PBLROADS

SilkRoads

The traditional way of learning about history focuses on the who, what, when, and where. If we are doing a good job of teaching history, we might even touch on the how. To some extent, it is important to learn about what events happened, where they happened, when they happened, and who was involved. The inarguable facts of history. The truth is that in the age of information, our students can easily lookup any of these facts. There is an entirely different way to learn about history though, and that is through themes. When we learn from this lens, we frequently get at the why's of history. We learn about intentionality and motivations, which leads to a deeper understanding of the human condition, and a dynamic perspective when we consider the changes that are occurring in our world right now. In this class, we will focus on the who, what, when, where and how, but also the why of history. We will consider themes such as faith, revolution and disenchantment.

In seventh grade, students will focus on "connecting the dots" of history, through a lens that focuses on the various themes that make human history so interesting. Students will be creating regional maps out of wood, then use nails and string to show "connections" and digital pages to tell the stories of humanity (linked to QR codes which will be glued to the wood maps). Educators: this project uses the "jigsaw" approach, quite literally, as they will cut out large wood maps, and connect "roads" using string and QR codes that are linked to infographics.

CRITICAL THINKING • INFORMATIVE WRITING • ART • COLLABORATION • RESEARCH • DESIGN THINKING

The Silk Roads ILLUSTRARED, by Peter Frankopan and Neil Packer
Set your sails east with this stunningly original new history of the world. Peter Frankopan explores the connections made by people, trade, disease, war, religion, adventure, science and technology in this extraordinary book about how the east married the west with a remarkable voyage at its heart – the journey along the Silk Roads.

From ancient world laws laid down by King Hammurabi and the mighty Persian empire, to terrifying huns, the rise of Europe, two world wars and politics today, The Silk Roads moves through time and history sewing together the threads from different peoples, empires and continents into a phenomenal history of the globe.

With stories from each and every corner of society, Frankopan's magnificent retelling of his literary triumph The Silk Roads, sumptuously illustrated by Neil Packer, is a must-have world history.

"History is a symphony of echoes heard and unheard. It is a poem with events as verses." ― Charles Angoff (writer)