In my middle school language arts class, we study the Concept of Utopia.  One of the first things we do in this unit is brainstorm “What things might be considered utopian throughout the ages.”  When we brainstorm this idea, students inevitably make connections between the past and present.   If students do not mention the idea of numbers, I will bring it up, or ask a prompting question to see if they will mention it. 

Following this discussion, I will ask students to read the Encyclopedia Britannica article about the history of our numerical system: https://www.britannica.com/science/numeral  This will provide students with some excellent background about how our numbers originated.  I will ask students to discuss in small groups the importance of communication between different groups of people and how that might help the spread of ideas.  I would then ask students to form small groups of 2-3 people each.  They would choose a favorite object or perhaps a type of food. (All project ideas would need to be approved first.)  I would ask them to conduct research on the origin of that object and how the spread of ideas helped in its creation.  Then, I would ask groups to perform a dramatic explanation of how the object came to be. 

Following this activity, I would like to have students look at how our use of some vocabulary is based on medieval practices.  For instance, in the Star Talk Podcast, the guest discusses the four humors and their connection to the words:  good humor, sanguine, phlegmatic, and melancholy.  These are words that students encounter in their reading, and we discuss in class with our study of Greek and Latin root words. It would be interesting for students to analyze the word origin and make connections to how the words are used today.

Finally, each student would complete an exit ticket answering the question:  What is the importance of the spread of ideas over time and between cultures? Give at least 3 specific examples.