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Social Studies Department » American History

American History

US HISTORY – 1ST & 2nd Semesters

 

Instructor’s Name:  Sandra Ball

 

Email:  [email protected]

 

Title of Course:  US History

 

Prerequisites for Course:  Students must have completed levels Global Studies in order to take this course.

 

Textbooks and other materials required for course:

The textbook required for this course will be- United States History, copyright © 2010 by Pearson Education, Inc (ISBN -13:978-0-13-368216-8)

 

Other Materials:

A homework organizer (notebook)

Ipad (e-text)

Course Description

This course examines the major turning points in American history beginning with the events leading up to the American Revolution, the origins of our constitution, reform movements, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War and Reconstruction, the impact of the frontier, the changing nature of business and government, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, the growth of the United States as a world power, the Cold War and the struggle to achieve class, ethnic, racial, and gender equality.

 

The course extends to the modern day. Contemporary world issues such as globalization, economic interdependence, and terrorism and world cultures will also factor into our analysis of international conflict and cooperation.

 

The New York state standards provide both the framework and pace of this class. The curriculum and academic expectations will be differentiated to accommodate gifted and highly motivated students.

  

Goals/Standards:

  • Provide clear expectations for students learning and accountability.
  • Provide an essential user-friendly tool for developing instruction.
  • Transform textbooks from curriculum guide to a resource for instruction.
  • Provide for a complete and uniform Adventist secondary curriculum.

 

 

Course Objectives

Upon the successful completion of this course, students will be able to:

  • Discuss the development of the United States as a country and how it achieved its success as a world power.
  • Explain how American Indians may have come to North America.
  • Describe the process by which different American Indian groups and cultures developed.
  • Explain Spanish explorer’s achievements.
  • Describe Spanish society in New Spain and Peru.
  • Explore how English traditions influenced the development of colonial governments.
  • Describe the influence of the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening on the 13 colonies.
  • Explain the impact of geography on the economies of the new England, Middle, and Southern colonies.
  • Describe the causes and the major events of the French and Indian War.
  • Summarize how the wars and their outcomes changed the relationship between Britain and the colonies.
  • Understand the causes of the fight for independence and the Declaration of Independence.
  • Describe the weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
  • Understand the reasons leaders called for the Constitutional Convention.
  • Describe the steps Washington’s administration took to build the federal government.
  • Understand Manifest Destiny.
  • Discuss the causes leading up to the Civil War and its aftermath.
  • Understand America’s land acquisitions.
  • Describe the Civil Rights Movement.
  • Understand the second Industrial Revolution and its impact on America and immigration.
  • Understand the Progressive Era.
  • Discuss the US involvement in World Wars 1 & 2

 

Class Requirements

 

All students are required to:

 

  • Attend all class sessions and be on time
  • Complete all assigned homework, class work, quizzes, tests and term papers. Make-up work can be arranged under certain circumstances.  If you have an excused absence, you will have as many days as you missed to complete all missed work without penalty.  You may not make-up pop quizzes and Do Now.  MAKE-UP WORK IS YOUR RESPONSIBILITY.  Please get the phone number/e-mail address of TWO other class members from whom you can get the assignments if you miss a class so that you will be prepared when you return to class!

 

The late work policy is as follows:

Unexcused Late

Submission         Penalty           Other Conditions                                    

1 day late             5% penalty      Penalty is imposed on the student’s earned grade

2 days late           10% penalty     .

3 days late           15% penalty     After 3 days late, no final score can exceed 75%

4 days late           20% penalty

5 or more days    25% penalty

  • Keep a notebook/folder which will reflect all class work and notes.
  • Complete a Group Project: at the end of the semester. This will be no fewer than three pages, and will be on a topic assigned by the teacher, or chosen by the student with the approval of the teacher.  The paper will reflect a well thought out thesis and historical insight on the subject.
  • Complete a Written, Oral and visual Advertising Project. On display board, recording and video, students will describe and illustrate the cultural, geographical, economical, political, and historical aspects of a specific product history.  Each group will give an oral presentation to the class.
  • There will be Bi-weekly individual assignments in keeping with the topic being studied, or current affairs that relate to US History. Students may react to newspaper articles, Internet news sources etc.  A copy of the article must be attached to the student’s TYPED

 Please note that Tests will be given at the end of each chapter.  Quizzes on assigned reading, film and PowerPoint presentations may be given each day.

  

Projects:

 

  1. Oral dramatization of the Events leading up to and after the Civil War. November 14-18, 2016.
  2. TBA: Second Semester Project

 Course Outline:  Fall SEMESTER

 

Many Cultures Meet (Prehistory – 1550)

       I.     The American Indians

     II.     The Europeans

   III.     The West Africans

  IV.     First Encounters

 

 

 

Weeks 1 & 2

Europeans Establish Colonies (1492-1752)

            I.     Spain’s Empire in the Americas

          II.     The French Empire

        III.     England’s Southern Colonies

       IV.     The new England Colonies

         V.     The Middle Colonies

 

 

 

Weeks 3 & 4

The American Colonies Take Shape ( 1607-1765)

            I.     Immigration and Slavery

          II.     The American colonies and England

        III.     Comparing Regional Cultures

       IV.     Wars of Empire

 

 

 

 

Weeks 5 & 6

The American Revolution (1765-1783)

            I.     Causes of the Revolution

          II.     Declaring Independence

        III.     Turning Points of the War

       IV.     War’s End and lasting Effects

 

 

Weeks 7 & 8

Creating the Constitution (1781-1789)

            I.     A confederation of States

          II.     Drafting the Constitution

        III.     Ratifying the Constitution

 

 

 

Weeks 9 & 10

The New Republic (1789-1816)

            I.     Government and Party Politics

          II.     The Struggle over Foreign Policy

        III.     The Age of Jefferson

       IV.     The War of 1812

 

 

 

Weeks 11 & 12

Nationalism and Sectionalism (1812-1855)

            I.     Industry and Transportation

          II.     Sectional Differences

        III.     An Era of Nationalism

       IV.     Democracy and the Age of Jackson

         V.     Constitutional Disputes and Crises

 

 

 

Weeks 13 & 14

 

 

 

Religion and Reform (1812-1860)

            I.     A Religious Awakening

          II.     A Reforming Society

        III.     The Antislavery Movement

       IV.     The Women’s Movement

 

 

Weeks 15 & 16

 

Review

 

Week 18 - 2015

 

First Semester Final

Course Outline:  Spring SEMESTER

Manifest Destiny (1800-1850)

  1. Migrating to the West
  2. Texas and the Mexican-American War
  3. Effects of Territorial Expansion

Weeks 1 & 2

The Union in Crisis (1846-1861)

  1. Slavery, State’s Rights and Western Expansion
  2. A Rising Tide of Protest and Violence
  3. Political Realignment Deepens the Crisis
  4. Lincoln, Secession, and War

Weeks 3 & 4

The Civil War and Reconstruction Era (1861-1877)

GROUP PROJECT: COVERING CHAPTERS 10-12

Weeks 5& 6

The Triumph of Industry

  1. Technology and Industrial Growth
  2. The Rise of Big Business
  3. The Organized Labor Movement

Weeks 7 & 8

Immigration and Urbanization (1865-1914)

  1. The new Immigrants
  2. Cities Expand and Change
  3. Social and Cultural Trends

URBANIZATION PROJECTS

Weeks 9 & 10

The South and West Transformed (1865-1900)

  1. The New South
  2. Westward Expansion and the American Indians
  3. Transforming the West

Weeks 11 & 12

Issues of the Gilded Age (1877-1900)

  1. Segregation and Social Tensions
  2. Political and Economic Challenges
  3. Farmers and Populism

Weeks 11 & 12

The Progressive Era/Emerging World Powers (1890-1917)

Weeks 13 & 14

World Wars 1 & 2; The Cold War; The Depression; The Civil Rights Movement; The Vietnam War;

Weeks 14 & 16

REVIEW AND FINAL EXAMS

June

Homework:

Homework will be assigned on a regular basis.  These assignments will reinforce lessons previously taught, as well as help students prepare for ensuing ones.  Homework constitutes part of the student’s final grade.  Assignments not completed by the due date will result in a zero grade.

Assessment:

Students’ learning will be assessed on an ongoing basis, and grades assigned according to students’ performance on:

  1. Tests
  2. Quizzes
  • Homework assignments
  1. Class work
  2. Research papers/projects

 All tests will be announced.  Quizzes may be announced or unannounced.

Gra ding

Below is a percentage breakdown of your final grade:

Homework                              10%

Tests                                       30%

Quizzes                                   20%

Class Work                             15%

Projects/research papers        25%

Grading System:

The following grading system will be used for this course:  

Letter

Percentage

Honor Points

A

93-100

4.00

A-

89-92

3.66

B+

86-88

3.33

B

83-85

3.00

B-

79-92

2.66

C+

76-78

2.33

C

73-75

2.00

C-

69-72

1.66

D+

66-68

1.33

D

63-65

1.00

F

62 or less

0.00