History Detectives: Hitler, Stalin, Mussolini; Rise of Totalitarianism

This is learning resource is a project-based learning unit that serves as a fun and engaging way for students to learn about the totalitarian leaders in Europe leading up to and during World War II. Through teamwork and a thorough research framework, students are tasked with filming an episode of the popular television show "History Detectives". In doing so, students will critically examine the culture of other nations while building up knowledge about how such extreme leaders can come to power.

This project-based learning activity is broken down into three "steps":

Step 1: Student Inquiry Graphic Organizer

• Students will be group into teams of three; each team assigned a dictator from the unit of study: Benito Mussolini (Italy), Joseph Stalin (Soviet Union), or Adolf Hitler (Germany). Within groups, students are assigned a role via number (1, 2, or 3) and are tasked with completing the inquiry chart that follows based assigned roles (The "Political" Expert, The "Economic" Expert, and The "Social" Expert). The inquiry chart is scaffolded with research areas/questions for students explore, guidelines, and an extra repository of primary sources to assist in the process. A graphic organizer is included to support students in this process.

Step 2: Creating a Storyboard

• Students take turns sharing their research findings with their team members in order to create a 'full' understanding about the what, when, where, why, and how with regards to their assigned historical figure. Students use their collective research to develop three questions that they have about their historical figure and/or the society within which this individual rose to and maintained power. These also serve as the questions that each team ultimately investigates for the History Detectives episode that they will construct. A graphic organizer, titled "Episode Essentials" is included to support students in this process.

Step 3: Creating the History Detectives Episode

• This is where students pull all of the previous processes and learning together in order to create their episode of "History Detectives". Roles are provided and described (The Discoverer, The Historical Detective and The Expert). A suggested format and other video scaffolds are included, as well as final rubric!

There are student/group/teacher check-ins embedded in each step of the process for progress monitoring.

In sum, this product has been highly reviewed and was recently updated (March, 2022). My students enjoyed this PBL experience as a means of learning historical content and developing skills.