Civilizations Discussions

In January our middle and high school Heroes began daily civilizations discussions. Our focus was on modern world history so we discussed events starting with World War 1 and moving all the way through the 20th century. Each hero was given an event in history and a few moral dilemma questions surrounding that event. They were to invest 30 minutes to a hour researching the event then come to the discussion prepared to defend their position on the moral dilemma. In the beginning, I as the guide would lead the discussions but soon the Heroes took over the discussion leader role and they would evaluate one another’s discussion leading skills so that they could grow in that area. I am so very proud of how hard they worked in this area. Civilizations discussions add up to badges earned, which then translate into history credits on a high school transcript. We recorded a few of the discussions so I will post those videos below. Civilizations discussions are a fabulous way to make history come alive and engage learners in the process of critical thinking and argumentation – something sorely lacking in society today!