This class is FULL. Please contact Heddi at heddicr@gmail.com if you wish to be on the waiting list. We will meet on Thursdays from 10-11am starting September 19, 2013. Activity Rating: Mellow What is Big History? "In a sense big history is very simple. The 10 units of our course string together accounts of the past that are familiar to specialists in many different fields. We recount the story of the origins of the Universe that is familiar to cosmologists and astronomers; we describe the history and evolution of earth, a story familiar to specialists in the earth sciences; then we describe the origins and evolution of life on Earth over almost four billion years, a story that every biologist knows. The course ends with the story of our own strange species, Homo sapiens, a story whose various chapters are usually scattered between paleontology, anthropology, prehistory and history. If you put all these stories together you find that you have a modern, science based origin story, a coherent account of how things came to be the way they are. That story is fascinating, deep, full of exotic surprises and full of meaning. It also provides a wonderful foundation for thinking about the future because it can help students explore where things are going." From Letter to Teachers by David Christian of the Big History Project You can learn more about Big History here: http://bighistoryproject.com/ How do sign up my child? Can I sign up after it has started? In order to join this class, you need to contact Heddi Craft at heddicr@gmail.com with your child's name, age, and email address. You are welcome to sign after the class has started but you might want to review the previous material in order to "catch up" on the story. What does this class include? There will be an online portion of the class with readings and videos that need to be completed between classes as well as occasional short writing or research exercises. We will use class time to discuss and further explore the material. Additional writing and projects will be suggested, but parents will be responsible for the completion of those assignments if you wish to use them as part of your learning experience. There will be opportunities in class to share extra completed writing/projects. What's the schedule like? Here is our tentative schedule for the year: Sept. 19- Unit 1: What is Big History? Sept. 26- no class Oct. 3- Unit 2: The Big Bang Oct. 10- Unit 2: The Big Bang Oct. 17- Unit 2: The Big Bang Oct. 24- Unit 3: Stars and Elements Oct. 31-Unit 3: Stars and Elements Nov. 7- Unit 4: Our Solar System and Earth Nov. 14- Unit 4: Our Solar System and Earth Nov. 21- Unit 4: Our Solar System and Earth 28- no class Dec. 5- Unit 5: What is Life? Dec. 12- no class Dec. 19- Unit 5: What is Life? Dec. 26- no class Jan. 2- no class Jan. 9- Unit 6: Early Humans Jan. 16- Unit 6: Early Humans Jan. 23- Unit 6: Early Humans Jan. 30- Unit 6: Early Humans Feb. 6- no class Feb. 13- Unit 7: Agriculture and Civilization Feb. 20- Unit 7: Agriculture and Civilization Feb. 27- Unit 7: Agriculture and Civilization March 6- Unit 8: Expansion and Interconnection March 13- Unit 8: Expansion and Interconnection March 20- Unit 8: Expansion and Interconnection March 27- Unit 8: Expansion and Interconnection April 3- no class April 10- Unit 9: Acceleration April 17- no class April 24- Unit 9: Acceleration May 1- Unit 9: Acceleration May 8- no class May 15- Unit 10: The Future May 22- Unit 10: The Future |
Clubs and Classes >