Alternate History: Weekly Scenarios
Each week, we will discuss a different historical moment, how it could have gone differently, and how world history could have changed as a result.
Ben Liff
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:(239)
What's included
1 live meeting
55 mins in-class hours per weekClass Experience
US Grade 6 - 9
Each week, we will discuss a selected event in human history and how it could have happened differently in various "Alternate History" scenarios. Newcomers to the concept of "Alternate History" are encouraged to take my course "What if? An Introduction to Alternate History" first (but it is certainly not required!). Some examples of the types of scenarios which will be covered: - What if the South had won the US Civil War? - What if Germany had won World War 2? - What if the Greeks lost the naval battle at Salamis (just after Thermopylae) and the Persians didn't withdraw from Greece, and instead occupied it for decades? - What if Archduke Franz Ferdinan's driver didn't get lost and drive right in front of Gavrilo Princip after his first, failed assassination attempt earlier that day? - What if the Vikings had settled in North America permanently 1000 years ago? Students are welcome to propose topics once they've attended class and been a part of the discussion. Videos, images, maps, and brief lectures will provide the necessary historical context each week to discuss the possible alternate results to some of the most important events in human history. This is a discussion-based class and students are encouraged to participate through speaking or using the chat function in Zoom. Students will be asked to be creative, think critically, and consider how events in the past shape our present reality. Discussions may stick to a single topic for the entire class or careen wildly from topic-to-topic as the mood strikes...it really all depends on the class and topic!
Learning Goals
Students will gain a basic understanding of a number of important historical events throughout human history each week.
Students will also exercise their critical thinking skills, practice making predictions, and be creative (and have fun!) when coming up with plausible (and sometimes not-so-plausible) alternate history scenarios!
Other Details
Parental Guidance
History can be messy sometimes and discussions about wars (and just humans in general) will often lead to mentions of death, violence, and occasional political movements in history.
External Resources
Learners will not need to use any apps or websites beyond the standard Outschool tools.
Teacher expertise and credentials
Hi there!
My name is Ben and I’m an educator, instructional designer, and learning producer originally from San Antonio, Texas, and currently living in Maine.
Over the last few years, in addition to my work teaching in a classic New England boarding school, I've worked in instructional design and professional development training at the undergraduate and graduate school levels. Prior to that, I taught Composition, Rhetoric, and Literature at George Mason University while working towards my MFA in Creative Writing. I’ve also worked as a teacher trainer and corporate training administrator and spent several years as an English literacy and language teacher in Wuhan and Kunming, China, which is how I got my start in education.
Before completing my master's, I received my B.A. in History from the University of North Florida in Jacksonville.
I’ve taught all ages and currently work as a Learning Producer at the Roux Institute at Northeastern University as well as over two years of teaching on Outschool!
Please feel free to ask anything you’d like about me or my experiences!
When it comes to my educational philosophy and, more specifically, online learning, I’m focused on guiding students towards developing a passion or growing an already existing interest. On Outschool, I enjoy teaching courses focused on exploring world history and its always-entwined art and literature.
As an instructional designer and educator, I find engagement to be the key to (and the best measurement of) success. If a student is not engaged, little else about a program or lesson matters in the context of 21st-century skills or long-term educational impact. When students are allowed to study and engage with topics that are interesting and understandable to them, the learning process also builds upon always-important academic and social-emotional skills. This understanding is especially crucial for students with learning differences or groups from mixed and diverse socio-economic, cultural, and/or linguistic backgrounds.
Differentiation can and should mean more than merely accepting and adjusting a lesson plan for a learning or language difference; true differentiation should allow students to feel genuinely heard and provide their teachers with insights into their students' thoughts and learning. When we give students permission to approach education from their own perspectives and connect that work (and perspective) with other aspects of their daily life, engaged learning happens and passions develop.
Online learning and the tools available to us now can create online learning environments which allow for such differentiation quite easily. I'm committed to keeping my classes small, generally limited to 8 or fewer students, to provide each individual learner the attention and respect they deserve.
Again, please feel free to contact me with any questions! I look forward to speaking with you soon!
BenReviews
Live Group Class
$12
weekly1x per week
55 min
Completed by 245 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 11-16
3-10 learners per class
