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 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?
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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:
Your Little Big History Project must also meet these three criteria:
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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
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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. |
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Task 1 - Choosing a Focus
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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:
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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:
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Task 3 - Finding out more about your object/commodity
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Task 4 - Choosing a Research Question
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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:
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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.
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.
- 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).
- 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.
- 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:
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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. |
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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:
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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:
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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}:
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.
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."
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?
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