History Madness

It's gonna be awesome, with a capital "A" 

The top figures of the past 500 years of world history will compete for the championship. Who is the most "influential"? What does "influential" mean? That's what you will seek to evaluate as you make a 2-minute speech to advocate for your assigned person. Welcome to the Big Dance!

Past Champions

2016 2015 2014 2013

Hall of Fame Examples

Professional Example

1. Choose a subject & partner

  • Check out the candidates Do you want a famous top seed? Maybe you're interested in an underdog with potential for an upset. Maybe you'd like the challenge of coaching  someone you've never heard of, priming you for a Cinderella run.
  • You may select a partner from any of Mr. Taylor's students. If you don't select a partner, one will be assigned. No groups of three.

2. Research

You must locate 8-10 relevant biographical details about your person using three resources. Do not use Google or Wikipedia until you've tried these resources.
  1. history.com (copy the URL for your bibliography)
  2. World Book or Britannica (copy the MLA citation at the bottom of the page)
  3. Biography in Context (copy the MLA citation at the bottom of the page) or Research in Context.
  4. If your person is not in history.com, World Book, Britannica, use an additional Biography in Context source. Three sources are required.
  5. After obtaining information from these sources, you may use additional research from your other sources you find on your own.
Each student needs their own list. You can discuss it with your partner, but this is not a team assignment.

3. Write a Biography (script)

Each student must write a biography to persuade viewers of the significance of your person. Focus on "influential," not random details. Imagine this as a speech read by one person. You can turn it into a skit with multiple actors later if you want. Your biography must be around 250 words. You should be able to read this amount comfortably in 60-120 seconds.
  • Follow the formatting rules for an essay.
  • Highlight your thesis statement that answers the "So what?" question.
  • Turn this part in via Canvas.
  • Share it with your partner.
Once both students have finalized their own biography, you will turn it into a single script. This might mean using just one, blending the two together, or creating something new and different.

4. Bibliography

  1. Create a new Google Doc file inside Google Classroom.
  2. Put your name/date/hour in the top right.
  3. Title it Bibliography. Center the title.
  4. Go to www.easybib.com.
  5. Go to your research notes document and copy/paste the URL you used from history.com in the EasyBib site.
  6. Smile about how ridiculously easy that was.
  7. Copy/paste your citations from Worldbook and Biography in Context.
  8. Put the three citations in alphabetical order.
  9. TURN IT IN, via Google Classroom. (If you made it inside Google Classroom as instructed, it's already in there. You just need to click to turn it in.)
  • TOP 5 MOVIE-MAKING TIPS
  • [1] Find a location without distractions (like little brothers). However, pets are always a crowd-favorite.
  • [2] Make sure you are well lit and the audience can hear you.
  • [3] Move the camera/microphone close. 
  • [4] Put a light behind the camera, shining light on the person's face.
  • [5] Turn your camera horizontally (wide).

5. Record a video

  1. Your video can be recorded without any editing or special effects. If you would like to use special video editing and presentation skills, you can, but it is not required for a grade.
  2. You can use any device: phone, webcam, camera, iPad, etc. If you and your partner do not have access to a device, contact the teacher.
  3. iOS users are encouraged to use the app YouTube Capture.
  4. Find a simple background, stand/sit in front of it and read/perform your script.
  5. Follow the tips (on the left).
  6. You can be as dramatic and emotional as you would like, but keep your content central to your video. The focus of this task is on the power of your written argument and spoken word, before your technology skills.
  7. Videos outside the required range of 60-120 seconds will be disqualified.
  8. If you need to edit, YouTube has a basic editor built in.

6. Turn in your video file
  • Upload your video to your school YouTube account associated with your gpschools.com login.
  • If you used Adobe Spark Video, you should download your video to your computer then upload it to YouTube.
  • To upload from an iPhone, you are encouraged to use the app YouTube Capture.
  • When you upload your video, change the settings to "unlisted." This will allow you to share it with Mr. Taylor without it being listed publicly on YouTube.
  • Make the title of your video the historical subject's title, first and last name. For example: Scientist Isaac Newton.
  • Put the biography you wrote in the description.
  • Do not post your own name.
  • Share your video with taylora@gpschools.com.
  • If you cannot post your video to YouTube, keep trying. There are countless programs you might choose to use, so it's difficult to write out exact instructions. Ask for help and we'll figure it out.

7. Compete, vote & assess

With 64 entries, the field is deep. We will, during the course of a week, mixed in with our other current projects and assignments, watch the speeches and vote online to narrow the field to the Sweet 16. Grades will not be determined by whether you win or lose in the voting.
  • The first assessment for this project was based on how you completed your speech/video according to the instructions (with research). See your Google email account for personalized feedback.
  • The second assessment is based on your written analysis (part 8, below) and completion of your student bracket/notesheet.
  • In the third assessment, you will expound the judgments you make in your essay using a Socratic Circle discussion in the classroom. 
  • When the field has been reduced to the Sweet 16, other students and community members will be invited to vote in the competition.
Results to be announced via Twitter @teamHISTORY.

8. Written reflection

Select at least four of the topics below. For each, write a response of 100-150 words with well-organized paragraphs and specific examples from the project. Your document should total 500-600 words. Use details from your notesheet. Save your file in your Google Drive world history folder.
  1. Judge and explain which historical figures in the tournament were given too high a seed going in and should be lowered in the future. 
  2. Judge and explain which historical figures  in the tournament were given too low a seed going in and should be raised in the future.
  3. Judge and explain which historical figures in the tournament would have fared differently if parents would have done the voting.
  4. Judge and explain which historical figures were left out of the tournament and should be included in the future.
  5. Judge and explain who the four #1 seeds should be in next year's tournament.
  6. Judge and explain how to make a winning video (advice for future students).
  7. Judge and explain the most interesting things you learned about during this project. 

For teachers

andrew.taylor@gpschools.org