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Class

Deciphering History's Mysteries Part 1

Completed by 19 learners
Ages 13-17
Self-Paced Course
If you love mysteries, the come and join us in this 8 lesson class, we will delve into 6 different mysteries from U.S. History, like the Great Chicago Fire and the disappearance of Amelia Earhart, and conduct our own investigations!
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(886 reviews)
Popular

8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks of teacher support
Choose your start date
1 year of access to the content

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Go at your own pace
Your learner can start learning when they want and progress at the speed that works best for them.
Start when you want.
Learn at your own pace
Access course material for a full year.
Get hands-on support from teacher.

What's included

8 pre-recorded lessons
8 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Homework
1 hour per week. Learners will have 7 different "case files" to create. This will require research - reading, watching videos, possibly conducting interviews.
Letter Grade
Final Grades will be given upon request based on work completed.
Certificate of Completion
included

Class Experience

US Grade 8 - 11
There's something extra exciting when studying history and you stumble upon a mystery. In this class, we will be investigating some of the United States more well known unsolved "cold Cases". Every week, students will be presented with an outline of the case. We will discuss the evidence and theories that have been suggested in the Outschool classroom. Students will then examine both primary and secondary sources to arrive at what they consider the best theory as to what actually happened. Students will then present their theories the following class in a case file format in video on the classroom page.  Students are encouraged to respond to each others videos and ask questions. 

Case file format: 

Background on the Historical Event
The Most Plausible Theory
At least three pieces of evidence that support that theory
An explanation of each piece of evidence you present
Explanation of one alternate theory and your reasons for discarding it
Why this investigation was a worthwhile endeavor


We will discuss the different types of sources and how to examine bias or misleading information. 
This class will be taught through recorded lectures and may also include supplemental videos (Youtube), readings, worksheets, and activities (recipes, movies, dioramas, experiments, etc.). Please see the syllabus below for a layout of the lessons included in this course. 


This class is presented in an asynchronous format. If you are taking this class through the Class Subscriptions, there will be no communication between learner and myself. If you are taking this class through the Self-Paced format, you will have 1 year to complete the lessons. If you choose to submit homework or communicate (questions on the classroom page), I will respond within 24 hours (excluding Sundays).

Learning Goals

Students will learn how to construct a case file for research and how to determine credible resources. 

Our goals for this class are for learners to:

Write about what we learn.
Use primary sources and different types of media (such as film and art) to learn about historical events.

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
8 Lessons
over 8 Weeks
Lesson 1:
Learning the difference between Primary and Secondary Sources
Lesson 2:
What caused The Great Chicago Fire?
Lesson 3:
What happened to Amelia Earhart?
Lesson 4:
Was Mary Surratt guilty of treason?

Other Details

Parental Guidance
Some of the topics may include violence and murder, theft, and conspiracy theories. The goal of this class is to have students examine the evidence in a logical, thought out manner, and have them assess them as a historian would. Some of the resources on Lizzie Borden do show the murder scene. This class will utilize Youtube videos for sharing of lecture videos, as well as supplemental lessons. All Youtube videos are embedded into the Outschool platform. This class may also utilize Kahoot. Learners will be given a direct link and game pin to play.
Supply List
Worksheets and guidelines will be posted to class in the first lesson.
Further research material will be furnished as the class progresses.
Language of Instruction
English
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Some of the sources used in this class are, but not limited to: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/what-or-who-caused-the-great-chicago-fire-61481977/ https://time.com/4055770/great-chicago-fire-origins/ https://www.nationalgeographic.org/article/chicago-fire-1871-and-great-rebuilding/print/ https://www.greatchicagofire.org/oleary-legend/ https://www.ameliaearhart.com/ https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/will-search-for-amelia-earhart-ever-end-180953646/ https://www.nationalgeographic.com/history/article/amelia-earhart-disappearance-theories-spd https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-04-27/the-five-main-theories-behind-the-amelia-earhart-mystery/11046462 https://www.history.com/topics/exploration/what-happened-to-amelia-earhart https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20191127/conspiracy-crash-and-capture-5-theories-about-amelia-earharts-disappearance Movie "The Conspirator" PG-13 (Please do not watch without talking to your parents) Mary Surratt - Innocent or Guilty? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDcV4Rpnx0I&t=3272s Retrial of Mary Surratt - https://www.c-span.org/video/?301727-1/trial-mary-surratt Was Mary Surratt innocent or guilty? https://www.catholicherald.com/news/local_news/was_mary_surratt_innocent_or_guilty_/ The boarding house - https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/the-mary-surratt-boarding-house-washington-dc https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/db-cooper-hijacking https://www.crimemuseum.org/crime-library/cold-cases/d-b-cooper/ https://www.history.com/news/db-cooper-case-fbi-letters https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbUjuwhQPKs https://io9.gizmodo.com/the-8-most-intriguing-theories-about-skyjacker-d-b-coo-1699652025 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hJbpWfFuKBU https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejaYI_-KH4s https://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/why-19th-century-axe-murderer-lizzie-borden-was-found-not-guilty-180972707/ https://www.cbsnews.com/news/lizzie-borden-accused-killer-axe-48-hours/ https://lizzie-borden.com/ https://famous-trials.com/lizzieborden/1437-home https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p6VKFYdUrfg https://www.history.com/news/bigfoot-legend-newspaper https://mil.wa.gov/the-legend-of-bigfoot https://www.oregonencyclopedia.org/articles/bigfoot_sasquatch_legend/#.YMoAj5NKgjg https://statemuseum.arizona.edu/online-exhibit/curators-choice/tracking-legend-bigfoot https://westportlibrary.libguides.com/bigfoot https://www.livescience.com/24598-bigfoot.html https://www.cnbc.com/2019/06/05/fbi-tested-bigfoot-hair-in-1970s-government-documents-show.html https://www.outsideonline.com/2097161/10-most-convincing-bigfoot-sightings https://www.syfy.com/syfywire/so-the-fbi-released-some-bigfoot-files-what-are-the-chances-the-sasquatch-is-real https://www.cnn.com/2019/12/07/world/new-plant-animal-species-2019-scn/index.html https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/22202733/2020-new-species https://www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-54894681

Meet the teacher

Joined March, 2018
4.9
886reviews
Popular
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree from Louisiana State University
I have been an educator on Outschool since February of 2018. I have my MBA and MHA, both of which have taught me the value of conducting research and asking questions.  I have a passion for history, organization, reading, and learning. You can usually find me in the middle of 2-3 books or watching a documentary.

I am also an Outschool ACE Educator, which means that I continually seek out ways to improve my teaching skills and knowledge, as well as the learner experience. Some of the seminars/courses that I have attended in the past are: Foundations for Teaching and Learning About Native Americans; The Presence and Absence of Asian America: What Truths Lie Beyond the Headlines; Using the “Diary of Anne Frank” to Amplify Students’ Voices; Painting a Just Picture – Art and Activism. 

Reviews



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