We will be studying the United States from the end of Reconstruction up through the present day. These are the questions that will guide our study of this time period:

Essential Questions:

How did immigration and the resulting diversity impact democracy, national identity, and the growth and development of the United States?

What impact has war had on the United States at home and abroad?

How did immigration and the resulting diversity impact democracy, national identity, and the growth and development of the United States?

How are power and responsibility distributed, shared, and limited in the U.S. Constitution?

How do the foundational documents of the U.S. exert a continuing influence?

How has the United States dealt with issues of equality and the extension of civil liberties?

How has the conflict between individual freedom, human rights, and the public good been resolved?

How have individuals and governments responded in times of prosperity and economic downturn and what should be the role of government in times of difficulty?

What were the consequences of the change from a rural/agrarian to an urban/industrial society?

How did the rise of big business and labor unions transform the United States?

What have been the domestic and foreign consequences of U.S. involvement in foreign affairs?

How has the United States government dealt with Native American Sovereignty?

COURSE DESCRIPTION:

This one year course is designed to teach students about the United States from 1877 to the present. Students will become familiar with the history of the various institutions, groups, beliefs, and ideas that made up the American experience during this time period. Students will reflect on their family's experience in relationship to the American Experience. Emphasis will be placed on integrating a working knowledge of the United States Constitution and cultivating in students a sense of responsibility as a citizen of the United States, the state of Washington and their local community.

COURSE GOALS:

In order to successfully complete the Virtual Learning American Studies Course, some goals have been established for your success. A student in this course will be expected to be able to do the following:

A. Become Proficient in BlackBoard.
The BlackBoard format for our course has been set-up to help students become successful in learning. In order to do well in Spokane School District 's Virtual Learning classes, a student must use trial and error to learn the nuances of BlackBoard. The student should take some time to surf through the site, and get familiar and comfortable with the features of BlackBoard before they begin the actual coursework. Familiarity with the navigation of the site will allow for a pleasant learning experience!

B. Complete Assignments on a Consistent and Timely Basis.

Students enrolled in American Studies must work demonstrate progress in the course by meeting published deadlines. Consistency of work at a high level will lead to success for any student in this course.

C. Demonstration of Critical Thinking

The American Studies Virtual Learning course is not designed for rote memorization. Students will be asked to think critically in their coursework, with probing questions designed to make students think about what they are learning. Students should be able to create and answer some of these questions themselves and work with other students as they proceed through the course.

SCOPE AND SEQUENCE:

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Semester A

1. Identify the principles of the U.S. Constitution.

2. Explain the economic advantages that allowed the U.S. to emerge as a world power.

3. Analyze American intervention and foreign policy developments and changes.

4. Describe how the Spanish-American War signaled a shift in American Foreign Policy.

5. Analyze the impact of World War I on the United States at home and abroad.

6. Analyze the causes and consequences of World War II.

7. Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences of the Cold War and containment policy, including the following: McCarthyism, The Truman Doctrine, The Berlin Blockade, The Korean War, The Bay of Pigs invasion and Cuban Missile Crisis, Atomic testing in the American West, The Vietnam War, Latin American Policy.

8. Analyze the political and economic impacts of military spending during the Cold War. (e.g. defense contracts, military industrial complex, domestic employment, research development, space program, etc.).

9. Analyze the impact of international and domestic events, interests and philosophies that prompted attacks on civil liberties (e.g., Palmer Raids, Ku Klux Klan, immigration quotas, domestic impact of the Russian Revolution) and the responses to those attacks (e.g. NAACP, ACLU, Anti-Defamation League).

10. Analyze the effect of intolerance in limiting the achievement of the American ideals of individual human dignity, liberty, justice and equality. (e.g. Palmer Raids, Red Scare, immigration restriction.)

11. Examine the causes and effects of the Civil Rights movement and its impact on American society.

12. Examine reasons for the emergence of African American pride and militancy.

13. Discuss the reasons for the nation's changing immigration policy, with emphasis on how the Immigration Act of 1965 and successor acts have transformed American society.

Semester A Assessment " Constitutional Issues - Civil Liberties in times of national crisis"

Semester B

1. Throughout this unit, discuss significant speeches in American history from 1877 - present.

2. Explain the causes and impacts of the women's suffrage movement.

3. Chart the changing demographics in the United States as a result of industrialization.

4. Examine the challenges created by the migration from rural to urban areas.

5. Explain how natural resources were harvested and/or depleted during the rise of industrialization.

6. Identify technological advances and hypothesize about the effects of science and technology on American society.

7. Evaluate the impact of Labor, Populist and Progressive movements

8. Trace the advances and retreats of organized labor (e.g., the creation of the American Federation of Labor and the Congress of Industrial Organizations).

9. Analyze the different explanations for the Great Depression and how the New Deal fundamentally changed the role of the federal government (e.g., Works Progress Administration, Social Security, National Labor Relations Board, etc.)

10. Explain the geographic causes and consequences of the Dust Bowl..

11. Describe how the Dawes Allotment Act (1887) and the extinguishments of Indian land claims affected tribes and the geography of their reservations.

12. Explain how federal, state, tribal and local governments have responded to demographic and social changes amongst American Indians.

13. Compare and contrast the influences of mass media and mass culture (commercialism, homogenization, national trends, etc.) on American society.

14. Examine the impact of the rise of suburbs on the American political, social and economic landscape.

15. Examine the impacts of the counter culture element of the 1960s.

Semester B Assessment "Dig Deep: Analyze Artifacts and Sources - The Struggle for a Better World"