In honor of Black History Month, we will learn the stories of two athletes who influenced the world as teenagers: Lebron James and Simone Biles.

This is a special one-time class based on my popular ongoing class, Teens Who Influenced the World.

During the first half of class, we will be learning about Lebron and Simone's stories.  I will begin each class with an introspective question. As a history teacher, I love having my students be introspective. Through Power Point, images, and short video clips of newsreels and personal interviews, we will learn about each of these teens' lives, struggles, and accomplishments. We will learn their story through multiple resources, including much from their own words! We will discuss how they were able to overcome adversity and influence the world (whether for good or for bad). I welcome comments and questions as they come. 

During the second half of class, we will discuss our own thoughts and opinions on each teenager. This will be more student led--I will use open ended questions to help get minds turning. As historians, it is important to remember the context of the history we are learning about, but it's also vitally important to apply it to ourselves and learn from it. We will talk about how the world influenced these teenagers and how they, in turn, influenced the world. We will connect the lives of these teens to our own and consider the ways we can influence the world. We will also consider what they would have done differently or the same in place of the influential teen. 

Students don't have to have any prior knowledge of any of the teens we will be learning about. There will not be any homework required. Students won't be required to take notes. I will encourage participation in discussion, but if the student feels uncomfortable participating, that is ok. However, to follow Outschool policies, students will be required to have their camera open. If not, they will be moved back into the waiting room. 

I am very passionate about global history--history is a story--our story. As a certified history and English teacher, I see the potential in our youth today and it excites me. I want teens to know they can accomplish anything they put their mind to and can influence the world. I have taught history and English for three years, and I've always strived to include voices from all groups. I use encyclopedias, biographies, historical journals, and scholarly articles as my resources. For more modern teenagers, I use a multitude of news articles, interviews, and business webpages.