Island School History
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  • Y7/8 MYP
  • Y9 History
    • 1. Innovation & Industry >
      • 1. Causes
      • 2. Innovations
      • 3. Conditions
      • 4. Changes
      • 5. Sources
      • 6-7. Assessment 1 >
        • The USA
      • 8. Reflection
    • 2. Empire and Expansion >
      • 1. What is an Empire?
      • 2. Benefits of an Empire
      • 3. Negatives of Empire expansion
      • 4. Perspectives on Empires
      • 5. Assessment
    • 3. Rebellion and Revolution >
      • 1. Why do people protest?
      • 2. What are the causes of revolutions?
      • 3. What are the methods of protest?
      • 4. What are the consequences of protests?
      • 5. Assessment
      • Student Work
    • 4. War and Conflict >
      • 1. Causes of WW2
      • 2. Did that really happen here? WW2 in Hong Kong
      • 3. Why did the War extend to Hong Kong?
      • 4. How did the War affect Hong Kong?
      • 5. Assessment
    • Old History >
      • 1. Hong Kong Story >
        • Further Reading
      • 2. The Slave Trade
      • 3. The First World War
      • 4. The Changing Role of Women
  • Elements
    • Big History Project >
      • 1. What is Big History? >
        • 1.0 - Welcome to Big History
        • 1.1 - Scale
        • 1.2 - Origin Stories
        • 1.3 - What are Disciplines?
        • 1.4 - My Big History
        • Glossary
      • 2. The Big Bang >
        • 2.0 - Changing Understandings
        • 2.1 - The Big Bang
        • 2.2 - Claim Testing
        • Glossary
        • Links & Resources
      • 3. Stars and Elements >
        • 3.0 - How were stars formed?
        • 3.1 - Creation of Complex Elements
        • 3.2 - Ways of Knowing: Stars & Elements
        • Glossary
      • 4. Our Solar System & Earth >
        • 4.0 - Formation of Earth & Our Solar System
        • 4.1 - What was young Earth like?
        • 4.2 - Why is Plate Tectonics important?
        • 4.3 - Ways of Knowing: Our Solar System and Earth
        • Glossary
      • 5. Life >
        • 5.0 - What is Life?
        • 5.1 - How did Life Begin and Change?
        • 5.2 - How do Earth and Life Interact?
        • 5.3 - Ways of Knowing: Life
        • Glossary
      • 6. Early Humans >
        • 6.0 - How Our Ancesters Evolved
        • 6.1 - Ways of Knowing: Early Humans
        • 6.2 - Collective Learning
        • 6.3 - How did the First Humans live?
        • Glossary
      • 7. Agriculture & Civilisation >
        • 7.0 - The Rise of Agriculture
        • 7.1 - The First Cities and States
        • 7.2 - Ways of Knowing: Agriculture & Civilisation
        • Glossary
      • 8. Expansion & Interconnection >
        • 8.0 - Expansion
        • 8.1 - Exploration & Interconnection
        • 8.2 - The Columbian Exchange
        • 8.3 - Commerce & Collective Learning
        • Glossary
      • 9. Acceleration >
        • 9.0 - Transitions, Thresholds & Turning Points in Human History
        • 9.1 - Acceleration
        • 9.2 - The Anthropocene
        • 9.3 - Changing Economies
        • 9.4 - Industrialism
        • 9.5 - Modern States and Identities
        • 9.6 - Crisis and Conflict
        • 9.7 - Acceleration: Demographic, Political, and Technological
        • Glossary
      • 10. The Future >
        • 10.0 - Looking Back
        • 10.1 - The Biosphere
        • 10.2 - Looking Forward
        • Glossary
      • Assessment Rubrics
      • Key Texts
      • Little Big History
      • Further Reading
      • Further Watching
      • Thresholds of Increasing Complexity
      • Student Work
    • Social History
  • IGCSE
    • Germany 1918-45 >
      • 1. The Establishment of the Weimar Republic & Its Early Problems
      • 2. The Recovery of Germany 1924-1929
      • 3. The Rise of Hitler and the Nazis 1919-1933
      • 4. Life in Nazi Germany 1933-1939
      • 5. Germany during the Second World War
      • Old Exam Questions
      • Further Reading
      • Further Watching
    • China 1900-89 >
      • 1. China 1900-1934
      • 2. Mao & the CCP 1934-1949
      • 3. Change under Mao 1949-1963
      • 4. The Impact of the Cultural Revolution
      • 5. China after Mao 1976-1989
      • Old Exam Questions
      • Further Reading
      • Further Watching
    • US Civil Rights 1945-74 >
      • 1. McCarthyism and the Red Scare
      • 2. Civil Rights in the 1950s
      • 3. The Impact of MLK & Black Power
      • 4. Protest Movements
      • 5. Nixon & Watergate
      • Old Exam Questions
      • Further Reading
      • Further Watching
    • Russia & the USSR 1905-24 >
      • Old Exam Questions
    • Past Papers
  • IBDP
    • Paper 1 >
      • Rights and Protest >
        • Exam Questions
      • The Move to Global War >
        • 1. Japanese Expansion >
          • 1. Impact of the Meiji Restoration
          • 2. Foreign Policy in the 1920s
          • 3. The Invasion of Manchuria
          • 4. The Sino-Japanese War
          • 5. The Road to War
        • 2. German and Italian Expansion >
          • 1. Causes of Italian Expansion
          • 2. Responses to Italian Expansion
          • 3. Causes of German Expansion
          • 4. Responses to German Expansion
          • 5. The Road to War in Europe
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 2 >
      • Paper 2: The Cold War >
        • 1. Why did the Grand Alliance breakdown? >
          • 1. What role did ideology play in the Grand Alliance?
          • 2. How did wartime disagreements affect the alliance?
          • 3. Did Soviet expansionism end the alliance?
          • 4. Was US exceptionalism to blame?
          • 5. Did events in Asia exacerbate tensions?
          • 6. Were tensions over Germany the final straw?
          • 7. Assessment: Who was to blame for the Cold War?
        • 2. How did superpower competition unfold? >
          • 1. How did competition unfold in Asia?
          • 2. What conflicts emerged in Europe?
          • 3. How did the Cold War shape the Middle East?
          • 4. Were tensions in the Americas unexpected?
          • 5. Why did the Cold War spread to Africa?
          • 6. How did scientific change drive the conflict?
          • 7. Assessment: Who won the global struggle?
        • 3. Were attempts at detente a failure? >
          • 1. Did peaceful coexistence work?
          • 2. What did detente achieve?
          • 3. Why did detente fail?
          • 4. Were other forms of cooperation effective?
          • 5. Assessment: Was detente a failure?
        • 4. What role did China play in the Cold War?
        • 5. How did the Cold War end?
        • 6. What role did leaders, crises and nations play?
        • Exam Questions
        • Further Reading
        • Glossary
        • Historiography
        • Primary Sources
      • Paper 2: Authoritarian States >
        • 1. Emergence of Authoritarian States >
          • 1. Why do Authoritarian States emerge?
          • 2. Rise of Hitler
          • 3. Rise of Mao
          • 4. Rise of Castro
          • 5. Rise of Stalin
          • 6. Comparing the Emergence of Authoritarian States
        • 2. Consolidation & Maintenance of Power >
          • 1. Hitler's Germany 1933-45
          • 2. Mao's China 1949-1976
          • 3. Castro's Cuba 1959-Present
          • 4. Comparing the Rule of Authoritarian States
        • 3. Aims and Results of Domestic Policies >
          • 4. Comparing Domestic Policies
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 3: Asia and Oceania >
      • Topic 9: Imperial Decline in East Asia 1860-1912 >
        • 1. The Tongzhi Restoration
        • 2. Effects of the Sino-Japanese War
        • 3. Impact of the Boxer Rebellion
        • 4. The 1911 Xinhai Revolution
        • 5. The Meiji Restoration
        • 6. Early Japanese Imperialism
        • 7. The Opening of Korea
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 11: Japan 1912-1990 >
        • 1. Taisho Japan
        • 2. The Rise of Militarism
        • 3. The Move to Global War
        • 4. The Pacific War
        • 5. The US Occupation
        • 6. The 'Economic Miracle'
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 12: China and Korea 1910-1950 >
        • 1. What accounts for the rise of nationalism? >
          • 1. Was Yuan Shikai a national hero or villain?
          • 2. What did Sun Yixian do to promote nationalism?
          • 3. What was the impact of WW1 on nationalism?
          • 4. How significant was the New Culture Movement?
          • 5. Did the May 4th Movement achieve anything?
          • 6. How did nationalism survive the warlords?
          • 7. Assessment: What accounts for the rise of nationalism?
        • 2. Did Guomindang rule achieve anything? >
          • 1. How did Chiang Kai-shek emerge as leader of the GMD?
          • 2. Why was the Northern Expedition successful?
          • 3. Was the Nanjing Decade a success?
          • 4. Assessment: Was GMD rule a success or failure?
        • 3. Was the rise of communism inevitable? >
          • 1. What were conditions like for peasants in China?
          • 2. How did the CCP benefit from the First United Front?
          • 3. Why did the First United Front fail?
          • 4. How did Mao become leader of the Jiangxi Soviet?
          • 5. To what extent was the Long March a turning point?
          • 6. How did Mao consolidate his position at Yan'an?
          • 7. Assessment: Was Communism inevitable?
        • 4. How did war and conflict benefit the CPC? >
          • 1. What were the turning points of the Sino-Japanese War?
          • 2. What accounts for GMD failures during the war?
          • 3. What were the turning points of the Civil War?
          • 4. Did the CPC win or GMD lose the civil war?
          • 5. Assessment: Where did the CPC win the civil war?
        • 5. What was the impact of Japanese occupation on Korea?
        • 6. Was martial law in Taiwan justified?
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 14: The People's Republic of China 1949-2005 >
        • 1. How did the CPC consolidate power? >
          • 1. What form of government did the CPC take?
          • 2. What policies did Mao use to consolidate power?
          • 3. What methods of repression did Mao use?
          • 4. What does the Hundred Flowers Campaign reveal?
          • 5. Assessment: How successful was Mao's consolidation of power?
        • 2. Was the transition to socialism successful? >
          • 1. Did the First Five Year Plan achieve its goals?
          • 2. What happened during the Great Leap Forward?
          • 3. Who was responsible for the Great Famine?
          • 4. How did the economy change in the 1960s?
          • 5. Assessment: How successful was the socialist economy?
        • 3. Who benefited from CPC rule under Mao? >
          • 1. How did CPC rule change society?
          • 2. Assessment: Did CPC rule benefit society?
        • 4. What was the cultural revolution? >
          • 1. What caused the cultural revolution?
          • 2. How did the cultural revolution evolve?
          • 3. What was the impact of the cultural revolution?
          • 4. Assessment: How can we explain the cultural revolution?
        • 5. Did China become a global power under Mao? >
          • 1. How did the CPC change China's foreign policy?
          • 2. Why were Sino-Soviet relations so turbulent?
          • 3. How did Sino-American relations change?
          • 4. What other relations did China cultivate?
          • 5. Assessment: When did China become a global power?
        • 6. How did Deng Xiaoping win power? >
          • 1. How did the Gang of Four rise to power?
          • 2. Why did Hua Guofeng become leader?
          • 3. Assessment: How did Deng Xiaoping win power?
        • 7. What accounts for China's modern success? >
          • 1. How successful were Deng Xiaoping's reforms?
          • 2. Why wasn't there a fifth modernisation in China?
          • 3. What was the significance of Tiananmen Square?
          • 4. How did China develop under Jiang Zemin?
          • 5. Assessment: What accounts for China's modern success?
        • Exam Questions
        • Further Reading
        • Historiography
        • Primary Sources
      • Topic 15: Cold War Conflicts in Asia >
        • 1. How was Communism defeated in Malaya? >
          • 1. What triggered conflict in Malaya?
          • 2. How did the Emergency evolve?
          • 3. Why was the insurgency defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Emergency?
          • 5. Assessment: Why was Communism defeated?
        • 2. Why was the Korean War a turning point? >
          • 1. What caused the Korean War?
          • 2. How did the Korean War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Korean War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the war?
          • 5. Assessment: Was the war a turning point?
        • 3. Why did the French fail to defeat the Vietminh? >
          • 1. What caused the Indochina War?
          • 2. How did the Indochina War evolve?
          • 3. How was the war in Indochina resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the French Indochina War?
          • 5. Assessment: What accounts for the French defeat?
        • 4. Could the Vietnam War have been avoided? >
          • 1. What caused the Vietnam War?
          • 2. How did the Vietnam War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Vietnam War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Vietnam War?
          • 5. Assessment: Was the Vietnam War inevitable?
        • 5. How was Cambodia shaped by the Cold War?
        • 6. How were the Soviets defeated in Afghanistan?
        • Exam Questions
    • Internal Assessment >
      • Forming Questions
      • Researching Primary Sources >
        • New York Times Digital Archive
        • SCMP Digital Archive
      • Researching Secondary Sources >
        • Google Scholar
        • History Today
        • HK Public Library e-resources
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        • questia
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      • Source Evaluation
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      • IA Help Guide
    • Extended Essay >
      • 1. Title Page
      • 2. Abstract & Contents Page
      • 3. Introduction
      • 4. Body of the Essay
      • 5. Conclusion
      • 6. References, Bibliography & Appendices
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    • History Help >
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          • 1. Forming Questions
          • 2. Command Words
          • 3. Topic Analysis
          • 4. Essay Structure
        • Essay Writing >
          • 1. Introductions
          • 2. Conclusions
          • 3. Words and Phrases
          • 4. Quotations
          • 5. Sentences
          • 6. Width and Depth
          • 7. Citing Sources
          • 8. Spelling and Grammar
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    • Links >
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      • Mr Budd History

LITTLE BIG HISTORY

What is the Little Big History Project?


The Little Big History (LBH) project is the capstone assignment set atop the Big History course. It is designed to challenge students to use Big History’s essential skills and core concepts to take a deep dive into an event, object, or idea from a Big History perspective. This project has both a written and a creative aspect, and results in both a research report and a presentation. It is also an opportunity to use and consolidate your understandings of Island School's 5Cs skills framework. It will give you the chance to display and reflect upon your capacity to learn, communication, conscience, collaboration and creative & critical thinking skills.

What exactly is a Little Big History project? It’s a compelling narrative. It tells the story of an object across at least three thresholds (at least one of which must be pre-human). It incorporates the perspectives of at least three disciplines, including history. The best Little Big History projects are great stories that highlight connections and insights about the subject.

What do I have to do?


The Little Big History Project is quite an undertaking and requires a significant amount of work. Working in teams or individually, you have to choose to investigate one of the following:
  • An object or commodity
  • A process or technical innovation
  • A social construct or institution
  • An activity

​Your Little Big History Project must also meet these three criteria:
  • It captures change over time and includes at least three thresholds of increasing complexity.
  • Unlike many histories, the chronological account must refer to at least one time period, event, or piece of evidence dating from before the evolution of humans.
  • Since Big History uses many approaches to knowledge, such as geology, cosmology, biology, and chemistry, an LBH should include at least two approaches to knowledge.
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What do I have to produce?


To complete your Little Big History project, you will need to produce a written report of 1,500-2,000 words that examines the history of your object through at least three thresholds of increasing complexity and from at least two different approaches to knowledge. You must also produce a presentation that delivers the findings of your research report in a fun and creative way. You have many options for the presentation. You could create a digital presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi, a website, a documentary video, a piece of drama or role-play, a board game or an exhibition.

Completing the Little Big History Project - Step by Step Guide


  • 1. Choosing a Focus
  • 2. Forming a Question
  • 3. Research
  • 4. The Essay
  • 5. The Presentation
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Sometimes it’s hard to pick a topic, but remember, you don’t have to make the final decision right now! Choosing a topic may seem like one of the most daunting parts of the Little Big History project — but it’s also the most fun. This is your opportunity to pick something you’re interested in, learn about it, and then share what you’ve learned with your classmates.

​Think about your favourite products, possessions, or activities. If you like playing baseball, you might consider focusing on a baseball as your topic. If you enjoy cooking, you might think about choosing a particular spice to research. It’s a good idea to choose an item that is tangible rather than an idea or concept. For example, coffee is easier to trace back through the thresholds than a concept like war, which could take you in so many directions you might be overwhelmed by the possibilities.​
Task 1 - Choosing a Focus
  1. Think of a topic that interests you personally and is relevant to your life. It might be sport, cooking or technology.
  2. Brainstorm a list of objects or commodities that are related to that topic and which could be the focus of your LBH project and share you ideas with the class.
  3. Now decide and pick one object or commodity that will be the focus of your Little Big History project. Consider the following:
    1. Is my LBH idea too big or too small? (Sports is a very big topic—probably too big.) 
    2. How could I narrow or expand the idea? (Narrow it down to one sport; a tool for a sport, such as a baseball bat; or think about gaming in general.)
    3. Am I really truly interested in this topic? Do I really want to study it for the rest of the school year?​​
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Task 2 - Exploring Different Perspectives
The next step is to think in more detail about the object or commodity that you have chosen for your project:
  1. For each object or commodity that you have chosen for your focus, write down one or two questions that the following disciplines or approaches to knowledge would ask about your object:
    1. Anthropologist
    2. Archaeologist
    3. Geologist
    4. Palaeontologist
  2. Share your questions with the class. Do some objects or commodities generate more questions than others?
  3. Finally, based on the questions you were able to ask, pick the focus for your LBH project. Which object or commodity have you chosen?
The next step is to consider the research question that will form the title of your Little Big History project. A good research question is essential for your project. Remember, a good research question should:
  • Support the possibility of answers from multiple perspectives. In other words, the problem should be framed in a way that would generate a variety of viewpoints with different kinds of support.
  • Be researchable. Don’t ask something you can’t find an answer to!
  • Not be a yes/no question. A good question should require more explanation—there should be a why that helps answer the question.
  • ​Have the appropriate scope—it’s not too big or too small for the intended outcome.
  • Be interesting to the researcher.

​
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Task 3 - Finding out more about your object/commodity
  1. Before you can develop a research question you need to find out more information about your project focus. Using the internet and the library, research and answer each of the questions on this worksheet about your Little Big History object. Be sure to document one unique resource for every answer. The questions you need to research are:
    1. How long have people been using the object or commodity?
    2. Where and how did it originate?
    3. How has it or its use changed over time?
    4. How have different people used it?
    5. What were the major changes in its form or use?
    6. How does this object of study fit within the concept of thresholds of increasing complexity?
  2. Remember to make a comment on whether the source is trustworthy in your opinion. Refer to the claim testers to make your judgement: ​authority, evidence, intuition, and logic.

Task 4 - Choosing a Research Question
  1. Review the criteria for good research questions individually or with your group, and then compose three to five research questions for your Little Big History. Write your ideas down on this worksheet.
  2. ​Share your ideas with a partner or the class and give feedback on each others' questions, following the criteria above.
  3. ​Finally, pick one of your research questions to form the title of your project. Don't worry if you are not 100% sure of it, you can always change it later!
    ​​
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Task 5 - Start Researching!
Now that you have chosen an object, have carried out some basic research and have formed a research question, you can begin to research your project. You need to find out everything you can about your object, taking notes about things you find interesting, and start recording and annotating your sources. Use the questions from Task 3 to help organise your research notes:​​
  1. Start researching by identifying and recording the details of any books, articles, and websites that are relevant to your object and its history. Remember to search and use all the resources and readings you have come across in this Elements course. Use this worksheet to help you record the details of each source you use and take notes on the following:
    1. Name of the source - what is the author, date, title, publisher, and/or web address of this source?
    2. Main discipline - what perspective does the source take? i.e. chemistry, history, geography, anthropology etc.
    3. Claim Testers - what makes this source reliable? i.e. Authority, Logic, Evidence, Intuition
    4. Annotation - what is the main argument or claim in this source? How does this support your research?
    5. Threshold - which threshold of complexity does this source describe or relate to?​​​
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Task 6 - Making Connections between the Thresholds and Your Project
This project requires that your Little Big History include relevant information from at least three of the eight big history major thresholds of increasing complexity. You must include one threshold from before human history and one threshold from within human history.
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  1. Create a table like in the image above. Write the name of each threshold you'll include along with the key concepts you studied around each threshold (refer to the glossary pages for each unit).
  2. Then, write a research question to guide inquiry into your object of study at each threshold you plan to include. This will help you to form chapters and sections in your essay.
  3. Lastly, create and fill in a “connection card” like in the image below for each of the thresholds your Little Big History narrative will address. Refer to the course’s eight Threshold Cards on this page and your own research material to make connections between your object and at least three thresholds.
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Task 7 - Write a First Draft of your Little Big History Paper
Build your Little Big History and create a draft of your narrative or explanation. It needs to be 1,500 to 2,000 words in length and must contain a bibliography and full referencing to sources throughout the essay. You need to use the Chicago Referencing System which can be found on this page. Your essay should include all of the following elements:
  • Research Question - should be clearly stated and explained in your introduction, which will also contain your thesis.
  • Significance - a description of the significance of the object of study and to big history should be included in your intro.
  • Narrative - should be a coherent, evidence-based account of how your object of study "got here".
  • Inclusion of Thresholds - you have meaningfully included and referred to at least three thresholds in the essay.
  • Inclusion of Scientific Perspectives - you have meaningfully included at least three scientific perspectives in your essay.
  • Clear Connections - should be made among the sources and across the thresholds, including scientific perspectives.
  • Claim Testers - when using evidence, you have referred to claim testers to check the values & limitations of the source.
  • Bibliography - you have at least 5 sources in your bibliography with full Chicago-style in-text referencing throughout.
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Task 8 - Gathering Feedback and Completing your Essay
When you have submitted your first draft, collect comments and feedback from your teacher and classmates and look for ways to improve your work.

Use the writing rubric on this page to help assess your work and that of your peers.​

After receiving feedback, you can complete the necessary revisions and submit your finished essay.​
Task 9 - Planning the Presentation
Your last task is to present what you​ learned by researching and writing your narrative by producing a presentation that highlights the most significant features of your object's Little Big History in a fun, creative and captivating format. It will be assessed using the presentation rubric on this page. You can choose what type of presentation you wish and you could consider:
  • Digital Presentation - A standard lecture-style presentation using PowerPoint or Prezi.
  • Website - An interactive digital exhibition that displays your Little Big History using websites like Weebly.
  • Documentary - A 5-minute documentary video on your Little Big History.
  • Exhibition - Three-dimensional museum exhibit that includes photographs, writing, maps, and an interactive element.
  • Drama - You could stage a piece of theatre or re-enactment that explains your objects' Little Big History.
  • Comic - A detailed comic that presents your Little Big History using a combination of illustrations and explanation.
  • Art Work - A visual artefact that illustrates your Little Big History.
  • Infographic - A combination of visual design and graphical explanation to tell the story of your Little Big History.
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Task 10 - Creating the Presentation
In the last weeks of the Elements course, you will be creating your presentation which can be used as part of your final Year 11 Explorations presentation as an example of your work. Remember to make sure that your presentation includes the following:
  • Introduction - A short introduction or framing that uses the findings of your essay to introduce the Little Big History.
  • Thresholds - You meaningfully include reference to at least three thresholds in your presentation.
  • Perspectives - You meaningfully include reference to at least three scientific perspectives in your presentation.
  • Clear Connections - Are made in your presentation across various thresholds and scientific perspectives.
  • Creative and Fun - Try to be as creative as possible and make this presentation fun!

Little Big History FAQ's​


How do I choose a topic?
Choosing a topic may seem like one of the most daunting parts of the little big history project - but it's also the most fun! This is your opportunity to pick something you're interested in, learn about it, and share what you've learned with your classmates. Think about  your favourite products, possessions, or activities. If you like playing baseball, you could consider focusing on a baseball as your topic. If you enjoy cooking, you could think about choosing a particular spice to  research. I would recommend choosing an item that is tangible rather than ideas. For example, coffee will be easier to trace back through the thresholds than an idea like war, which could take you in too many directions.
​where should I begin my research?
You can begin by using the big history thresholds to guide your research. Determine which thresholds  you are going to focus on for your  narrative and then write a short list  of research questions  for each. This may just  seem like extra work  but. trust  me, you will be thankful that you have done this! These research questions will help you focus in on your topic and figure out what sorts of sources and information you should be seeking.
 
In writing your research questions, you should specifically examine the connection between your topic and that threshold. Think about the conditions required for your topic to exist. the ways that it has progressed and developed over time, its role on human history, etc. Your questions don't have to be only history-focused - in fact, they shouldn't be.
Be sure to bring in some of the other disciplines that big history touches upon: chemistry, geology, physics, etc.
 
Here's an example of a good set of Threshold 4 research questions for the topic we have chosen to focus on, coffee.

Threshold  4 (Earth & the Solar  System}:
  • Where does coffee grow best?
  • How has the formation of the Earth shaped where coffee is grown?
  • How does the Earth's rotation around the Sun affect the growing of coffee?
what kinds of resources will be helpful to me?
Now that you have your research questions, it'll be easy to begin your research! Use key­ words from each research question to find useful sources. Searching for "coffee growing methods" instead of just "coffee" will yield lots of relevant information.
 
While you may be tempted to simply type something into Google and use the first few sites that pop up, be sure to think critically about the accuracy of a source before you use it. You can use the claim testers from earlier this year to determine whether a source is legitimate. Think about who is publishing this source - do you trust their authority? If it is a well-known scientist or historian, they likely have a great deal of expertise on this issue. Consider whether you trust the evidence an author is basing their claim upon. If the evidence is outdated or potentially not from a reliable source, then their claim may be incorrect. And finally,  use logic to determine whether or not this information is likely to be accurate. A site produced by a government, university, or well-known news source is likely to have undergone rigorous fact-checking before being posted and is more likely to be correct than a page put together by a lone individual.
how do I organise my research?
"It may make sense, at least initially, to organize the information by threshold so that it corresponds to one of your specific research questions. However, as you gain a better understanding  of your topic  you  may want to reorganize your research. Make sure that you're not just writing a report about your topic but that you are actually crafting an argument. Depending on your thesis statement, it may make sense to reorganize your research chronologically, by discipline, or by some other method.
 
One easy way to keep your research organized is by creating an annotated bibliography. Your teacher may not require you to do this, but we recommend doing it even if it's not required. Essentially, for each source that you find you should write down a few notes summarizing the information contained in the source, why you believe it is legitimate, and how you can use this information in your narrative. Make a note of any images. diagrams, quotes, or statistics that  could be useful. While it may take you a few extra moments to jot these things down, it will save you a lot of time in the long run because you will be able to easily flip through your research to find a source that you need when writing your narrative.
 
Here's an example of how you might annotate a source pertaining to our Little Big History project about coffee:

"Ten Steps to Coffee." National Coffee Association. N.p., n.d. Web. 02 Dec. 2012. (http://www.ncausa.org/i 4a/pages/i ndex.cf m?pageid=69).

"This source provides an overview of how coffee goes from the plant to the cup.   It discusses the methods of production and processing that are used all across the globe by the coffee industry.

"I believe this information is accurate because it was published by the National Coffee Association, an official national trade organization, and it must have under­ gone a review and fact-checking process to ensure its accuracy.
 
"The information in the source can help me answer my research questions for Threshold 7 as it discusses the agricultural methods used in growing and processing the coffee plants. Additionally, there are a number of interesting pictures that can be used as visuals for my narrative to help show how this process occurs."


how do I make sure I am telling a little big history story?
One of the biggest traps to fall into is writing your narrative from a world history perspec­tive instead of writing a little big history story. Be sure that you think about the way your topic connects to big history themes like increasing complexity, scale, and collective learning. Also, make sure that you give adequate consideration to the early thresholds you choose. Don't just focus on the history of your topic after humans emerge. It may be diffi­cult to immediately see the connection between an early threshold like the formation of the stars and your topic, say coffee, but think about the Goldilocks Conditions required for coffee to grow and be produced. What elements is coffee made up of? What environmen­tal conditions are necessary for it to grow?
how can I write a coherent narrative?
To turn all of your research into a coherent story, you must decide how you want your Little Big History to flow. Think about whether you want to organize your little big history chronologically, by threshold, by discipline, or by some other method. You could begin   with the first threshold or begin with a prediction for the future of your topic and go back­ward - it's all up to you! It may seem daunting at first but as soon as you have chosen your argument, it should be easy to organize your research into categories that support your thesis statement. Make sure to have clear topic sentences and strong transitions between paragraphs, and have fun writing!
how do I create an effective presentation to share my little big history?
Be creative and have fun! You've done all of your  research, completed your narrative, and now are ready to share your topic with your classmates. There are a number of ways to present your little big history project so choose a medium that you are comfortable   with and think would fit well with your topic. Make sure to make your presentation inter­esting and engaging by including visuals, interactive activities, and anything else you can think of. Here are some examples of presentation formats: PowerPoints, Prezis, videos, dramatic plays, poster-boards, and dioramas.
Are there any examples of the little big history project?
  1. Woolly Mammoths - The Little Big History of the Extinct Beast of Siberia (Essay and Website)
  2. Silver - A Little Big History (Pamphlet)
  3. Horses - A Little Big History (Pamphlet)

Y7-9 MYP

Y7 Humanities
Y8 Humanities
Y9 History

Y10-11 IGCSE

IGCSE History
Big History
Social History

Y12-13 IBDP HISTORY

Paper 1 SL/HL
Paper 2 Cold War / Paper 2 Authoritarian States
Paper 3 HL Only
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  • Home
  • Y7/8 MYP
  • Y9 History
    • 1. Innovation & Industry >
      • 1. Causes
      • 2. Innovations
      • 3. Conditions
      • 4. Changes
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      • 6-7. Assessment 1 >
        • The USA
      • 8. Reflection
    • 2. Empire and Expansion >
      • 1. What is an Empire?
      • 2. Benefits of an Empire
      • 3. Negatives of Empire expansion
      • 4. Perspectives on Empires
      • 5. Assessment
    • 3. Rebellion and Revolution >
      • 1. Why do people protest?
      • 2. What are the causes of revolutions?
      • 3. What are the methods of protest?
      • 4. What are the consequences of protests?
      • 5. Assessment
      • Student Work
    • 4. War and Conflict >
      • 1. Causes of WW2
      • 2. Did that really happen here? WW2 in Hong Kong
      • 3. Why did the War extend to Hong Kong?
      • 4. How did the War affect Hong Kong?
      • 5. Assessment
    • Old History >
      • 1. Hong Kong Story >
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      • 2. The Slave Trade
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  • Elements
    • Big History Project >
      • 1. What is Big History? >
        • 1.0 - Welcome to Big History
        • 1.1 - Scale
        • 1.2 - Origin Stories
        • 1.3 - What are Disciplines?
        • 1.4 - My Big History
        • Glossary
      • 2. The Big Bang >
        • 2.0 - Changing Understandings
        • 2.1 - The Big Bang
        • 2.2 - Claim Testing
        • Glossary
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      • 3. Stars and Elements >
        • 3.0 - How were stars formed?
        • 3.1 - Creation of Complex Elements
        • 3.2 - Ways of Knowing: Stars & Elements
        • Glossary
      • 4. Our Solar System & Earth >
        • 4.0 - Formation of Earth & Our Solar System
        • 4.1 - What was young Earth like?
        • 4.2 - Why is Plate Tectonics important?
        • 4.3 - Ways of Knowing: Our Solar System and Earth
        • Glossary
      • 5. Life >
        • 5.0 - What is Life?
        • 5.1 - How did Life Begin and Change?
        • 5.2 - How do Earth and Life Interact?
        • 5.3 - Ways of Knowing: Life
        • Glossary
      • 6. Early Humans >
        • 6.0 - How Our Ancesters Evolved
        • 6.1 - Ways of Knowing: Early Humans
        • 6.2 - Collective Learning
        • 6.3 - How did the First Humans live?
        • Glossary
      • 7. Agriculture & Civilisation >
        • 7.0 - The Rise of Agriculture
        • 7.1 - The First Cities and States
        • 7.2 - Ways of Knowing: Agriculture & Civilisation
        • Glossary
      • 8. Expansion & Interconnection >
        • 8.0 - Expansion
        • 8.1 - Exploration & Interconnection
        • 8.2 - The Columbian Exchange
        • 8.3 - Commerce & Collective Learning
        • Glossary
      • 9. Acceleration >
        • 9.0 - Transitions, Thresholds & Turning Points in Human History
        • 9.1 - Acceleration
        • 9.2 - The Anthropocene
        • 9.3 - Changing Economies
        • 9.4 - Industrialism
        • 9.5 - Modern States and Identities
        • 9.6 - Crisis and Conflict
        • 9.7 - Acceleration: Demographic, Political, and Technological
        • Glossary
      • 10. The Future >
        • 10.0 - Looking Back
        • 10.1 - The Biosphere
        • 10.2 - Looking Forward
        • Glossary
      • Assessment Rubrics
      • Key Texts
      • Little Big History
      • Further Reading
      • Further Watching
      • Thresholds of Increasing Complexity
      • Student Work
    • Social History
  • IGCSE
    • Germany 1918-45 >
      • 1. The Establishment of the Weimar Republic & Its Early Problems
      • 2. The Recovery of Germany 1924-1929
      • 3. The Rise of Hitler and the Nazis 1919-1933
      • 4. Life in Nazi Germany 1933-1939
      • 5. Germany during the Second World War
      • Old Exam Questions
      • Further Reading
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    • China 1900-89 >
      • 1. China 1900-1934
      • 2. Mao & the CCP 1934-1949
      • 3. Change under Mao 1949-1963
      • 4. The Impact of the Cultural Revolution
      • 5. China after Mao 1976-1989
      • Old Exam Questions
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    • US Civil Rights 1945-74 >
      • 1. McCarthyism and the Red Scare
      • 2. Civil Rights in the 1950s
      • 3. The Impact of MLK & Black Power
      • 4. Protest Movements
      • 5. Nixon & Watergate
      • Old Exam Questions
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    • Russia & the USSR 1905-24 >
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  • IBDP
    • Paper 1 >
      • Rights and Protest >
        • Exam Questions
      • The Move to Global War >
        • 1. Japanese Expansion >
          • 1. Impact of the Meiji Restoration
          • 2. Foreign Policy in the 1920s
          • 3. The Invasion of Manchuria
          • 4. The Sino-Japanese War
          • 5. The Road to War
        • 2. German and Italian Expansion >
          • 1. Causes of Italian Expansion
          • 2. Responses to Italian Expansion
          • 3. Causes of German Expansion
          • 4. Responses to German Expansion
          • 5. The Road to War in Europe
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 2 >
      • Paper 2: The Cold War >
        • 1. Why did the Grand Alliance breakdown? >
          • 1. What role did ideology play in the Grand Alliance?
          • 2. How did wartime disagreements affect the alliance?
          • 3. Did Soviet expansionism end the alliance?
          • 4. Was US exceptionalism to blame?
          • 5. Did events in Asia exacerbate tensions?
          • 6. Were tensions over Germany the final straw?
          • 7. Assessment: Who was to blame for the Cold War?
        • 2. How did superpower competition unfold? >
          • 1. How did competition unfold in Asia?
          • 2. What conflicts emerged in Europe?
          • 3. How did the Cold War shape the Middle East?
          • 4. Were tensions in the Americas unexpected?
          • 5. Why did the Cold War spread to Africa?
          • 6. How did scientific change drive the conflict?
          • 7. Assessment: Who won the global struggle?
        • 3. Were attempts at detente a failure? >
          • 1. Did peaceful coexistence work?
          • 2. What did detente achieve?
          • 3. Why did detente fail?
          • 4. Were other forms of cooperation effective?
          • 5. Assessment: Was detente a failure?
        • 4. What role did China play in the Cold War?
        • 5. How did the Cold War end?
        • 6. What role did leaders, crises and nations play?
        • Exam Questions
        • Further Reading
        • Glossary
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      • Paper 2: Authoritarian States >
        • 1. Emergence of Authoritarian States >
          • 1. Why do Authoritarian States emerge?
          • 2. Rise of Hitler
          • 3. Rise of Mao
          • 4. Rise of Castro
          • 5. Rise of Stalin
          • 6. Comparing the Emergence of Authoritarian States
        • 2. Consolidation & Maintenance of Power >
          • 1. Hitler's Germany 1933-45
          • 2. Mao's China 1949-1976
          • 3. Castro's Cuba 1959-Present
          • 4. Comparing the Rule of Authoritarian States
        • 3. Aims and Results of Domestic Policies >
          • 4. Comparing Domestic Policies
        • Exam Questions
    • Paper 3: Asia and Oceania >
      • Topic 9: Imperial Decline in East Asia 1860-1912 >
        • 1. The Tongzhi Restoration
        • 2. Effects of the Sino-Japanese War
        • 3. Impact of the Boxer Rebellion
        • 4. The 1911 Xinhai Revolution
        • 5. The Meiji Restoration
        • 6. Early Japanese Imperialism
        • 7. The Opening of Korea
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 11: Japan 1912-1990 >
        • 1. Taisho Japan
        • 2. The Rise of Militarism
        • 3. The Move to Global War
        • 4. The Pacific War
        • 5. The US Occupation
        • 6. The 'Economic Miracle'
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 12: China and Korea 1910-1950 >
        • 1. What accounts for the rise of nationalism? >
          • 1. Was Yuan Shikai a national hero or villain?
          • 2. What did Sun Yixian do to promote nationalism?
          • 3. What was the impact of WW1 on nationalism?
          • 4. How significant was the New Culture Movement?
          • 5. Did the May 4th Movement achieve anything?
          • 6. How did nationalism survive the warlords?
          • 7. Assessment: What accounts for the rise of nationalism?
        • 2. Did Guomindang rule achieve anything? >
          • 1. How did Chiang Kai-shek emerge as leader of the GMD?
          • 2. Why was the Northern Expedition successful?
          • 3. Was the Nanjing Decade a success?
          • 4. Assessment: Was GMD rule a success or failure?
        • 3. Was the rise of communism inevitable? >
          • 1. What were conditions like for peasants in China?
          • 2. How did the CCP benefit from the First United Front?
          • 3. Why did the First United Front fail?
          • 4. How did Mao become leader of the Jiangxi Soviet?
          • 5. To what extent was the Long March a turning point?
          • 6. How did Mao consolidate his position at Yan'an?
          • 7. Assessment: Was Communism inevitable?
        • 4. How did war and conflict benefit the CPC? >
          • 1. What were the turning points of the Sino-Japanese War?
          • 2. What accounts for GMD failures during the war?
          • 3. What were the turning points of the Civil War?
          • 4. Did the CPC win or GMD lose the civil war?
          • 5. Assessment: Where did the CPC win the civil war?
        • 5. What was the impact of Japanese occupation on Korea?
        • 6. Was martial law in Taiwan justified?
        • Exam Questions
      • Topic 14: The People's Republic of China 1949-2005 >
        • 1. How did the CPC consolidate power? >
          • 1. What form of government did the CPC take?
          • 2. What policies did Mao use to consolidate power?
          • 3. What methods of repression did Mao use?
          • 4. What does the Hundred Flowers Campaign reveal?
          • 5. Assessment: How successful was Mao's consolidation of power?
        • 2. Was the transition to socialism successful? >
          • 1. Did the First Five Year Plan achieve its goals?
          • 2. What happened during the Great Leap Forward?
          • 3. Who was responsible for the Great Famine?
          • 4. How did the economy change in the 1960s?
          • 5. Assessment: How successful was the socialist economy?
        • 3. Who benefited from CPC rule under Mao? >
          • 1. How did CPC rule change society?
          • 2. Assessment: Did CPC rule benefit society?
        • 4. What was the cultural revolution? >
          • 1. What caused the cultural revolution?
          • 2. How did the cultural revolution evolve?
          • 3. What was the impact of the cultural revolution?
          • 4. Assessment: How can we explain the cultural revolution?
        • 5. Did China become a global power under Mao? >
          • 1. How did the CPC change China's foreign policy?
          • 2. Why were Sino-Soviet relations so turbulent?
          • 3. How did Sino-American relations change?
          • 4. What other relations did China cultivate?
          • 5. Assessment: When did China become a global power?
        • 6. How did Deng Xiaoping win power? >
          • 1. How did the Gang of Four rise to power?
          • 2. Why did Hua Guofeng become leader?
          • 3. Assessment: How did Deng Xiaoping win power?
        • 7. What accounts for China's modern success? >
          • 1. How successful were Deng Xiaoping's reforms?
          • 2. Why wasn't there a fifth modernisation in China?
          • 3. What was the significance of Tiananmen Square?
          • 4. How did China develop under Jiang Zemin?
          • 5. Assessment: What accounts for China's modern success?
        • Exam Questions
        • Further Reading
        • Historiography
        • Primary Sources
      • Topic 15: Cold War Conflicts in Asia >
        • 1. How was Communism defeated in Malaya? >
          • 1. What triggered conflict in Malaya?
          • 2. How did the Emergency evolve?
          • 3. Why was the insurgency defeated?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Emergency?
          • 5. Assessment: Why was Communism defeated?
        • 2. Why was the Korean War a turning point? >
          • 1. What caused the Korean War?
          • 2. How did the Korean War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Korean War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the war?
          • 5. Assessment: Was the war a turning point?
        • 3. Why did the French fail to defeat the Vietminh? >
          • 1. What caused the Indochina War?
          • 2. How did the Indochina War evolve?
          • 3. How was the war in Indochina resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the French Indochina War?
          • 5. Assessment: What accounts for the French defeat?
        • 4. Could the Vietnam War have been avoided? >
          • 1. What caused the Vietnam War?
          • 2. How did the Vietnam War evolve?
          • 3. How was the Vietnam War resolved?
          • 4. What was the impact of the Vietnam War?
          • 5. Assessment: Was the Vietnam War inevitable?
        • 5. How was Cambodia shaped by the Cold War?
        • 6. How were the Soviets defeated in Afghanistan?
        • Exam Questions
    • Internal Assessment >
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