Encourage Empathy

Create emotional connections by recognizing aspects of our own identities and humanity reflected in the lived experiences of historical figures. Examine the real-life experiences, challenges, and choices of individuals, as well as their mistakes and flaws.

Foster Critical Thinking

Incorporate these personal stories into your curriculum to springboard to discussions of historical context and impact. Explore the complexities and nuances of history while encouraging students to ask questions and evaluate bias.

Engage on a Deeper Level

Investigate how individuals from diverse backgrounds and viewpoints influenced social, legal, and political change. Establish relevance by connecting the consequences and legacies of historical events to the modern world through universal themes including relationships, identity, fairness, power, conflict, resilience, and more!

Choice Board/Ideas and Activities:

1. Create a timeline outlining key events in the person’s life.
2. Write a letter to the figure discussing their impact.
3. Design an infographic highlighting important facts.
4. Produce a video summarizing the person’s life and legacy.
5. Write a script for an interview with the historical figure.
6. Create a comic strip that tells a story about their life.
7. Prepare a presentation about the person's significance.

National Standards of Learning: Social Studies

Change, Continuity, and Context

D2His.1 Evaluate how historical events and developments were shaped by unique circumstances of time and place as well as broader historical contexts.
D2.His.2 Compare life in specific historical time periods to life today.
D2.His.3 Generate questions about individuals and groups who have shaped significant historical changes and continuities.

Perspectives:

D2.His.4 Analyze multiple factors that influences the perspectives of people during different historical eras.
D2.His.5 Analyze how historical contexts shaped and continue to shape people’s perspectives.
D2.His 6 Analyze how people’s perspectives influenced what information is available in the historical sources they created.

Historical Sources and Evidence

D2.His.9 Analyze the relationship between historical sources and the secondary interpretations made from them.
D2.His.10 Compare information provided by different historical sources about the past.

Virginia Standards of Learning: United States History to 1865 (Updated 2023)

Skills VUS.1 The student will demonstrate skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship by:

a) synthesizing evidence from artifacts and primary and secondary sources to obtain information about events in Virginia and United States history;

c) interpreting charts, graphs, and pictures to determine characteristics of people, places, or events in Virginia and United States history;

d) constructing arguments, using evidence from multiple sources;

e) comparing and contrasting historical, cultural, economic, and political perspectives in Virginia and United States history;

f) explaining how indirect cause-and-effect relationships impact people, places, and events in Virginia and United States history;

g) analyzing multiple connections across time and place;

h) using a decision-making model to analyze and explain the incentives for and consequences of a specific choice made;

j) investigating and researching to develop products orally and in writing.