U.S. History Course Syllabus
DESCRIPTION
This course introduces main themes in the history of the United States from the Civil War
to the present. Not only will we be studying the actions of presidents and important people,
but we will also look at how common people lived and acted. We will compare the different
experiences of various ethnic, religious, and racial groups, social classes, and women. The
intent of this course is to introduce the concepts, materials, and tools employed in the
discipline of history, and to help develop writing and other skills used in the study of
history. By the end of the course you should have developed your ability to think clearly
and critically, to ask and research significant questions, to read historical materials
intelligently, and to express your ideas in a logical, concise manner.
1st 9 Weeks: Chapters 5-11
Impact of Reconstruction, Industrialization, Immigration/Urbanization, Westward
Movement, Gilded Age, Progressive Era, Imperialism
Benchmark Assessment: Oct. 15-16
2nd 9 Weeks: Chapters 12-17, 19
World War I, Roaring 20s, Great Depression, New Deal, WWII
Project: Read novel, “No Promises in the Wind”
Benchmark Assessment: Dec. 20-21
3rd 9 Weeks: Chapters 18-26
Cold War, Civil Rights, Vietnam War, Counterculture, Rights’ Movements, Nixon-Bush,
9/11
Benchmark Assessment: Mar. 13-14
Project: Newscast
4th 9 Weeks: EOI Review
Activities/Assessments
Include, but are not limited to: Timelines, create newspapers, poster projects, collages,
reading primary sources, editorials, letters, short answer responses, DBQs, annotating
documents, weekly quizzes, maps, unit tests, test corrections.
Projects/Group Activities
A. Some will be group activities and some will be individual.
B. Each group member is responsible for his/her own work.
C. Copying will result in a grade of zero.
D. You must be present in class each day of the project to be in a group. If you
are absent (excused or unexcused) for any reason, you will be assigned an
independent project.