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Scale

Driving Question: How does looking at things from different scales of time and space help us understand our past?

Big History explores different scales of time and space to understand human history from new angles. How does zooming in and zooming out help us see different perspectives of the Universe’s history?

Learning Objectives:

  1. Define scale and scale switching.
  2. Explain how scale switching makes Big History different from other approaches to history.
  3. Create mental maps to organize information about places, environments, and people at different scales.

Vocab Terms:

  • geography
  • history
  • scale
  • scale switching
STEP 1

Opener: Scale

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 2 of the Lesson 1.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

In this post External link in the OER Project Teacher Community, teachers share a variety of ideas for teaching scale.

In Big History, you’ll often be asked to look at history from close up and far away. Scale switching is an important and necessary part of studying our Universe, so let’s start practicing this skill!

STEP 2

Zooming In and Out

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 3 of the Lesson 1.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Take a look at the BHP Reading Guide for some approaches to teaching reading.

How does switching scales of both time and space help you understand Big History? For one thing, it will help you see how one individual—you—fits into the story of something as vast as the Universe.

STEP 3

Big History and You

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 4 of the Lesson 1.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

BHP teachers love History of Me—read this community conversation External link about approaches to teaching this activity.

Big History is a way of thinking that you can use to understand many different things. Next, we’ll tell the story of your life—Big History style.

STEP 4

Introduction to Geography

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 4 of the Lesson 1.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Want to see more maps to use throughout the course? Here External link is the collection of OER Project maps.

Time to bring things down to earth! You’ll explore geography and scale using maps, both regular and “mental.”

STEP 6

Closer: Scale

Teaching Tools

To teach this lesson step, refer to page 5 of the Lesson 1.2 Teaching Guide Locked .

Check out more Big History Project timelines here External link .

The Cosmic Calendar was a great start. Now let’s use a timeline and see what we can learn from a different perspective.

Extension Materials
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To learn more about Big History and how complexity increased over time, check out this graphic history.
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Universe Comic

Long story short, this comic tells whole history of how the Universe began. You’ll learn more stuff in a shorter time than you ever have before!