Students will develop critical thinking skills.
Students will learn how to evaluate sources bias.
Students will be able to discuss and describe the Big Bang, Star Formation, and Planet Formation.
Students will be able to use critical thinking skills to evaluate different scientific theories.
Students will be able to identify, discuss, and evaluate areas that the know science or math can not answer questions.
Students will be able to switch scales in order to identify, discuss, and evaluate complex ideas, time frames, and distances.
Students will be able to identify, discuss, and evaluate the beginnings of life on Earth. 
Students will be able to create their own representation of scale.
Students will be able to compare theories.

I have worked in education for over 15 years, the last 9 as a homeschool parent. My passion is helping students create a deeper understanding of complex material by examining different perspectives. The stories that are told matter, even more in today's world. Understanding another perspective and story can help us relate. I love sharing new diverse literature that is engaging and expands students' understanding. History can come alive using both novels and primary source materials in my classes. When examining history there are many factors that we will discuss including socioeconomic, religious, bias in narration and understanding who the narrator is. Critical thinking is a skill that all students will work on, while we engage in discussions about the topics covered students will be questioned to consider different perspectives and reasons for events or choices.  

I started my schooling with a B.B.A. from Northwood University. After several years in the corporate climate I decided to go back to school to get a teaching degree. I attended Eastern Michigan University and finished my classes and testing required for the teaching degree. The semester I was to start student teaching one of my children became seriously ill. Once they were recovered I was starting to homeschool my children and never went back to finish the program. 
 
While I have taught at several homeschool groups and co-ops. My experience at the high school has focused on several topics: English, History, Finance, and Engineering. One of the reasons I love teaching Big History Project is that it asks big questions that don't have an answer. The critical thinking skills developed in these classes can be carried over to other aspects of school and life. 

With my History classes I use a combination of primary sources, articles, reference materials, and videos to teach students. I teach students to evaluate the bias of the author, the purpose of the piece of writing, and who's points of views are put forth. I have taught Howard Zinn's History for Young People, Big History Project, and History through film. 

I have continued to attend teacher professional developments including:

Completed Teaching Big History Certification
EdCamp - EMU
NerdCamp - Parma
NaNoWriMo - Online, and local events
Others offered at EMU and MSU 

Homework Offered
Students will have videos to watch and articles to read for homework. Articles from the OER project class website can be accessed at multiple reading levels so students can access content at their reading level. Article length varies from a few pages up to 12 pages for a long article. Most assigned will be somewhere in-between.  Videos are usually around 10 minuets in length but could be a little longer. 
There will also be some writing assignments. This can be a few words, phrases, or sentences for students to show understanding.  
1 - 2 hours per week outside of class
Assessments Offered
Students who choose to receive a letter grade will be graded on the following.
Class participation 10%, assignments 40%,  final project 50%  
Grades Offered

We will be using the OER Project, formally Big History Project site and materials for this class. Students will need to create a FREE account and join the class using the code provided at the first meeting. There will be no other site that students need to create an account for. I will share PDF's and links to videos shown in class that are not accessible through the class on OER Project site.

I will also be using information from other resources including:
  
With semester one the time period covered is from the Big Bang until the beginnings of life on Earth. Even though this is a history class a most of the supplemental material will be from different science disciplines. This includes cosmology, geology, chemistry, physics, calculus, and more. 

Smithsonian Learning Labs - https://learninglab.si.edu/ 

PBS Learning Media - https://dptv.pbslearningmedia.org/  (my local station is Detroit)

https://youtu.be/tq6be-CZJ3w - The Big Bang: Crash Course Big History #1

https://youtu.be/9B7Ix2VQEGo - The Big Bang, Cosmology part 1: Crash Course Astronomy #42

https://youtu.be/L-T2SSsMREM - Why Cosmic Evolution Matters: Crash Course Big History #201

https://youtu.be/Vyq3YYFlzpQ - Why Star Stuff Matters: Crash Course Big History 202

https://youtu.be/ld75W1dz-h0 - Stars: Crash Course Astronomy #26

https://youtu.be/0RRVV4Diomg - The Periodic Table: Crash Course Chemistry #4

https://youtu.be/b22HKFMIfWo - The Sun: Crash Course Astronomy #10

https://youtu.be/By6CkTN4wkI - The Sun & The Earth: Crash Course Big History #3

https://youtu.be/IGCVTSQw7WU - A Brief History of the Universe: Crash Course Astronomy #44

https://youtu.be/7ATtD8x7vV0 - Exoplanets: Crash Course Astronomy #27

https://youtu.be/1WS712DHfmg - Life Begins: Crash Course Big History #4

https://youtu.be/sjE-Pkjp3u4 - The History of Life on Earth - Crash Course Ecology #1

https://youtu.be/IiP2y20e8Xc - Why the Evolutionary Epic Matters: Crash Course Big History #203

https://youtu.be/92oHNd8vFwo - The Evolutionary Epic: Crash Course Big History #5

https://youtu.be/de1hiS_XjWg - The mysterious origins of life on Earth - Luka Seamus Wright

https://youtu.be/_uAJY1mqtw4 - Where Did Life Come From? (feat. PBS Space Time and Eons!)

https://youtu.be/vfovimAa16o - Learn How the Earth Was Made | Full Documentary (S2, E3) | History

https://youtu.be/-Wfu0GR-mE8 - A Brief History of Life on Earth: The Full Series

https://youtu.be/KziWbJWwntg - How Did Life Begin? Neil deGrasse Tyson on Life on Earth & Beyond

https://youtu.be/88d-58tWhGs - The most detailed map of galaxies, black holes and stars ever made | Juna Kollmeier

https://youtu.be/W9CcdjEqUag - Skepticism: Why critical thinking makes you smarter | Bill Nye, Derren Brown & more | Big Think

https://youtu.be/NzEjNOrNJnw - Rethinking Space and Time: The Quantum Perspective | Sylvie McKnight-Milles | TEDxStJohnsCollege

https://youtu.be/_25I-F1FxZQ - The Origin of The Universe With Neil deGrasse Tyson

https://youtu.be/h-ZmwHOUAlw - The Beginning of The Universe - Sir Roger Penrose on His Conformal Cyclic Cosmology Model

https://youtu.be/dsCjRjA4O7Y - The NEW Crisis in Cosmology

https://youtu.be/0NbBjNiw4tk - Michio Kaku: The Universe in a Nutshell (Full Presentation) | Big Think

https://youtu.be/hschYctDWCk - "What Happens In A Parallel Universe?" dr. Michio Kaku

https://youtu.be/RZ5dj-Ozwm0 - Michio Kaku Explains String Theory | Big Think

https://youtu.be/h6OoaNPSZeM - The Multiverse Hypothesis Explained by Neil deGrasse Tyson

https://youtu.be/x1QTc5YeO6w - The Formation of the Solar System in 6 minutes! (4K "Ultra HD")