Grand Challenges Primer and History
The Education Resources Consortium (ERC)has organized the Grand Challenges Network (GCN). The GCN is aiming to use the four Grand Challenges (GC)of; understanding and sustaining a bio-diverse planet, unlocking the mysteries of the universe, understanding the american experience, and valuing world cultures. Using the GC as tool for project creation, integrated learning, re-imagining and modernizing of curriculum, and sparking and informing school redesign. (“Grand Challenges Network,” n.d.) Each of the four challenges can be connected to history, and the search for understanding is aid by the knowledge of the past.
Starting with unlocking the mysteries of the universe, history is full of people and whole civilizations working to towards this challenge. Many historical sets are aligned with the stars and planets of our solar system. For example the Great Pyramids of Giza in Egypt, or the Great Pyramid of Cholula in Mexico, and many other sites around the world. History is full of examples and ways humanity has tried to understand the universe and our place in it. Through history students will be able to see examples of what questions and answers humanity has already figured out; allowing students to see where their questions should take them.
History is dependent on humanity having a place to live, part of that is understanding and sustaining a bio-diverse planet. Throughout humanity’s existence, we have been recording the world around us and the life in it. Unfortunately humanity has caused the extinction of numerous species, thus maintaining the bio-diversity of Earth humanity can keep creating history. There is so much that humanity benefits from a bio-diverse planet, different types of plants and animals, that teach us how to survive on this planet. History has recorded how humanity has learned to survive from the bio-diversity around us.
Much like the bio-diversity of planet Earth, humanity has been creating cultures since the beginning of time. Humanity’s cultures are what makes us so great, as a whole humanity should maintain as many cultures as possible. The benefit of maintain so many cultures is the diversity of perspectives and the magnitude of knowledge. A large portion of humanity’s early history comes from many different cultures from around the global. Through the history and knowledge of cultures we can gain a greater understanding between one another. This knowledge can teach humanity its shared history and give it a glimpse of the possible futures with and without this knowledge.
The last part of the GC is the focus on understanding the American experience. Similar to the previous two challenges, America has a vast amount of bio-diversity and many different cultures, that should be understood. To help understand the American experience, it would be good to start with the history of the people who have lived and changed America. To further this understanding the varying cultures of America need to be understood and their interactions with one another as well. The history of America’s people and their cultures still affect America today. Through understanding one can learn about the American experience and where it might be headed.
