UNITED STATES HISTORY SYLLABUS
I. Course Description:
United States History is the study of the U.S. from its beginning to the present. The content includes key political, economic, military, religious and geographical forces and their impact on the United States and the role that it plays in the world. The material is presented chronologically from a thematic perspective. Included in the course are maps, charts and graphs. All work will be kept in an Interactive Student Notebook that will be graded periodically.
II. Course Objectives:
Unit One: Constitutional Foundations of American Society: The U.S. before 1898
Topics of study: Origins of the Constitution: Enlightenment thinkers and their impact on our government, Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, habeas corpus, the American Revolution, the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution and the Bill of Rights: Basic Constitutional Principles, the Bill of Rights, the Constitution as a living document. Federalism: Distribution of power, three separate branches of government. Implementing the new Constitution: Foreign and domestic policies. The Constitution Tested: Nationalism and Sectionalism: Westward Expansion, Civil War and Reconstruction. The Industrialization of the United States: Railroads, Second Industrial Revolution, Rise of Big Business, Organized Labor, Immigration, Urban Life.
Unit Two: Becoming a World Power
Topics of study: Progressivism, Imperialism, World War I.
Unit Three: A Modern Nation
Topics of study: Economic Prosperity, The Roaring Twenties: Cultural changes, Harlem Renaissance. The Great Depression: Stock Market crash, Hoover’s economic policies. The New Deal: FDR’s economic policies, Alphabet Agencies, Growth of Government.
Unit Four: A Champion of Democracy
Topics of study: The Rise of Dictators, Events leading to U.S. entry into WWII, Mobilizing for War.
U.S. impact in WWII: European theater, Pacific theater, the Holocaust, the home front, events that led to the end of WWII. Cold War: The iron curtain, the second red scare, the Korean War. Postwar America: Eisenhower era, Atomic anxiety, The age of television.
Unit Five: Challenges faced by the United States
Topics of study: JFK and the cold war, LBJ’s Great Society. The Civil Rights Movement: segregation, voting rights, MLKjr., landmark Supreme Court cases. The Vietnam War, Social Change: Native American, Latino and Women fight for change.
Unit Six: Looking to the Future 1968-Present
Topics of study: The Nixon years, Watergate, Ford, Carter. An Era of Conservatism: Ronald Reagan’s domestic and foreign policies, Life in the 80’s. Into the 21st Century: Clinton years, George W. Bush, September 11, 2001-how it changed America.
Unit Seven:
Topics of study: Immigration, Environmental issues, poverty, crime, the internet and media, economy: outsourcing, trade, globalization.
III. Assessment and Evaluation
Students will be evaluated on class assignments and activities including, but not limited to the following:
1. Interactive Student Notebook—Each student will keep a notebook where assignments, handouts, graphic organizers, portfolio writings etc. will be kept. The notebook will be graded frequently and will count up to 20% of the total grade.
2. Culminating performances include summative assessments, presentations, research projects, portfolio assignments, open response questions, group projects, etc. Tests are usually given by chapter and unit. A cumulative common assessment will be give every 9 weeks. These summative assessments where students show what they have learned will count up to 70% of the total grade.
3. Homework assignments and class participation will count up to 10% of the total grade.
IV. Grading Scale
90-100 A
80-89 B
70-79 C
60-69 D
59-Below F
V. Resources
Text with accompanying resources: “American Anthem” by Holt/Rhinehart/Winston
Text “U.S. History and Government”, 2nd edition, by Andrew Peiser and Michael Serber.
Internet sources
Magazines such as Time
Maps
Selected videos and DVDs
Primary source and biography readings
Teacher webpage where students and parents can access assignments, handouts, etc.
VI. Expectations
1. Students will come to class prepared with notebook, textbook, pencil/pen and any other supplies deemed necessary by the instructor.
2. Students will be active participants in class.
3. Students will respect each other, the classroom, the instructor and the educational process.
4. Students will complete his/her own work. NO PLAGIARISM!!
*Plagiarism is using other’s ideas, words (actual, spoken, written, or a paraphrase of those words), opinions, or theories without clearly acknowledging the source of the information. It also includes not documenting facts, statistics, graphs, drawings, pictures—any piece of information—that are not common knowledge. Specifically, it can include the use of another student’s paper or the use of an internet resource as a portfolio piece, research paper, or any written or presented project. The punishment for plagiarism will include a failing grade for the assignment as well as the penalty outlined in your student handbook.
VII. Contact Information
Bryan Scott 606-928-7100 extension 2153
Email:
My webpage can be accessed through the District website.