World History · Studio 1 · Week 1 — Launch

Choose Your Angle

You've met the four texts. Now you commit to a question.
8-min Huddle. This is the bridge from the texts (Days 1–3) to writing the Contract today.
Where we are

You've read a piece of Hammurabi, Confucius, Pericles, and the Melian Dialogue. Three of them gave three different answers to one question. Today you pick your way in.

The shared question
"Who should govern, and what gives them the right?"
The question is shared. Your angle is yours.
What's an inquiry angle?

Your specific version
of the big question.

Three students can all be in WH-01 and investigate three completely different things. Your angle is the piece you will actually argue.

Pick from the menu — or propose your own
Trailblazer

Compare Hammurabi's Code and the 10 Commandments — two legal codes, two theories of authority. Same? Different?

Maverick

Using the Funeral Oration and the Melian Dialogue — is Athens' democracy a model to follow, or a warning?

Phoenix

Design your own governance system using Hammurabi, Confucius & Pericles — and answer the strongest objection to it.

Full menu is in your WH-01 packet.
Test your angle before you commit
Arguable?

Could a reasonable person disagree? If you can Google one answer in 30 seconds, it's too factual.

Researchable?

Specific enough to actually dig into in six weeks — not "all of ancient history."

Yours?

Something you're actually curious about. You'll still be living with it in Week 4.

✍️ On your Studio Contract now
Parts 1–3 today

Write your essential question, your inquiry angle and why it matters to you, your standard(s), and your demo mode. Parts 4–5 come next class.

Due Friday: a completed Contract, approved by Reese.
The one rule

No digging until
your Contract is signed.

Your plan has to be solid enough to build six weeks on. Bring it to me the moment Parts 1–5 are done.

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