Below you will find links to and descriptions of all the history
assignments we use in Choose Your Own Adventure. Click on the individual
assignment links to get the full instructions and printable worksheets. Any
other missing assignments will be found in This Week in Class
and in Students.
We have divided the assignments into 3 categories based on what
skills you will use to complete them.
 |
Detective: A detective closely examines
historical facts and puts them together in many forms. They work with charts to
present information clearly and logically. They enjoy answering questions and
finding details. |
 |
Artist: An artist focuses on pictures to learn
about the past. They produce drawings to present information to others in unique
ways. They enjoy creating work that shows off their skill and
talent. |
 |
Profiler: A profiler is mostly interested in
people and how they think. They like to imagine themselves in historical
situations and write about how they would have reacted. They usually present
their information through short writings. |
 |
Specialist: A specialist in history uses
all three of the above skills to create projects that appeal to many people.
They are interested in all aspects of history and present their ideas in complex
projects. |
20-30 Minute
(Half-Period) Assignments
5 points each
Name |
Type |
Description |
Acrostic Poem |
 |
A word from the unit is written vertically and then each letter is
used to start each line of a descriptive poem. Usable in any unit. |
| | |
Annotated Illustration |
 |
Draw a picture of a historical object and annotate it with
captions. |
Be The Thing |
 |
Write a short explanation of life experiences as if you were a
particular object from history (for example: Da Vinci's
paintbrush). |
Bio-poem |
 |
Complete a poem with a pre-made layout about a specific person (or
group) in history. Requires detailed information about the figure. |
Bumper Sticker |
 |
Create a bumper sticker about a specific topic. Usable in any
unit. Requires high creativity. |
Cause and Effect Chain |
 |
Describe two causes and two effects of a historical event.
Requires an event with obvious causes and effects. |
Countdown! |
|
Complete a 5 section graphic organizer for the unit including
review questions, key terms and a symbol. |
Creative
Line Art |

|
Using a picture with random shapes and scribbles, create a scene
depicting something we studied in the unit. Highly recommended. |
Day Planner |

|
Write out the daily schedule for a person living in a
historical civilization. This explains what a typical person in a civilization
would do throughout their entire day. |
Epitaph/
Gravestone |
 |
Design the epitaph and gravestone for a famous figure. Requires
some knowledge and/or research about the figure. |
Report Card |
 |
Give grades to a historical figure based on certain subjects
assigned by your teacher. Highly recommended. |
In N' Out |
 |
Complete a graphic organizer highlighting the influences and
contributions of a given society or person. |
Picture Analysis |
 |
Answer a series of thought-provoking questions about a single
photograph or piece of art. |
Picture Frame |
 |
Create a graphic organizer in the shape of a picture frame about a
historical figure. |
Postcard |

|
Make a postcard as if you were visiting an ancient
civilization. |
Report Card |
 |
Give grades to a historical figure based on subjects assigned by
the teacher. Highly recommended. |
TXT MSG
SumRE |
 |
Write a summary of a historical event in the form of a text
message to a friend. |
Venn Diagram |
 |
Complete a Venn Diagram to compare and contrast two historical
figures, events or civilizations. |
Wanted Poster |
 |
Create a wanted (or hero) poster for a figure in
history. |
You Are There Letter |
 |
Write a letter to a historical figure giving them advice on a
problem they are facing. |
50-60 Minute (Full Period)
Assignments
10 points
each
Name |
Type |
Description |
Brain Chain |

|
List 10 imporant people, events, concepts, etc. and then create
conceptual links between them in a graphic organizer. |
Circle Summary |

|
Complete a graphic organizer as a history unit summary. Requires
the unit to be broken into 5 parts to work as shown here. |
Comic Strip |
 |
Create a 3-5 panel comic strip showing an event from a historical
period. |
Flash Cards |
 |
Create flashcards for four key terms from a unit. |
History IMs |
 |
Create an instant message conversation between two historical
figures about a historic event. |
Illustrated Map |
 |
Draw a map and add captions or small pictures to bring the map to
life. |
Illustrated Timeline |
 |
Draw a timeline and add captions or small pictures to bring it to
life. |
Introduction Speech |
 |
Write and recite an introductory speech for a historical figure.
May require some extra research about the figure. |
Invitation |

|
Create an invitation (the who, what, when, where, what to bring,
etc.) to a historical event we studied during the unit. |
Legal Brief |

|
Write a legal defense for a historical figure who may have
committed a crime. |
Character Clash! |
 |
Complete two bio-poems side to side to highlight the similarities
and differences between two historical figures or groups. |
Recipe for a Civilization |

|
Write a recipe with a list of ingredients it would take to create
a given civilization or culture. This requires abstract or metaphorical
thinking. If you don't know what "abstract" or "metaphorical" means, then do
not attempt this assignment. |
Song Rewrite |
 |
Rewrite the lyrics to a song to make them about a historical
period. |
Time Machine |
 |
Transport
yourself back in time and figure out what would happen to your age and gender in
a given civilization. |
Trading Cards |
 |
Create three trading cards for people, events or objects from a
given unit. The cards each include basic information and a "relevance
ranking." Try to collect them all! Courtesy of Mr. Woodside. |
TV Guide |
|
Create
a television channel line-up based on a recent unit. Decide what shows would be
on to match up to the culture. |
Worlds Collide |

|
Draw pictures contrasting key points of two civilizations. One of
the shorter full day assignments. |
You Are
There Diary |
 |
Write a series of diary entries as if you were a certain
historical figure going through an assigned
event. |
2 Hour (Two
Period) Assignments
20 points
each
Name |
Type |
Description |
Create a Crossword |

|
Make your own crossword puzzle. Usable in any unit. |
Myspace |

|
Create a Myspace page for a historical figure. Highly
Recommended. |
Picture Book |

|
Create a children's book about a given topic. |
Play |

|
Write and perform a short play about a historical event. Completed
in pairs or small groups. |
HiStory |

|
Write a creative fictional story using key terms and figures from
the unit. |
HiStoryboard |

|
Create a storyboard layout for a movie based on a historical
event. |
Web Page |

|
Create a web page about a specific topic from a
unit. |
Movie Madness |

|
Use art and writing to recreate a given unit as a movie. You will
design a movie poster and write a movie review. |
One-pager (Magazine Cover) |

|
Design a one page magazine-style cover for a section of the
textbook. |
Paper Bag Puppet |

|
Create a puppet of a historical figure along with a list of
statements that person would or did say. |
Travel Brochure |
 |
Create a six-panel foldout brochure that highlights the history,
hot spots, and accomodations of a society we have studied. |
What If? |
 |
Flip the script on an event in history. Change one major detail
from the event and then speculate as to what might change as a result. You will
then show your results in a recreated textbook
page. |
Special Assignments (3-4
periods)
40 points each
Name |
Type |
Description |
A-Z History Book |

|
Working with a partner create a picture book for 24-26 key terms
from a unit, each starting with a different letter of the Alphabet.
|
Board Game |
 |
Create a board game using historical information. Be creative and
follow directions carefully. |
Model |

|
Write a report on and build a model of a technological achievement
from history. |
Newscast |
 |
Working with a group of 3 or 4 other students film a short
newscast presentation on a historical event. Most of the work for this project
will be done outside of class. |
Newspaper |
 |
Working with a group of 3 or 4 other students create a newspaper
with multiple articles and elements on a period in history. |
Mind Map
|

|
Create a large word cluster using terms from a given unit. They
write sentences explaining why you made certain connections. The Brain Chain assignment is a
simplifed form of this one. |
Slideshow Presentation |

|
Create a Powerpoint
presentation on a historical topic. |
Text
Twist! |

|
Coming soon! | |