Big History

Big History is a unique course that looks at the history of the entire Universe, stretching 13.8 billion years into the past and all the way into the future. You’ll travel to the earliest stars, discover new chemical elements, investigate the Earth’s fiery origins, explore how life on Earth evolved, and journey through human history to see what the future may hold.

Interested in our lifelong learner course? Head over to the Big History public site.

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Featured Materials

A small image slice of the deep field, distant universe showing thousands of galaxies. Produced by NASA’s James Webb Space Telescope.

What Makes Big History…BIG?

Compared to the Universe, you’re very small. Compared to other living things, you’re huge and incredibly complex. Knowing this, how does learning Big History help us understand the past, present, and future?

The Thresholds: Big History

Big History is organized around eight thresholds of increasing complexity. Let’s explore how each of these thresholds connects to you.

The Big Bang

We may not know everything about the Big Bang, but there’s a lot we do know. Our knowledge of the Universe begins just a fraction of a second after the Big Bang took place.

Lessons

What is Big History?

Welcome to Big History

This isn’t your average social studies course. Big History explores the history of the Universe, Earth, life, and humanity, and how you fit into that history.

Extinction Events

The dinosaurs were wiped out 65 million years ago. Could you survive an extinction event? Time to use your Big History knowledge to put together a survival plan—and consider if we should bring some dinosaurs back to life!

Materials

Egypt

You probably know about the pyramids and mummies of ancient Egypt, but did you know that its success has a lot to do with geography?

Portrait of Emperor Liu Bang with a crown on his head, a long beard, and a dark-colored robe.

Han Dynasty China

The history of China’s dynasties extends for more than 3,500 years. How did the Han Dynasty become so powerful but ultimately fall?

Trade Game

Collect points based on how much you can trade—but be careful, there might be a few trade obstacles to overcome.

Lessons

Agriculture & Complex Societies

Complex Societies Appear

Growing food in fixed locations enabled people who once migrated with the seasons to settle down. Soon, complexity increased as villages turned into cities and states.

Today, we’re all hurtling through space on a giant rock we call Earth. Will future humans journey to another planet and call that home?

Materials

"Unknowns" Podcast Episode 3 Clip

Listen in as paleontologist Michael Archer and David Christian, founder of Big History, discuss the connection between geography and the evolution of life on Earth.

A close up of a human skull beside a Homo neanderthalensis skull.

Human Evolution: Our Many Ancestors

Walking on two feet, communicating with language, and learning collectively are all factors that led to increased complexity.

Global Restaurant

Have you ever wondered how far your food travels before it gets to your plate? Use some math skills to calculate those distances.

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