https://community.oerproject.com/en-USTelligent Community 12https://community.oerproject.com/f/world-history-ap/16172/simulation-for-trans-saharan-trade-network/83518Fri, 03 Apr 2026 21:48:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:b0c297f1-9a33-4a35-996c-8f615c767acbRachelle BoatrightThank you so much for sharing, Wayne! These are perfect for my students.https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83517Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:49:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:3bd9bf94-a7ac-4261-afa3-07e7853a7735Laura MassaThe video is here.https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83516Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:49:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:7f88c1c3-944d-41f3-b5e0-3a5fabfbe68eLaura MassaBecca Horowitz there are several YouTube videos of sites related to the Cold War. I visited the Plokstine missile base in Lithuania and there is a video in case teachers want to use it in their lessons. I think students would love to explore these sites as it will add more interest to study this period in history.https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83515Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:26:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:2e805778-cdcf-447b-b690-8103947def7dLaura MassaBecca Horowitz I enjoyed the presentation by Francis Gary Powers Jr. It was fascinanting and different from other P.D. workshops I attended. I teach Big History so the scope of the course does not allow me to cover this period in depth, however, I am planning to create a lesson on this topic. Three years ago my husband and I visited South Korea and we went to the War Memorial of Korea . What I didn't know is that Colombia was the only Latin American country who sent troops and three frigates to support South Korea during the Korean War. I posted a question to Mr. Powers about this topic but it was towards the end of the session. Would it be possible for him to answer why did Colombia send troops? I added some pictures and a video from the memorial. community.oerproject.com/.../Colombia-sent-troops-to-South-Korea.mp4https://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/17307/please-don-t-remove-the-old-version-of-the-course/83514Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:10:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:45a1cc34-3f2c-47a9-97d1-241b99d1198bBridgette OConnorHi Laura Massa ! I'm so pleased to hear that you and your students are enjoying the new videos:) I totally understand that there will need to be some cobbling together of old and new for a Big History Honors course. And Lorie Lucas it sounds like you have a great approach to meshing together the old and the new for your STEM focus. And Joe Baginski , I get how it can be confusing and frustrating to have the middle school course featured prominently on the site but we do still have the high school version of the course on our site this year. You can also still access all of the current (high school) course materials via Google Drive and save those to Google Classroom or your school's preferred LMS. These materials will always be available for teachers.https://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/17392/year-long-course-of-big-history-why-did-we-scrap-this-resources-were-supposed-to-be-available-in-perpetuity/83513Fri, 03 Apr 2026 20:02:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:1b71a5ff-99c9-466d-9f52-379365e7a171Bridgette OConnorHey Ben Tomlisson ! I understand your frustration and it's a big change going from a high school course that you've taught for years to a middle school version that's the most prominent one on the site right now. We do, however, still have the high school version of the course on our site this year. The idea behind creating a middle school Big History course was to inspire younger students to see how this interdisciplinary story of the history of the Universe helps to provide a framework for everything they will learn as they move from middle school to high school and beyond. David's narrative is still front and center but it's presented in language that younger students will understand. In creating the middle school materials, we knew that we had to shorten the original David videos to work with an audience with shorter attention spans who are used to mainly Ted-Ed style educational videos rather than talking heads. We do have many new videos in the course created in conjunction with Complexly (Crash Course) that feature animation, for example the Big Bang , Egypt , Persians and Greeks , Climate History and Our Future , Space: The Final Threshold? , etc. We also still have claim testers woven throughout the new course--students are introduced to them in Lesson 1.4 and the activity progression continues in Lessons 2.3, 2.6, 3.3, 4.5, and 6.5. You can also still access all of the current (high school) course materials via Google Drive and save those to Google Classroom or your school's preferred LMS. These materials will always be available for teachers, and the older videos will also still be accessible on our YouTube channel--we can share links once we collect them all in one spot. Let me know if you have additional questions and I'll be happy to answer or find someone who can answer them for you. Bridgettehttps://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/17307/please-don-t-remove-the-old-version-of-the-course/83512Fri, 03 Apr 2026 19:08:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:caf18174-0f88-497a-847c-7c1446b512e0Laura MassaBridgette OConnor I was able to download the old version almost in its entirety, and I’m very glad I did. I also want to highlight that I have incorporated all of the new short videos—they are concise, extremely well illustrated, and do an excellent job supporting the explanations. From a pedagogical standpoint, they are simply fabulous and well suited to the 6–8 minute attention span of my students. That said, next year my school will offer Big History as an Honors course, so many of the materials I’ve been using from the old version will be incorporated into this more advanced class. I concur with Lorie Lucas that the older version of Big History aligns very well with a STEM approach. As my school is making a deliberate effort to strengthen STEM/Social Studies integration, the traditional version of Big History is an excellent fit. It would a plus if both versions are kept.https://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/17392/year-long-course-of-big-history-why-did-we-scrap-this-resources-were-supposed-to-be-available-in-perpetuityFri, 03 Apr 2026 17:37:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:937603d4-066d-4d21-bf57-1145595d84e8Ben TomlissonCurrently trying to navigate the new semester course and it is really frustrating as one of the original teachers from second intake onf 2012 and contributor of multiple materials to the course and having helped develop the WHP course. We have removed any coherent materials for year long teachers. Im currently in threshold 7 but in unit 5 struggling to find content and resources. We've been pretty much flying solo teaching this at our school since the new website launched. Thresholds have been rewritten and simplified. For example the Modern Revolution intro cartoon removes any reference to political changes: it is more than a grab of fossil fuels and their environmental impact. Students doing year round Big History cannot access the new format and make sense of it. Resources developed by teachers who are invested in this programs have been modified and dumbed down without any consultation with those teachers. Kids at our school still love Big History, it is an ideal foundation for 9th graders and gives them critical thinking skills beyond that offered in traditional courses. The new materials offered are not at the same academic level, the new videos have no one fronting them, and are graphically not as good as, say Teded videos, so how are these an improvement? Segments of podcasts with no visuals are not going to capture student attention. No embedding of claims testers? these were fundamental to the course. David Christian was a cult hero to our students, now they dont even know who he is. They should: he is the reason we have the course! There is a significant group of teachers who are now mining youtube for videos and resources we were told would be available forever for free. To see the course turned into a semester course for middle school teachers is fine, it does feel like we're going after market share but to not support teachers who are still teaching year long big history feels wrong. The intention of this project was to create the most interesting history course out there, I m not sure we're coming close to that anymore. Ben Tomlisson Posthttps://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/14131/opening-activity-for-threshold-10-the-future/83511Fri, 03 Apr 2026 17:04:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:e5de2b11-81ce-4db7-b125-9ee4a8da06f2Joe BaginskiWonderful post, THANK YOU!https://community.oerproject.com/f/big-history/17307/please-don-t-remove-the-old-version-of-the-course/83510Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:56:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:49e71c71-4e16-4a10-8a9f-fcccf332edf4Joe BaginskiFormer Teacher Leader here. It is a travesty what Big History has been deluded into. For those of us still able to teach the full version it would be great to be able to access the old curriculum. And I still hold hope that OER will at the very least offer two versions of the course...or let some of us branch off and keep the full course going on our own.https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83509Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:36:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:b38853e6-950c-413d-9e37-9b277dc54636Garrett KelleyI have the students create documentaries on the Cold War (along with Decolonization and Globalization in the AP World History course) so a lot of the topics that Mr. Powers covered get researched and told in their own words. This is one of my favorite projects and the kids have fun doing it too.https://community.oerproject.com/f/world-history-ap/17391/globalization-simulationsFri, 03 Apr 2026 16:25:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:92dc141d-e9c8-456d-a53f-ae8dd645789bWayne ZhangHi all, it's AP Unit 9 time! In the past, I've had kids simulate being members of a presidential cabinet debating policies about globalization. ( https://docs.google.com/document/d/1lIIzcPty4qfNWmQINpUkwBG7hk6kczLd6S0rwwU65-M/edit?tab=t.0 ) This year, I feel like my kids are little talked about and they're in need of a little fun. I've seen stuff on these forums related to Silk Road and Trans-Saharan Trade simulations recently --- I'm wondering if anyone has anything for globalization? I'm particularly interested in anything where students have money or goods to trade, and we can simulate things like free trade, tariffs, and sanctions. Anything where the kids can work with their hands.https://community.oerproject.com/f/world-history-ap/16172/simulation-for-trans-saharan-trade-network/83508Fri, 03 Apr 2026 16:22:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:9be9e360-be98-4014-97ac-94c46e5dfbaaWayne ZhangThank you fro this creative inspiration! I really liked yours, but wanted my kids to have some more academic rigor, so I added some questions having them HIPP an OER source as the trivia questions. This is the powerpoint I made, and the accompanying notecatcher if anyone wants!https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83505Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:46:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:0598bde7-a378-4a5a-9592-d6184ba186faMichael AdayCross between making it relevant/gamification somewhat, by in most historically plausible manner and school appropriate ways making connections to references made in popular culture, games, movies, etc. (Examples may include, but are not limited to: Rocky III, Any 80s Action Movie, Golden Eye, Most to all Call of Duty Modern Warfare Games (especially Black Ops), again with a grain of salt at your discretion and own peril in relatable subject matter launch point for discussion; almost as if they are bringing remnants of prior knowledge or potentials for prior knowledge to the table to be used in class for how every you choose to cultivate it).https://community.oerproject.com/f/world-history-ap/16172/simulation-for-trans-saharan-trade-network/83504Fri, 03 Apr 2026 01:17:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:479fb88b-1086-46b2-ba22-c7d54c8f6b18Rachelle BoatrightDoes anyone have the student handout for this simulation? Thank you!https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jr/83503Thu, 02 Apr 2026 23:49:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:4af897ae-2cec-43ec-9d05-267a5e68c907Steven SmithI have a collection of items from my time in the army during the Cold War. A piece of the Berlin Wall, a copy of the flag orders required to travel from West Germany to West Berlin by vehicle. A card used to report the location and identification of Soviet Military Liaison Mission vehicles. I also have East German currency and other items from the DDR. And I have a picture I took while in East Berlin, looking west toward the Brandenburg Gate, with two East German men (Perhaps Stasi or Russians, not certain) looking toward the west whilst smoking cigarettes. It brings a tangible element to the period for my students.https://community.oerproject.com/f/world-history/17383/anyone-else-doing-march-madness/83502Thu, 02 Apr 2026 22:28:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:87bdd298-cf75-4c4e-9b1f-0018036e7171Jim JaegerI did this a while back with my middle schoolers for influential people from the US or the 13 colonies. . Most of the 1-seeds advanced (Lincoln, Washington, etc). I do remember Nat Bacon springing a huge upset. LOLhttps://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17389/classroom-connection-beyond-the-iron-curtain-with-francis-gary-powers-jrThu, 02 Apr 2026 19:38:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:8e79a054-5f84-47f5-866b-fe7dd9feabdbBecca HorowitzHow do you make the Cold War feel relevant to students? If you joined us for the PD session Beyond the Iron Curtain: Teaching the Cold War, you heard Francis Gary Powers Jr. touch on themes of fear, freedom, espionage, technology, and global influence. Many students will see these themes and big questions as an entry point to learning. We’d love to hear: What’s one strategy, question, or resource you use to make the Cold War feel relevant in your classroom? How do you show students that this history still matters?relevantThe Cold Warhttps://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17388/earth-day-lesson-planThu, 02 Apr 2026 19:28:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:fb27d584-46bd-4119-9f55-4dfb6abec835Molly SinnottLooking for a simple way to teach climate change this Earth Day? This one-day lesson plan gives students the essential background they need while inspiring them to ask bigger questions and keep learning. Whatever your classroom context, it’s a powerful way to make Earth Day meaningful and help students connect current events to their own lived experience.https://community.oerproject.com/f/teacher-s-lounge/17387/grade-our-work-oer-project-resource-reviewWed, 01 Apr 2026 18:08:00 GMTe75bfef5-97ea-4a43-8c78-9a70d0b6c64f:86a7c9e8-fb5a-4e8b-92d1-f40d2f0065c5Becca HorowitzWe'd love your honest feedback. Would you take a look at one of these teacher resources and tell us what you really think? We're looking for the kind of feedback that only teachers can give: What's useful? What's unclear? What feels realistic for the classroom? What would you change? Choose any of these resources and give us your take! Hit the Hammer Khan Academy Writing Coach Guide AI in the Writing Process Teaching Strategies: Writing Claims Sourcing One-Pager No need for a polished review —we’re just hoping for your honest take. Your feedback helps us make these resources more practical, clearer, and more useful for teachers.resourcesstrategiesteaching tools