What stories are repeated and why?

• Why do certain narratives become dominant, while others are pushed aside?
• What makes these stories compelling, and who benefits from them?

Who gets to write history, and who is left out?

• How does the perspective of the historian shape the story?
• How do power dynamics influence what is remembered and what is forgotten?

How do we know what happened?

• What sources and evidence do we use to understand the past?
• How can we evaluate the reliability of these sources?

What knowledge has been lost, buried, or deliberately erased?

• What kinds of information have been intentionally hidden or erased from history?
• How can we recover or reinterpret forgotten histories?

What timelines does history not account for?

• Are there gaps or discrepancies in the way we understand historical timelines?
• How do these missing pieces affect our overall understanding of history?

Can we teach history as a living, evolving investigation rather than a fixed story?

• What would it look like to teach history as an ongoing investigation that welcomes new evidence and ideas?
• How can students approach history as researchers, challenging assumptions and seeking evidence?

Have ancient civilizations had contact experiences—and how did they interpret them?

• What myths, religious stories, and ancient texts hint at encounters with non-human entities?
• How do these interpretations compare to modern accounts of UFO sightings?

Were the “gods” of old simply misunderstood visitors?

• Could ancient gods or celestial beings have been misunderstood extraterrestrial visitors?
• What evidence, if any, can we find in ancient temples, art, artifacts, oral traditions, and ancient records?

What other systems of knowledge track human experience over millennia?

• What can Indigenous knowledge, oral traditions, and alternative histories tell us about encounters with the unknown?
• How do these systems of knowledge provide alternative perspectives on history and contact experiences?

What can primary sources tell us about the history of UFOs?

1. How do early reports, newspapers, and radio broadcasts from the 1800s and 1900s describe UFO encounters?
   • What insights can we gain from historical documents that mention UFO sightings? What patterns can we find?

How have human interest and government responses to UFOs evolved over time?

• How has public and military interest in UFOs changed throughout the 20th and 21st centuries? How has the media treated the UFO topic?
• What role did early government investigations (like Project Blue Book) play in shaping public understanding of UFOs?

What role did the Cold War and military secrecy play in shaping UFO discourse?

• How did military sightings, radar data, and pilot reports during World War II and the Cold War contribute to the UFO narrative?
• What was the significance of “Foo Fighters” (unidentified lights seen by pilots) during WWII, and how did they influence the public’s perception of UFOs?

How did incidents like Roswell, Shag Harbor, and Rendlesham Forest shape the UFO mystery?

• How do incidents like the 1947 Roswell crash, 1967 Shag Harbor UFO sighting, and 1980 Rendlesham Forest encounter challenge our understanding of UFOs?
• What kinds of evidence were recovered or reported, and how did these cases influence government and public response?

What effects has colonization had on knowledge systems?

• How has colonization led to the loss of Indigenous languages, religions, and cultural practices?
• What wisdom has been lost, erased, or suppressed, and who benefitted from this loss?
• What role did colonization play in shaping the narratives we now call “history” and what knowledge was marginalized?

Have dreams and consciousness played a role in guiding historical figures?

• Harriet Tubman famously had dreams and visions that guided her through the Underground Railroad.
• Joan of Arc had visions that led her to victory.
• Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his “Mountaintop” speech the day before his assassination—was there a prophetic element in his awareness of his fate?
• How can we understand these experiences in relation to our consciousness, intuition, and the possibility of otherworldly guidance?

How can we research these topics as historians?

• How can we gather and analyze evidence from various sources, primary, secondary, and oral, about UFO encounters?
• What methodologies should students use to evaluate historical events, especially those that have been contested or underreported?

How can students develop claims and find evidence to support them?

• What types of claims can students make based on the evidence they find?
• How can students develop hypotheses, conduct research, and use evidence to support their claims about historical events like UFO sightings?