The History of the World in Two Hours

Many theories, hypotheses, and findings in history can seem obvious after the fact. We cannot know in advance which aspects of folk wisdom, myth, and legends will stand up to scientific scrutiny. Striving for the objective truth through evidence and empirical testing is what the scientific method is for, whether applied to molecules, stories, or minds. Research shows that even preschoolers are skeptical; they frequently reject claims from other people when the claims conflict with their perceptions and concepts. Young children compare new information to their perceptions and conceptions of the world, and if the recent information conflicts, they often reject it (Clément, Koenig, & Harris, 2004; Jaswal, 2004; Lane, Harris, Gelman, & Wellman, in press; Ma & Ganea, 2010; Robinson, Mitchell, & Nye, 1995). Both children and adults believe in various ‘truths’ myths, legends, entities, and processes that defy their intuitive conceptions and perceptions of the world, past and present.
It is interesting to explore the findings that clash with knowledge and wisdom.

Overview

The History of The World in Two Hours, produced by the History Channel, is a very interesting docudrama about how life has become the way it is today. A docudrama focuses on one real-life situation (either historical or of current interest) and tells it in a story-like fashion. The History of Earth in Two Hours is a summation of hundreds of theories, scientific evidence, and non-sectarian that provides a framework for understanding transformational patterns of human historical-cultural development through compelling visuals and engaging explanations.

Purpose

This assignment is designed to introduce students to basic information and some of the main stages of human historical development. The History of The World in Two Hours highlights our planet’s varied story, examining the Big Bang, the birth of our solar system, the emergence of life, the demise of dinosaurs, the growth of primates, the epic exploitation of the New World, the invention of the steam engine, man’s relatively short time on planet Earth, and much more. It also highlights these events and how they are improbably connected, from the 50-million-year-old seashells that now make up the Great Pyramids of Egypt to how simple grass was responsible for the primates learning to walk upright.  As you screen, the docudrama, consider the implications of a broad range of social, economic, political, and cultural problems and developments over time.

Learning Outcomes

• Discuss the periodization and chronology of the development of ancient civilizations.

• Explain how human communities in different parts of the world learned to manipulate the natural environment and gradually developed the capacity to create new environments.

• Describe how different environments affected the development of the economies, politics, and culture of the various parts of the world.

Instructions

1. This assignment requires students to screen a docudrama, write a reflective essay and complete a quiz. Develop your critical analysis of the arguments and content presented in the video docudrama. 

2. Screen the entire video: The History of the World in Two Hours. Consider answers to the following questions:

• • What does hydrogen play in the universe?
  • When did stars first appear in our universe?
  • Which six elements combine to make DNA and human life?
  • When do scientists say life on Earth first appeared?
  • What was the Cambrian explosion?
  • What is one reason dinosaurs becoming extinct, and what was the result for mammals?
  • How did the ability to sustain fire help transform mammals?
  • What effect did the first Ice Age have on our planet?
  • What is one of the consequences of the mass production of sugar as a commodity?

3. Take notes that can aid you in writing an essay and completing the quiz. Review the rubric for this assignment.

4. Write a reflective essay (a minimum of 250 words, 12-point font, typed, and double spaced) of your interpretation of the video. Include in your reflective essay something presented in the video The History of the World in Two Hours that was counterintuitive or conflicts with information you have learned. The definition of counterintuitive is something that goes against what you believe would be logical or something that goes against common sense.

5. Upload your reflective essay in a word document via Canvas by the due date/time. The reflective essay is worth 20 points.

6. Complete The History of the World in Two Hours Quiz. The quiz is worth 80 points.

7. The total point value of this assignment is 100 points.

8. Be prepared to share your reflective essay in class.