Hey there! Today, we’re diving into a cool tool called Vox Pop, which makes learning history exciting and interactive. Imagine stepping into the shoes of historical figures and debating real issues from the past. Sounds fun, right? Let’s explore how Vox Pop can bring history to life for you!
Vox Pop is a free online resource designed to help students like you engage in historical role plays. It’s perfect for middle and high school students who want to experience history in a hands-on way. Instead of just reading about events, you get to act them out and see different perspectives.
Using Vox Pop is simple. All you need is a computer and a monitor. Just like with Kahoot, there’s a code you use to join the session. Once you’re in, you’re divided into groups, and the fun begins! The platform provides everything you need, including videos and instructions, so you don’t have to be a tech expert to get started.
Vox Pop offers a variety of historical topics to explore, such as Shays’ Rebellion, the Nullification Crisis, the Pullman Strike, and the New Deal. Each role play includes a video that sets the scene and explains the issues at hand. You’ll learn about the different roles you can take on and the debates you’ll have.
Once you know your role, it’s time to dive into the debate. You’ll discuss the issues with your group and vote on solutions. This process helps you understand the historical context and the different viewpoints people had at the time. After the debate, an epilogue video reveals what actually happened in history.
Vox Pop makes history engaging by focusing on human stories and real-life concerns. It encourages you to think critically and understand the motivations behind historical events. Plus, it’s a great way to practice your debating skills!
While Vox Pop provides a solid foundation, you can make the experience even richer by exploring primary source documents or doing additional research. This will give you a deeper understanding of the topics and help you prepare for the debates.
You can run a Vox Pop session in 60 minutes or split it into two 40-minute sessions, making it easy to fit into your schedule. Teachers might also choose to start with an introductory session to help students get familiar with their roles before jumping into the debate.
Vox Pop is a fantastic tool for making history come alive. It combines learning with fun and creativity, allowing you to explore the past in a unique way. Check it out at voxpop.io and start your historical adventure today!
Imagine you’re a historical figure from a time period you’re interested in. Research their life and the events they were involved in. Write a short script or dialogue that you can perform with your classmates. This will help you understand their perspective and the historical context better.
Form a debate club where each session focuses on a different historical event. Use Vox Pop topics like Shays’ Rebellion or the New Deal. Prepare arguments for your assigned role and engage in a structured debate with your peers. This will enhance your critical thinking and public speaking skills.
Create a news report as if you were a journalist during a historical event. Use the information from Vox Pop role plays to report on the issues, debates, and outcomes. Record your report using video or audio, and share it with your class. This activity will help you synthesize information creatively.
Choose a historical topic from Vox Pop and find primary source documents related to it. Analyze these documents to gain a deeper understanding of the event. Share your findings with your classmates and discuss how these sources influence your perception of the historical event.
Write a diary entry from the perspective of your assigned role in a Vox Pop session. Describe the events and your character’s thoughts and feelings about them. This activity will help you empathize with historical figures and understand their motivations.
Here’s a sanitized version of the YouTube transcript:
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Hello, YouTube! I got a nose itch immediately upon starting the recording. Great! So, I’m Tanner, and this is Chrissy, and we are your Common Sense Editorial Team. We are here, as we are every Tuesday, to give you a new tech review. If we’re not here, there’s a playlist with plenty of these videos that you can enjoy.
Chrissy, you’ve brought the tool for us today. What are we discussing?
I did indeed! It’s called Vox Pop, which is a pretty snappy name and reflects the content well. Let me tell you all about it. Vox Pop is a free resource focused on historical role plays. As a student, I loved role play. I enjoyed when the history teacher would say, “You’re choosing your parts for the Continental Congress.” I was excited because it meant I could get involved and pretend, making history come alive.
That said, teachers often lack the time and resources to set these up consistently, making it a rare opportunity. Vox Pop solves that problem for you. We gave it four stars, and it’s aimed at middle school to high school students.
Let’s jump over to the site. Basically, this resource takes the pain out of setting up these role plays. They have done all the work for you in terms of facilitating it and providing what you need to jump into various historical topics.
They offer a few videos to walk you through the process and show you exactly how it works. You don’t need to be super tech-savvy to make this work; it’s mostly video-based content for the students, and they provide clear instructions.
On the “How It Works” page, they guide you through the basic setup. All you need is a monitor, and just like Kahoot, there’s a code that students use to join, dividing them into groups. While this takes some of the burden off you, it may also be a drawback if you prefer to set up the groups yourself.
You can run it in a 60-minute session or split it into two 40-minute sessions, which is helpful for classroom scheduling. They provide an easy video-based walkthrough for setup.
Now, let’s talk about the role plays themselves. Currently, the selection is somewhat limited, but you can see topics like the Shays’ Rebellion, Nullification, the Pullman Strike, and the New Deal. If you have suggestions for additional topics, you can propose them to their team, and they may set it up.
Let’s dive into one to give you a sense of what to expect. Students will see a well-produced video that provides context for the history. What I appreciated about the videos is that they examine issues from various perspectives, grounding them in real human interest factors. This approach not only brings history to life but also humanizes it by addressing the basic concerns of people.
The outline includes the number of students, running time, and a facilitation guide. There’s a background video introducing the different roles students will take on, and the various issues that will be debated. By the end, students will vote on the issue to determine their group’s main concern. They discuss the topic and then vote, followed by an epilogue video that explains what actually happened historically.
There are also discussion questions at the end. One thing I think could enhance the experience is the inclusion of primary source documents or additional links for research, which would provide more context. Teachers may need to supplement this, perhaps using the introductory video as a summary of what has already been explored in class.
Overall, I think it makes facilitating history engaging and accessible in a unique tech-based way.
It seems they focus heavily on debate as a key component of the role play, where students have interests they will debate among themselves and then vote on a solution. This is an interesting approach to structuring a role play, emphasizing how characters would act in a given situation based on their backgrounds.
The 60 and 90-minute time limits seem ambitious, but given the facilitation is largely done for you, it’s possible. However, if discussions become in-depth, you might not want to cut them off.
I can see creative teachers modifying this, perhaps starting with an introductory session where students learn about their roles and do some prep work before diving into the full debate session. In my experience, role plays often take longer than expected because students get really engaged.
That’s Vox Pop! You can check it out at voxpop.io. You can see this review and others at start.org education. Don’t forget to subscribe to this video, return to our channel, and watch our other videos every Tuesday!
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This version removes informal language, filler words, and maintains a professional tone while preserving the content’s essence.
History – The study of past events, particularly in human affairs. – In history class, we learned about the events that led to the American Revolution.
Technology – The application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry. – The invention of the internet is one of the most significant advancements in technology.
Debate – A formal discussion on a particular topic in a public meeting or legislative assembly, in which opposing arguments are put forward. – The students prepared for a debate on whether technology has improved our lives.
Roleplay – Acting out or performing the part of a character, often to explore historical events or social situations. – During the history lesson, we did a roleplay of a medieval market to understand trade in the Middle Ages.
Learning – The acquisition of knowledge or skills through study, experience, or being taught. – Learning about ancient civilizations helps us understand how modern societies developed.
Perspectives – A particular attitude toward or way of regarding something; a point of view. – Studying history from different perspectives can give us a more complete understanding of past events.
Topics – Subjects that are considered or discussed. – In our history class, we covered topics like the Industrial Revolution and World War II.
Research – The systematic investigation into and study of materials and sources in order to establish facts and reach new conclusions. – For our project, we conducted research on how ancient Egyptians built the pyramids.
Events – Things that happen, especially significant occurrences. – The signing of the Declaration of Independence was a pivotal event in American history.
Skills – The ability to do something well; expertise. – Developing research skills is important for understanding historical documents and evidence.
