW Ancient World History Resources
http://www.drhistory.org/main.html

History Timelines on the Web
http://www.searchbeat.com/history.htm