Scheme of work
Cambridge IGCSE®
American History (US)
0409
For examination from 2015
Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Contents
Overview ...................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................... 3
Unit 1: From colonies to independence ....................................................................................................................................................................................................... 5
Unit 2: The making and breaking of the US 1776–1865 ............................................................................................................................................................................. 7
Unit 3: The re-making of the US 1865–1917 ............................................................................................................................................................................................. 14
Unit 4: Native Americans, West of the Mississippi, 1840–1890 ................................................................................................................................................................ 20
Unit 5: The emergence of a world power (the US 1917–1945) ................................................................................................................................................................. 26
Unit 6: The presidency of Harry S Truman, 1945–1953 (domestic and foreign policy) ............................................................................................................................ 30
Unit 7: The US as a superpower, 1945–2000 ........................................................................................................................................................................................... 37
Unit 8: Learning to use historical evidence ................................................................................................................................................................................................ 43
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Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Overview
This scheme of work provides ideas about how to construct and deliver a Cambridge IGCSE 0409 course. The syllabus for Cambridge IGCSE American History
(US) has been broken down into teaching units with suggested teaching activities and learning resources to use in the classroom. It aims to provide a broadly
chronological approach, but in some instances, where trends and developments reach across the divisions, material may appear out of chronological sequence.
This scheme of work, like any other, is meant to be a guideline, offering advice, tips and ideas. It can never provide everything a teacher needs but hopefully
provides teachers with a basis to plan their lessons. It covers the minimum required for the Cambridge IGCSE course but also adds enhancement and development
ideas on topics. It does not take into account that different schools take different amounts of time to cover the Cambridge IGCSE course.
Recommended prior knowledge
No prior knowledge is assumed, although learners may have some knowledge of aspects of American History and may have studied Cambridge IGCSE World
History (syllabus 0470). In the latter case they should have some understanding of historical concepts of change and continuity, similarity and difference, cause and
consequence, significance and evidence.
Outline
Whole class (W), group work (G), pair work (P) and individual activities (I) are indicated throughout this scheme of work. The activities in the scheme of work are
only suggestions and there are many other useful activities to be found in the materials referred to in the learning resource list.
Opportunities for differentiation are indicated as Basic and Challenging; there is the potential for differentiation by resource, grouping, expected level of outcome,
and degree of support by teacher, throughout the scheme of work. Timings for activities and feedback are left to the judgment of the teacher, according to the level
of the learners and size of the class. Length of time allocated to a task is another possible area for differentiation.
The units within the scheme of work are:
Unit 1: From colonies to independence
Unit 2: The making and breaking of the US 1776–1865
Unit 3: The re-making of the US 1865–1917
Unit 4: Native Americans, West of the Mississippi, 1840–1890
Unit 5: The emergence of a world power (the US 1917–1945)
Unit 6: The presidency of Harry S Truman (domestic and foreign policy)
Unit 7: The US as a superpower, 1945–2000
Unit 8: Learning to use historical evidence
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Teacher support
Cambridge Teacher Support is a secure online resource bank and community forum for Cambridge teachers. Go to http://teachers.cie.org.uk for access to specimen
and past question papers, mark schemes and other resources. We also offer online and face-to-face training; details of forthcoming training opportunities are posted
online.
An editable version of this scheme of work is available on Teacher Support. Go to http://teachers.cie.org.uk. The scheme of work is in Word doc format and will open
in most word processors in most operating systems. If your word processor or operating system cannot open it, you can download Open Office for free at
www.openoffice.org
Resource list
An up-to-date resource list for the Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) (syllabus 0409) can be found at www.cie.org.uk
Textbooks
America: Pathways to the Present by Cayton, Israels Perry, Reed, and Winkler. (Pearson, 2003) ISBN: 9780130629166
The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society Volume One by Nash, Jeffrey, Howe, Frederick, Davies and Winkler. (Pearson, 2004) ISBN: 9780205642823
The American People: Creating a Nation and a Society Volume Two by Nash, Jeffrey, Howe, Frederick, Davies and Winkler. (Pearson, 2004) ISBN: 9780205642830
Websites and videos
This scheme of work includes website links providing direct access to internet resources. Cambridge International Examinations is not responsible for the accuracy
or content of information contained in these sites. The inclusion of a link to an external website should not be understood to be an endorsement of that website or
the site’s owners (or their products/services).
The particular website pages in the learning resource column were selected when the scheme of work was produced. Other aspects of the sites, including
advertisements, were not checked and only the particular resources are recommended.
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Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 1: From colonies to independence
Recommended prior knowledge
No prior content knowledge is assumed.
Context
This introductory unit sets the scene for the course by examining why and how Britain’s North American colonies became independent.
Outline
The characteristics of the colonies: social, economic, political and cultural; an explanation of the growing tension between Britain and her North American colonies;
an explanation of why the tensions led to revolution and independence.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 7 hours/5% of the course.
Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865
Focus Point – Why did relations between the British and the colonists deteriorate before 1776?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with text covering pertinent points about the political,
social, cultural and economic characteristics of Britain’s American
colonies. Ask them to highlight these types of characteristic in different
colors. (P) Learners could then decide in pairs which colonies were
most likely to co-operate and which were least likely to do so.
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2 Q1–5, Sources A–G
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk .
Describe Britain’s actions towards her
American colonies.
Describe how conflict developed between
Britain and her American colonies.
Explain why Britain and her American
colonies were in dispute about how the
colonies were ruled.
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Before undertaking the exemplar source task (Jun 2014 Paper 2
Section A, Source A, Q1) learners should be given some information
about the situation in 1754 in relation to the French and Indian Wars.
www.thinkinghistory.co.uk/ActivityModel/Ac
tModTimeline.html – timelines and living
graph activities
(See Unit 8 where there is an example of how to use Jun 2014 Paper
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
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Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
2 Source A.)
Recognize different views about the conflict
between Britain and some of the American
colonists.
Learners should be given a timeline of key events in the deteriorating
relations between Britain and her American colonies. Differentiation
will be achieved through the extent of the detail and the amount of
information learners are given. They should then produce a living
graph (see link opposite) showing the relations over time from 1754–
1775. They could be asked to identify the points at which they think a
war of independence became a possibility, likely and a certainty.
Learners could be asked to prepare speeches from a range of
perspectives, for example, the Sons of Liberty; the American delegate
to court of King James.
Basic: learners prepare lists of colonists’ grievances about British
government policies.
Learners could be asked to differentiate between causes: economic or
about rights and liberties. Jun 2014 Paper 2, Section A, Source B, Q2
provides an exercise to test their understanding of this issue.
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0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2, Section A, Source B,
Q2
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
6
Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 2: The making and breaking of the US 1776–1865
Recommended prior knowledge
Learners will know about how and why the thirteen colonies became independent of British rule.
Context
This is the first section of American History. Learners will develop their knowledge of early American History and their understanding of the aspects of historical
concepts as appropriate to the course requirements.
Outline
The first section of this unit aims to provide a framework for teaching and learning about the first century or so of American History, from independence to the Civil
War. Greater substance is then added by considering questions about who the Americans were by 1861, the social and economic developments of the period, the
Constitution and how it developed by 1861, including why the Civil War broke out, and US relations with other countries.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 14 hours/11% of the course.
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Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How were the borders of the nations defined by 1853?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners study a series of maps showing the development of the US
from the Thirteen Colonies to the Gadsden Purchase of 1853/4.
Online:
www.animatedatlas.com/movie2.html –
animated atlas, growth of a nation (running
time 10 mins)
Describe the ways in which the borders of
the US changed by 1853/4.
Explain how the US gained lands.
Explain how relations between the US and
France, Britain, Spain and Mexico led to land
gains.
Learners identify main changes and briefly consider their implications
for the government, ethnic composition, and the economy of the US.
At this stage they are identifying lines of enquiry rather than answering
questions.
More able learners could be given maps containing more information,
such as the topography or demographic data.
Learners could be provided with an outline of each event in the
specified content for Theme 4: Key Question1. This should include the
countries involved, the land gained and the population gained.
Learners could then fit the information into a grid:
Land
gained
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When
?
From
whom
?
Method
used
(e.g. war)
Benefits/
problems
for US
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
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Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 1: How and why did the economic, social and political status of Native Americans change from 1754–2000?
Focus Point 1: How far did the economic, social and political status of Native American change from 1754–ca.1850?
Key Question 3: How and why did the economic, social and political status of African Americans change from 1754–2000?
Focus Point 1: What impact did slavery have on the lives of African Americans before 1865?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Explain how far the economic, social and
political status of Native Americans changed
from 1754–ca.1850.
Activity 1:
Learners are provided with a timeline of selected key events marking
changes in the social, economic and political status of Native
Americans. Ask learners to highlight the events as marking change in
the social or the political status of Native Americans, or both.
Online:
www.ohiohistorycentral.org/w/Tecumseh’s
_Confederation?rec=637 – Tecumseh’s
Confederation
Assess the impact slavery had on the lives of
African Americans before 1865.
They then reorganize the information into a grid showing continuity
and change in each category:
Change
Continuity
Political status
Economic
status
Social status
www.legendsofamerica.com/natimeline.html – Indian Removal Timeline
0409 Specimen Papers:
Paper 1 Q3(a)
Paper 2 Section A
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Finally they could weigh up (this could be done by assigning a nominal
weight (mass) to each piece of information in the grid on an image of a
balance) the extent of change and continuity in each category to be in
a position to answer the Key Question.
Activity 2:
Learners should work through the sources and questions in Specimen
Paper 2. This has sources on the condition of slaves and on different
views of slavery which are relevant for later units where the debate on
slavery is considered.
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Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 1: Why was there a “market revolution” during the years 1754–1900?
Key Question 2: To what extent did the Civil War result from economic and social conflicts and differences?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with cause cards showing a range of reasons
explaining the market revolution. These should include at least:
improved transportation networks (roads and canals) and who paid for
them, natural resources, new technology in farming such as Deere’s
steam plow, availability of capital, growth of textile factories,
entrepreneurs. They should then explain the part each cause played in
bringing about the market revolution.
Online:
www.economicadventure.org/pdfs/ch2.pdf
– emergence of manufacturing 19th
Century
Learners should be given information about the market revolution.
They should then be asked extract relevant points to draw up a
balance sheet of benefits and drawbacks of the market revolution: who
gained and who lost out? This should include reference to the
increased demand for cotton for the textile mills of the north that had
the consequence of making the south even more reliant on slave
labor.
www.ushistory.org/us/22b.asp – Cotton
and African-American Life
Explain why there was a market revolution
during the years 1754–1900.
Assess the extent to which abundant natural
resources were key to the ‘market revolution’.
Explain how technical innovation and the
transportation revolution affected the ‘market
revolution’.
Describe the social consequences of the
‘market revolution’.
Explain how the power struggle between
federal government and the states affected
the US economy.
Explain why the northern industrial economy
grew so quickly.
Explain why slavery became the cornerstone
of the southern economy.
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Learners could be given sources describing conditions in northern
industrial towns. These should cover living and working conditions.
They should also cover the work done by women and children, for
example, in textile factories.
www.ushistory.org/us/22a.asp – Economic
Growth and the Early Industrial Revolution
www.historyteacher.net/AHAP/Readings/F
actoryRules_1848.htm – Factory Rules
from the Handbook to Lowell (1848)
www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/robinsonlowell.asp – Harriet Robinson: Lowell Mill
Girls
Evidence from the sources could be used to support an answer to the
question:
What were the social consequences of the market revolution?
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865?
Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 2: To what extent did the Civil War result from economic and social conflicts and differences?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners could be asked to debate the issues in the creation of the
Constitution:
 Where the division fell between federal and state powers;
 The separation of powers between the executive, legislature
and judiciary;
 The system of checks and balances;
 The role of the president.
Online:
http://billofrightsinstitute.org/resources/edu
catorresources/americapedia/americapediaconstitution/virginia-plan/ – Virginia Plan
Describe and explain how the Constitution
was created.
Explain how and to what extent the political
system moved towards democracy by 1865.
To do this they could start by reading a summary of the key points put
forward by Madison in his ‘Virginia Plan’ and Patterson in the ‘New
Jersey Plan’.
They should consider the extent to which the Union was strengthened
by the replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the
Constitution of 1787 in relation to the composition and powers of, and
decision making in, Congress, the role of President and the Supreme
Court, the procedure for amending the Constitution. They could
consider why the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791.
www.answers.com/topic/new-jersey-plan –
New Jersey Plan
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 1 Q1(b)
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Q1(a) and 1(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Challenging: learners identify and explain the compromises reached
over the composition of Congress, the issue of slavery and the powers
of the presidency.
Provide learners with a timeline or account of the period c1792–1854
showing the development of the political parties. They arrange this into
a flow diagram to show how the Hamiltonians developed into the
Republicans and the Jeffersonians into Democrats. Key ideas should
be included as each development occurs.
To assess the role of the political parties in the move towards
democracy learners could be asked to produce election posters
relating to the issues at various key points between 1792 and 1854.
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Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Activity 1:
This activity could be used as an introduction to the build-up to Civil
War or as a revision exercise. The number of events and issues
plotted on the graph will depend on the ability of the learners.
Textbooks:
America: Pathways to the Present pages
1–197
Make a ‘living graph’ of events leading to the outbreak of the Civil War.
The horizontal axis should represent the years c1830–1861. The
vertical axis should represent the amount of bad feeling or tension
between north and south. Learners should plot events onto the graph,
and then draw a line linking the points. The line should reflect easing
of tensions as well as increasing tensions.
The American People: Creating a Nation
and a Society Volume One Chapters 1–15
Assess how important the issue of States’
Rights was before 1861.
Explain the ways in which slavery contributed
to the outbreak of the Civil War.
Explain which sectional tensions other than
slavery led to the Civil War.
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Q 1(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Challenging: color code the graph to distinguish between economic
and social factors (including slavery) and States’ Rights factors.
Use the graph as a plan for a (c) style examination question: To what
extent did the Civil War result from economic and social conflicts and
differences?
Activity 2:
Role play activity on why the Civil War broke out:
Learners take on roles of people who represent different groups: slave
state/free state; planter/northern industrialist etc. The number of
characters should depend on the ability of the class to understand
multiple perspectives. In character groups learners decide what their
priorities are and why in relation to a series of events from the Missouri
Compromise of 1830 onwards. (G)
Learners then re-group – one of each character per group. Each
character must explain their point of view to the other characters and
then they must make a group decision on the way forward.
 Can they agree?
 Does secession occur?
 At what point does this happen?
 Does civil war break out?
Basic: learners are given a range of reactions to each event and must
decide which one matches the way their character would act or react.
Ask these learners to explain their choice.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865
Focus Point: What explains the outcomes of the Civil War?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with cards giving the reasons for the Unionists victory
and the Confederates defeat in the Civil War. On the reverse they
could be given more detail about this factor. The cards should include
military, economic and political factors. The number of cards and the
level of complexity of the information of them is a matter for the
teacher to decide. (P)
0409 past examination papers:
Jun 2013 Paper 02 Q1–5
Nov 2013 Paper 02 Q1–5
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Explain why the Unionists won the Civil War
and why the Confederates lost.
Learners work in pairs or small groups to decide on the relative
importance of each factor in bringing about the outcome. Their ideas
are fed to the whole class. (P/G)
They could then answer a question such as:
‘The Confederates lost the Civil War because they could not afford to
carry on.’ How far do you agree with this view? Explain your answer.
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Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 3: The re-making of the US 1865–1917
Context
This unit covers an exciting but difficult period of American History. On the one hand the West was being opened up by railroads and technological developments
such as the telegraph were making it possible to create an American identity. On the other hand the deep divisions created by the Civil War remained and waves of
immigration from Europe, Mexico and Asia altered the ethnic and cultural composition of the US.
Outline
The period after the Civil War was one in which the government had to tread carefully, aware of the deep divisions and resentments that were the legacy of the Civil
War. The growing prosperity of industry in the north and the problems of cotton planters in a world market exacerbated these divisions. It was also a period of widescale migration, both within the US and from Europe, Mexico and Asia.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 14 hours/11% of the course.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 2: To what extent did political turbulence mark the years from 1865–1933?
Focus Point 1: Why did new political groupings emerge in the late 19th century?
Focus Point 2: To what extent was the nation reunited after the Civil War?
Focus Point 3: How limited was the influence of presidents before 1916?
Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 3: How did the Progressive Era emerge, and what did it accomplish?
Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 5: To what extent were economic, social, and political changes dominated by class-based issues during the period 1877–1948?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Divide the class in two: half the class will work on Populism and half
on Progressivism.
Online:
www.slideshare.net/BCJacobson/theprogressive-era-16031343 – After
Reconstruction
Explain why new political groupings emerged
after the Civil War.
Explain how the Progressive Era emerged
and what it accomplished.
Assess the extent of limitations on
presidential powers to 1916.
Assess the extent to which economic,
political and social changes were dominated
by class-based issues.
The task is to make a mind map of their topic.
The mind map will show the causes of their topic, its methods and
actions, and its results and achievements.
Each half of the class works in pairs on their topic.
Provide them with a basic text. They should highlight and research key
terms before creating the mind map. This should not simply list the
features of their topic, but show links between different elements. (G)
Some pairs from each half of the class present their diagrammatic
representation of the topic to the rest of the class. (P)
www.eagleton.rutgers.edu/research/americ
anhistory/ap_progressive.php –
Progressive Movement
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Q2(b)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Basic: provide learners with a partially drawn mind map, with links
drawn in. They then complete the mind map with the other elements.
OR work through a mind map on Populism with the whole class before
asking them to complete one on Progressivism. (W)
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Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 1: How and why did the economic, social and political status of Native Americans change from 1754–2000?
Focus Point: How far were the Plains/Indian Wars (1864–1890) a turning point in the fortunes of Native Americans?
Key Question 2: How and why did the economic, social, and political status of Hispanic and Asian Americans change from ca.1840 –2000?
Focus Point: Why did the migration of Hispanic Americans increase from the mid-19th century?
Focus Point: Why did the economic, social, and political status of Hispanic Americans fluctuate from 1848–2000?
KEY QUESTION4 BP 1 and 2
Learning objectives
Learners should be able to:
Explain why people moved to the US during
this period.
Make judgments about the impact of
immigrants on the US in terms of ethnic and
religious diversity.
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners could be asked to study data about the country of origin/birth
from the US Bureau of the Census during this period. They should
analyze the data, looking for patterns and changes over time. (I)
Learners then research the reasons for the changes in patterns. These
will concern push factors, the cost of transport to the US, the changing
borders, political and religious persecution, and pull factors such as
the Gold Rushes, the building of the railroads, and the Homestead Act
to name a few. (I/P)
Factors could be linked to specific national or ethnic groups.
Challenging: learners should also research changes to the religious
composition of the US, especially the increase in Roman Catholics
and Jews.
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Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 3: How and why did the economic, social, and political status of African Americans change from 1754 –2000?
Focus Point: How far did Reconstruction improve the lives of African Americans?
Focus Point: How far were the political rights of African Americans changed after the Civil War?
Focus Point: What was the role of African American leaders and pressure groups in moves toward imporving the economic, social, and political
status of African Americans from 1877–1945?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners draw up two lists, one showing improvements to the lives of
African Americans in the Reconstruction era and post-Reconstruction
to 1917 and the other showing continuing or new problems. (P)
Online:
http://historymatters.gmu.edu/d/39/ –
Booker, T. Washington Delivers the 1895
Atlanta Compromise Speech
Make judgments about changes to the lives
of African Americans during this period.
These lists could be color-coded with highlighter pens to show factors
that were a result of federal government action, from state level action,
and from the actions and attitudes of the white public and from the
actions and attitudes of African Americans. In addition or instead, the
lists could be color-coded to differentiate political rights, economic
status and social status.
Provide learners with key statements by early Civil Rights figures such
as Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. Du Bois. These should be edited
versions of documents such as the Atlanta Compromise speech rather
than whole documents. Ask them to identify the main message of each
statement. They could then have a class debate on the benefits and
drawbacks of each approach, using evidence from earlier work on the
status of and attitudes towards African Americans to support their
arguments. (W)
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www.yale.edu/glc/archive/1148.htm –
W.E.B Du Bois ‘The Talented Tenth’
www.afrigeneas.com/forumreconstruction/index.cgi/md/read/id/576/sbj
/reconstruction-timeline-1865-1877/ –
timeline of the Reconstruction Era
www.pbs.org/wgbh/amex/reconstruction/sh
arecrop/ps_dawson.html – a
sharecropping contract
www.history.com/topics/blackhistory/sharecropping – sharecropping
17
Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 1: Why was there a “market revolution” during the years 1754–1920?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Explain why the women’s movement
struggled to achieve its aims before 1920.
Learners research one of the specified content from the syllabus:

Lucretia Mott, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the Seneca Falls
Convention 1848

Susan B Anthony and the American Rights Association 1866,
civil disobedience

The Women’s Christian Temperance Union, 1874

The National American Woman Suffrage Association 1890;
divisions, Alice Paul and the Congressional Union 1913
These bullet points could be sub-divided. To focus their research they
should be given key points to note. These should relate to the context,
aims and activities of the subject of their research. (I)
Groups should comprise four (or more) learners, one for each
research topic. They should together make a list of all the factors they
can identify to explain why the women’s movement struggled to
achieve its aims before 1920, with examples from their research. (G)
Groups present their findings to the whole class. (W)
Challenging: learners place factors hindering progress for the
women’s movement into a hierarchy, and explain which factor they
regard as most important, giving reasons for their choice.
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Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 2: What were the aims of US foreign policy during the period 1820–1919?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Activity 1:
Learners should be given information about the key events in which
the US had a foreign policy interest before the First World War.
Online:
www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=tru
e&doc=23 – Monroe Doctrine (1823)
Identify the aims of US foreign policy during
the period 1820–1919.
For each event they should identify the main area of interest:
economic, territorial etc.
Learners should then practice writing discursive answers on one or
more of the following issues (I):
‘The US applied the Monroe Doctrine in its foreign policy from 1823 –
1914’. How far do you agree with this view? Explain your answer.
‘US foreign policy was imperialist in the period from 1890 to 1914.’
How far do you agree with this view? Explain your answer.
Basic: provide learners with a writing frame for their discursive
essays.
Challenging: having produced an essay using a writing frame, write a
second discursive essay unsupported. (I)
Activity 2:
Present learners with cards on the reasons for and effects of US entry
into the First World War. Ask them to divide the cards into two sets:
causes and effects. (P)
Learners turn the cards face down. They take turns to pick up a card
and explain the cause or result to their partner. The partner scores
them for clarity of explanation and strength of supporting evidence. (P)
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
19
Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 4: Native Americans, West of the Mississippi, 1840–1890
Recommended prior knowledge
Learners should already have been introduced to historical sources. They should understand that sources have to be interrogated. Learners should understand that
knowledge and understanding of the context and provenance of a source are essential to its use in providing evidence.
Context
This optional unit is for those wishing to teach this Paper 2 Set Topic for examination in in 2015. Questions will not be set on the content of this unit in Paper 1 in
2015. The unit should be taught largely through the use of historical sources, developing learners’ understanding of how to approach the style of questions set in
Paper 2. It is recommended that learners are provided with a series of generic questions to support their thinking in relation to the sources (see Unit 8). The activities
below are examples of tasks that could be set: teachers will need to devise many more to reinforce the concept of evidence and to cover the content more widely.
Outline
The period is characterized by clashes between Native Americans and other settlers. As the boundaries of the US expanded, an increasing number of Native
American tribes came under US jurisdiction. As settlers moved west clashes occurred, some acquiring legendary status. Initially agreements about land were made
and broken. Later government policy changed to one of confining Native Americans to reservations (the Dawes Act 1887). The response was mixed, with some such
as Geronimo unable to adapt. This topic ends with a seminal year in which the Ghost Dance reached its height and the massacre at Wounded Knee.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 26 hours/20% of the course.
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20
Component 2: Set Topic 1 (for examination in 2015) – Native Americans, West of the Mississippi, 1840–1890
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learners should be able to:
The column to the left lists learning objectives relating to the question
types found in Paper 2.
Identify relevant detailed evidence in
sources.
Draw inferences from the evidence in
sources.
Use their knowledge to interpret detailed
evidence in sources.
Learning resources
Activities in this unit should focus on creating learners who are
proficient in transferring these objectives to unfamiliar sources in
examination conditions without prompting from the teacher.
The activities should cover the full range of sources that learners are
likely to use in the examination. These should include written, pictorial
and statistical sources.
Use their knowledge and understanding of
the provenance of sources of evidence to
evaluate sources.
Use sets of sources to support and challenge
a proposition.
Learners should be able to:
Identify a range of aspects of Native
American life west of the Mississippi in the
1840s.
Know about the range of source material
available on the lives of Native Americans.
Learners work in pairs or groups to produce a museum display for
young teenagers illustrating the lives of Native Americans, west of the
Mississippi in the 1840s. They could be limited to10 exhibits, including
for example, objects, photos or paintings. (G)
Provide learners with a range of materials and ask them to select the
sources which they think best illustrate the topic. They should produce
information cards containing a description of each item and an
explanation of what they show about Native American life. (G)
Challenging: Ask learners to explain which of the sources in the
exhibition they think is most useful for providing evidence about Native
American life. (W)
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
21
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Give learners a paragraph from the Report to the President by the
Indian Peace Commission 1868. Pages 37–38 (see weblink opposite)
would be good examples to use. Learners will first need to identify the
view(s) expressed in the extract. If there is supporting evidence for the
view in the extract then that should be identified as such. Ensure that
learners do not confuse the supporting evidence with the view(s).
Online:
http://facweb.furman.edu/~benson/docs/pe
ace.htm – Indian Peace Commission
report (1868)
Judge the typicality of views expressed in a
source.
Learners will then need to use their contextual knowledge and the
provenance of the source to judge whether views expressed are
typical of the view. They may also use the supporting evidence in the
source to judge whether the view is representative. (P/I)
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with a copy of Article 3 of the Fort Laramie Treaty,
1868.
Identify and explain the purpose of a source.
Learners will need to start by showing that they understand what the
source says. It refers to the 160-acre allotments that are regarded as
adequate to support Native Americans on the reservation lands.
Thus at face value the source suggests that the government is making
provision to support Native Americans. (W)
Online:
www.ndstudies.org/resources/IndianStudie
s/standingrock/docs_laramie1868.html
– the 1868 Fort Laramie Treaty (article 3)
www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archi
ves/four/ftlaram.htm – Fort Laramie Treaty,
1868 (articles)
Learners should be instructed to use their contextual knowledge and
understanding to infer other evidence:
What can they learn from the source about the US government view of
Native American culture?
What can they learn from the source about the relative value placed
on American and Native American priorities? (W)
Learners should use the knowledge and understanding they have
accessed to consider the stated purpose of the source and the
‘hidden’ purpose of the Treaty. (W)
Learners should be able to:
Compare and contrast two sources as
evidence for an enquiry.
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Provide learners with two or more accounts of a battle between Native
Americans and the US Army. There are examples of accounts on the
North Dakota Studies website opposite.
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
Online:
www.ndstudies.org/resources/hs/unit3_3_t
ribune.html – North Dakota History, Battle
Accounts
22
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
The question that learners should address is:
To what extent do these two accounts of the battle differ?
Explain your answer using details from the sources and your
knowledge. (I/P)
Learners will need to identify similarities and differences in the content
of the sources.
Learners should then be asked: why there are differences between the
sources. Prompt them to explain the differences with reference to:
 who wrote or said the sources
 the circumstances in which the sources were produced
 the audience for whom the sources were intended.
The last point should lead on to
 the purpose of the sources. (I/P)
Learners should be able to:
Identify relevant details in a cartoon.
Recognize and explain the message of a
cartoon.
Evaluate a source’s typicality and reliability.
The resource for this activity is the 1887 cartoon showing the problems
of farmers on the plains. Learners should be asked to identify the
problems of the farmer that are shown in the cartoon. (P)
They should be asked to note:
 What are the Native Americans doing?
 How are the Native Americans portrayed (dress and
weapons)? (P)
Online:
www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/histor
y/shp/americanwest/farmersproblemsrev2.
shtml – farmers’ problems in the West
(cartoon)
Learners could be asked several different questions about the cartoon,
based on the question types in Paper 2:
 What is the message about Native Americans in this cartoon?
 How accurately does the cartoon depict the encounters
between Native Americans and homesteaders?
 Is the view of Native Americans in this cartoon of 1887 typical
of the way they were perceived by white Americans? (P)
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
23
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners will be able to:
Events during the Indian Wars
Learners are shown the painting of the Sand Creek Massacre by
Robert Lindneaux.
Online:
www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archi
ves/four/sandcrk.htm – documents on the
Sand Creek Massacre
Assess the accuracy of a representation of
an event, using their contextual knowledge
and their understanding of the purposes of
the person who created the image.
They use their knowledge of the event and of Robert Lindneaux
(1871–1970) to answer the question:
How accurate is this representation of events at Sand Creek,
November 29, 1864? Learners will need to use the provenance of the
painting as well as their knowledge of the Sand Creek Massacre to
answer this question. (I)
Learners could be asked questions with the same stem about
representations of any of the events in the Indian Wars. Some of the
representations could be extracts from feature films or documentaries.
Although these resources will not be used in examinations, the
approach to the question should be the same and it is a good idea to
broaden the range of resources used.
Learners should be able to:
Use their contextual knowledge to assess the
usefulness of a source.
Select an extract from President Chester Arthur’s address to
Congress, 1881
(www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archives/seven/indpol.htm)
For example, the paragraph which refers to “The well-attested reports
of the increasing interest in husbandry” would work well.
Learners should answer the question:
How useful is this source as evidence of the changing lifestyle of
Native Americans?
To answer this question they will firstly need to read the source
carefully to understand its claim. (I) Learners should consider:
V1 4Y07
–
how far this claim is supported by their knowledge of
developments.
–
the date and invoke their knowledge of the continued
settlement of the lands west of the Mississippi and the
increasing clashes between settlers and Native Americans
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/custer.htm
– The Battle of the Little Bighorn, 1876
www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archi
ves/six/bighorn.htm – The Battle of Little
Bighorn eyewitness account, 1881
http://home.nps.gov/sand/historyculture/ind
ex.htm – Sand Creek Massacre
www.authentichistory.com/diversity/native/
hb3-plainstimeline/
– links to accounts of Sand Creek
massacre.
Online:
www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=tru
e&doc=50 – Dawes Act (1887)
www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archi
ves/seven/indpol.htm – Indian Policy
Reform (extract) 1881
www.archives.gov/education/lessons/fedindian-policy/ – maps of Indian Territory,
the Dawes Act and Will rogers’ Enrollment
Case File
24
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
over the land issue.
Learners should be able to:
Assess the usefulness of a source as
evidence for an enquiry.
–
the knowledge that this proposal led eventually to the Dawes
Act would also be useful.
–
the provenance of the source: Who is speaking? In what
context? To whom? What is his purpose?
Provide learners with copies of the following painting and photograph:
–
–
Compare the usefulness of two sources as
evidence for an enquiry.
Remington painting of the opening moments of the attack at
Wounded Knee
Photographs of Big Foot’s band on November 11 1890 and
Big Foot dead in the snow after the massacre.
The question which learners will address is:
Which of these sources is more useful as evidence for what happened
at Wounded Knee?
Online:
www.eyewitnesstohistory.com/knee.htm –
for Remington painting of Wounded Knee
www.pbs.org/weta/thewest/resources/archi
ves/eight/wklakota.htm – Lakota Accounts
of the Massacre at Wounded Knee
www.authentichistory.com/diversity/native/
hb3-plainstimeline/ – photograph of Big
Foot
Learners could be provided with a grid in which they record relevant
points to support their written response to this question. (G/P)
Painting
Photograph
Content detail
Missing content
Significance of
what is missing
Who did the
painting/took the
photograph
When was the
source produced?
Why was the
source produced?
Who was the
intended
audience?
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
25
Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 5: The emergence of a world power (the US 1917–1945)
Recommended prior knowledge
Learners are not expected to have any prior knowledge of the content of this unit.
Context
The outcomes of the First World War reinforce and confirmed what was already becoming apparent before 1914: the US was the world’s most powerful nation in
terms of economic power and therefore an international power. Learners should have developed a clear understanding of the concepts tested in Paper 1 and the
style of questions asked. The setting of practice assessment tasks should reflect this as learners should now be able to access questions with less support from the
teacher.
Outline
The key questions about this period concern the boom and bust years of the economy and the painful emergence from the depression, with the extent of federal
government complacency and intervention forming a key backdrop, and the role of the US on the world stage in the inter-war years, with the tension between the
desire not to become embroiled in other countries’ disputes and the impossibility of remaining isolated.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 14 hours/11% of the course.
V1 4Y07
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
26
Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 2: To what extent did political turbulence mark the years from 1865–1933?
Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 4: What were the economic and social changes of the period 1919–1941?
Key Question 6: How important was religion in the development of society in the USA from 1800–1939?
Key Question 7: How far did US popular culture change from 1920–ca.1975?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Activity 1:
Learners should be given ‘cause cards’ showing the main causes of
the Wall Street Crash. The cards could have factual detail on the
reverse side to provide supporting evidence for the factor on the front.
Note that one of the cards should refer to the complacency of the
administrations during the period to 1929. (P/G)
Online:
http://educationportal.com/academy/lesson/the-greatdepression-the-wall-street-crash-of-1929and-other-causes.html – The Great
Depression: The Wall Street Crash of 1929
and Other Causes (video and quiz)
Assess how far administrations were
complacent during the period 1921–1933.
Describe and explain the economic changes
of the period 1919–1933 including the
causes and consequences of the Wall Street
Crash.
Describe and explain the social changes of
the period 1919–1933 including the impact of
the Jazz Age on popular culture.
Learners are then asked to create a flow diagram to show how the
factors combined to lead to the crash. In order to do this effectively,
they should start by grouping the factors according to whether they are
long-term issues representing underlying weaknesses in the economy,
factors that developed during the 1920s, or factors that triggered the
crash. Depending on the ability of the learners and their confidence,
the teacher could begin by supporting the whole class in categorizing
a factor, and then allow learners to work in pairs or individually. The
production of a flow diagram could be supported by providing an
outline and asking learners to place the cards in the appropriate
positions.
Learners could then use this exercise to support them in answering
examination-style questions such as:
Explain why there was a Great Crash in October 1929.
Activity 2:
Use questions from 0409 Jun 2014 Paper 2 Section B to practice
source questions and to address social issues including the impact of
Hollywood and the jazz age; the changing lives of women; attitudes to
immigrants.
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
www.gcsehistory.org.uk/modernworld/usa/
causesofthewallstreetcrash.htm
– Why did the economy of the USA fall into
depression in 1929?
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Q6b
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2 Section B
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
27
Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 3: How effectively did the federal government respond to thechallenges it faced from 1933–2000?
Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 5: To what extent was economic, social, and political change dominated by class-based issues during the period 1877–1948?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners should use F.D. Roosevelt’s stated aims for the New Deal:
relief, recovery and reform. They should make notes in a grid as
follows:
Online:
http://herb.ashp.cuny.edu/items/show/1510
– graph of US unemployment rate, 1930–
1945
Assess how authoritarian government was
under Franklin D. Roosevelt (FDR).
Assess how far the New Deal helped the
economy to recover.
Assess how far the New Deal helped
different groups in society.
Aim
Relief
Recovery
Reform
Method
Success
Limits
The method column should contain New Deal Agencies. They should
find evidence to illustrate successes and failures. They could then be
asked to answer a (c)-type examination question about the extent of
the New Deal’s success.
Learners could be asked to analyze the pattern of unemployment
figures for the years 1929–1941, using their knowledge of the
depression, the different stages of the New Deal and the impact of the
beginning of the Second World War in 1939.
www.u-s-history.com/pages/h1528.html –
unemployment statistics during the Great
Depression
http://teachinghistory.org/nhec-blog/21783
– recession, depression, hard times, New
Deal: Classroom resources
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Question 6(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Learners could be asked to reorganize the material above into notes
showing how far the New Deal helped specific groups. These should
include workers, women and African Americans. (I/P)
There are numerous cartoon images concerning FDR and the
Supreme Court. Teachers could choose one or more of these to
support learners’ work on the Supreme Court’s judgments, for
example in the ‘Sick Chickens’ case, FDR’s plans to pack the
Supreme Court, why this was opposed and how the Second New Deal
addressed the problems of the depression from a different angle in
order to remain constitutional.
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
28
Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 3: How effectively did the USA promote its international interests during the years 1920–1941?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Introduce learners to the term ‘isolationism’. They need to be clear
what is meant by the term in order to judge whether or not this was the
keystone of US foreign policy in the inter-war years. They could be
given possible definitions and asked to decide which one best
describes what is meant by isolationism.
Online:
www.ushistory.org/us/50a.asp – 1930s
isolationism
Assess how far the US followed a policy of
isolation in the 1920s.
Judge how successful the US was as a ‘good
neighbor’ from 1933–1941.
Explain why the US went to war in 1941.
Learners are asked to read brief accounts of key events and decide
whether or not the US was following a policy of isolation. These should
include, with regard to Europe: the Treaty of Versailles (failure of
Congress to ratify the treaty meaning that the US was not a member of
the League of Nations), moves towards disarmament, naval
agreements and re-structuring of Germany’s reparation payments. Key
events should also include developments on the Pacific rim, especially
Japanese expansion. (G)
Learners then organize notes about the events into two columns: the
first provides evidence that the US was isolationist; the second column
has the counter-argument. (G)
Challenging: learners identify the main priorities of US foreign policy
in the Inter-war years. (I)
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Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
29
Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 6: The presidency of Harry S Truman, 1945–1953 (domestic and foreign policy)
Recommended prior knowledge
Learners should already have been introduced to the use of historical sources. They should understand that sources have to be interrogated. They should
understand that knowledge and understanding of the context and provenance of a source are essential in assessing its use in providing evidence.
Context
This optional unit is for those wishing to teach this Paper 2 Set Topic for examination in 2015. Questions will not be set on the content of this unit in Paper 1 in 2015.
The unit should be taught largely through the use of historical sources, developing learners’ understanding of how to approach the style of questions set in Paper 2.
It is recommended that learners are provided with a series of generic questions to support their thinking in relation to the sources (see Unit 8). The activities below
are examples of tasks that could be set: teachers will need to devise many more to reinforce the concept of evidence and to cover the content more widely.
Outline
The Presidency of Harry S. Truman may be considered as a defining moment in both domestic and foreign policy terms. At home Truman had to address the
problems of transition to a peace-time economy, introducing his Fair Deal. The period is also notable for the Red Scare and McCarthyism. It marks the emergence of
the US as a nuclear power; the beginning of the Cold War dominated foreign policy, with the superpower rivalry in its early stages. Learners will need sufficient
knowledge of these topics to contextualize the sources they encounter. They will need to practice using a wide variety of source-types and questions in the same
style as Paper 2.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 26 hours/20% of the course.
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30
Component 2: Set Topic 2 (for examination in 2015) – The Presidency of Harry S Truman, 1945–53: Domestic and Foreign Policy
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
The column to the left of this scheme of work, lists learning objectives
relating to the question types found in Paper 2.
Online:
There are many useful websites containing
source material about Truman’s
presidency, for example:
Identify relevant detailed evidence in
sources.
Draw inferences from the evidence in
sources.
Use their knowledge to interpret detailed
evidence in sources.
Activities in this unit should focus on creating learners who are
proficient in transferring these objectives to unfamiliar sources in
examination conditions without prompting from the teacher.
www.trumanlibrary.org/libhist.htm
Teaching activities should cover the full range of sources that learners
are likely to use in the examination. These should include written,
pictorial and statistical sources. They could also include film, although
this would not be used in the examination.
www.archives.gov/education/lessons
Question: How far does this source (Executive Order 9981) prove that
Truman was committed to racial equality?
Online:
www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_c
ollections/desegregation/large/index.php?a
ction=docs – desegregation of the armed
forces
www.fordham.edu/Halsall/mod/modsbook4
8.asp
Use their knowledge and understanding of
the provenance of sources of evidence to
evaluate sources.
Use sets of sources to support and challenge
a proposition.
Learners should be able to:
Use their contextual knowledge to reach a
judgment about a source.
Learners will need to read the text of the executive order (see
www.trumanlibrary...link opposite) carefully to identify Truman’s stated
aims. They should note that the time-frame is not precise but that the
committee will have the right to inspect any relevant material in its
efforts to enforce the executive order. The reference to the powers of
the presidency is also a clue. (I)
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=12762
– Truman’s annual message to the
Congress on the State of the Union
In reaching a judgment, learners should use their contextual
knowledge of Truman’s background, of the powers of the President,
the general situation with regard to unequal opportunities for African
Americans and the impact of World War II (experience when stationed
V1 4Y07
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
31
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
in the UK and stated aims of the war). They could also cross-reference
the executive order with Truman’s state of the union address of 1947.
Learners need to recognize what the two sides of the argument are:
1. Truman showed commitment because he ...
2. Truman lacked commitment because ... (I/P)
Learners should be able to:
Use their contextual knowledge to reach a
judgment about a source.
How far does this source explain why there was a communist witchhunt in the Truman years?
Learners will need to read the text of the telegram closely. If
appropriate the text may be edited or re-phrased to make it accessible
to the learners. (I)
Online:
www.archives.gov/education/lessons/mcca
rthy-telegram/
– documents (McCarthy telegram). This
site contains McCarthy’s telegram and the
draft of Truman’s response.
Learners should identify the reasons presented in the telegram. They
will need to use their contextual knowledge to explain how the
circumstances of the early years of the Cold War and existing anticommunist fears meant that Truman did not respond with the letter he
drafted, but allowed the House Un-American Activities Committee
(HUAC) to begin its witch-hunt. (I/P) The contextual knowledge should
provide learners with the evidence to form a judgment: they could ask
themselves ‘Would the telegram have led to a witch-hunt if the
circumstances had been different?’
Teachers may wish to use the teaching activity on the website, or
adapt it to match the style of a Paper 2 question.
Note: the last question asks for flaws in McCarthy’s argument in the
telegram.
Learners should be able to:
Explain the message of a source.
Assess the typicality of views expressed in a
source.
Activity 1:
Present learners with a copy of an anti-communist poster from the
Truman years. Some posters have a more obvious message than
others: teachers should choose one that is suitable for their learners,
or could differentiate by giving different posters to different
learners.(W)
Ask learners to identify the message of the poster. They should be
V1 4Y07
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
Online:
www.google.co.uk/Anti-communistimages
– anti-communist posters from the Truman
years
http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/
hiss/huachearings.html – photograph of
Alger Hiss taking the oath before the
32
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
encouraged to use details from the poster as well as their contextual
knowledge to explain how they reached their conclusion about the
message. (P)
HUAC hearing
Learners should then be asked how typical this view was in the
Truman era in the US. They need to consider both sides of the
argument: it was typical and it was not. It will be easier for learners to
argue that it was typical, but teachers will need to encourage learners
to consider a counter-argument. This could be done using a writing
frame with space for the ‘not typical’ argument as well as for the
‘typical’ side. (P)
Basic: Give learners sentence starters to help them to structure the
argument.
Activity 2:
Use extracts from the HUAC hearings to illustrate the difficulties of
those trying to defend themselves. This could feed into the counterargument in the first activity. (W)
Learners should be able to:
Identify similarities and differences between
two sources.
Answer a question with the command ‘How
far ...?’
Provide learners with short but pertinent extracts from the Wagner Act
(NLRA) and the Taft Hartley Act. Ask them to highlight similarities and
differences in two colors. (P)
They should then answer the question:
How far did the Taft Hartley Act reduce workers’ rights?
Or
How far did the Taft Hartley Act restore the rights of employers? (P)
Online:
www.ourdocuments.gov/doc.php?flash=tru
e&doc=67 – National Labor Relations Act
(1935)
www.nlrb.gov/resources/national-laborrelations-act – National Labor Relations
Act
www.nlrb.gov/who-we-are/ourhistory/1947-taft-hartley-substantiveprovisions – 1947 Taft-Hartley substantive
provisions
Learner should be able to:
Use their knowledge of the context of the late
stages of World War II to interpret and
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Provide learners with an extract from the memoirs of Harry S Truman
about his decision to use the atomic bomb against Japan in August
1945. This should be edited to an appropriate length. (W)
Cambridge IGCSE American History (US) 0409 – from 2015
Online:
https://archive.org/stream/yearofdecisionsv
030151mbp/yearofdecisionsv030151mbp_
djvu.txt – further relevant documents:
33
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
evaluate a source.
Ask learners questions to form the habit of first using the detail of the
source, then applying contextual knowledge to interpreting and
evaluating the source:
– What is Truman’s explanation of why he ordered the dropping
of the atomic bombs?
– What can you learn from this source about Truman’s motives
at the time?
– What did Truman know about the effects of dropping an
atomic bomb when he made his decision to use the bomb?
– What circumstances and information that Truman knew about
the Pacific War would have influenced his decision to use the
bomb?
www.trumanlibrary.org/photos/avphoto.htm – Truman library photographs
Learners use their knowledge of US-Soviet relations at this time to
suggest what other motives might Truman have had. This source was
written after the end of Truman’s presidency. What were his motives in
writing his memoirs?
Note: learners should be discouraged from making moral judgments
when writing history as this is not the historian’s task.
Learners should be able to:
Use a cartoon source and their own
knowledge to describe a situation.
Learners will need to read this question carefully – not ‘What does it
tell us ...?” but “What does the source tell you about American views of
the Soviet Union at the end of the Second World War?”
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 2. Section B Source H and Q6.
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Learners should be directed to identify relevant details: the bear and
the fact that it is encircling the globe. They will need to interpret these
images: the bear representing the Soviet Union and the encirclement
/the occupation of eastern Europe in the months after the liberation of
Nazi held lands. America also feared Soviet expansion in the east.
Learners should then use these details to establish what the American
view of the Soviet Union was.
They should be shown how to include contextual knowledge to support
their ideas about what the source tells them about American views of
the Soviet Union. These could include reference to the Soviet sphere
of influence conceded at Yalta and Potsdam, the fear of Soviet
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Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
expansion in the east that had prompted the dropping of the atomic
bombs on Japan, as well as the general fear of communism that had
been apparent for many years and was heightened by Soviet
expansionism in the post-war period.
Learners should be able to:
Learners listen to the speech in which the Truman Doctrine was
introduced. They should also be given the text.
Identify the purpose of a source.
Basic: provide extracts from the speech with the main points.
Explain their ideas with reference to detail
from the source and their contextual
knowledge.
Challenging: learners highlight main points from the full transcript on
a second hearing of the speech.
Learners work through the learned approach to answering a question
about the purpose of a source:
– Consider who is speaking.
– Consider when and to whom he is speaking.
– Consider what he says.
– Consider the wider context – in this case Soviet expansion,
especially in Europe, together with the prevalent opinion in the
US that favored a return to focus on domestic issues in the
aftermath of the Second World War.
Learners will be able to:
Identify the message of a cartoon, using
contextual knowledge.
Online:
www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/harr
ystrumantrumandoctrine.html – the
Truman Doctrine (audio)
www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/education/col
dwar/G3/cs3/cwar.pdf – Cold War – the
Truman Doctrine and Marshall Aid (text)
Note: learners find cartoons difficult to interpret. This is because
without a significant amount of contextual knowledge they will miss
significant details that would have been obvious at the time the
cartoon was drawn.
Online:
www.trumanlibrary.org/whistlestop/study_c
ollections/marshall/large/index.php –
Truman library and museum documents
Present learners with the E. H. Shephard cartoon drawn for the British
magazine ‘Punch’ commenting on the Marshall Plan. Ask them what
they can see in the cartoon and what it represents. As a minimum they
need to be able to identify the European economies about to collapse
and Marshall with a new prop for them. Uncle Sam should be a wellknown representation of the US. Learners write a statement that
represents the message of the cartoon. (P)
www.johndclare.net/cold_war8_ppt4.pps –
‘Punch’ magazine cartoon of 1 October
1947
www.loc.gov/exhibits/marshall/marshexhibition.html – online exhibition of the
Marshall Plan
Ask one of a pair to read out their statement of the message and
explain how they came to this conclusion. (W) This is a good
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Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
opportunity for encouraging learners to consciously reference details
from the source and use their contextual knowledge explicitly as the
immediate feedback and extension question asked them by the
teacher should make sure that they use as much detail and knowledge
as possible.
Learners should be able to:
Evaluate a source in terms of its
completeness.
Use their contextual knowledge to reach a
judgment about a source.
Note: Learners need practice using pictorial sources. It is, therefore,
important to use such sources frequently and insist on careful
observation of detail. The activity is more productive if the teacher
checks at each stage that learners understand what they can see.
Give learners a photograph of Chinese troops captured in the Korean
War. Learners should be asked to identify what they can see in the
photograph. Ask learners what this shows about the military conflict in
Korea. (P)
www.google.co.uk/images – images of
chinese troops captured in the Korean War
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 2 Section B Source J and Q8
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Learners should then consider what they know about the nature of the
military conflict in Korea. They should then plan (and write) an answer
which considers both sides of the argument in relation to the question:
How completely does the photograph illustrate the nature of the
military conflict in the Korean War (1950–53)? Explain your answer
using details from the source and your knowledge. (I/P)
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Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 7: The US as a superpower, 1945–2000
Recommended prior knowledge
No prior knowledge of this topic is expected. If teachers choose Topic 2 for Paper 2 it is expected that learners will be taught that topic before continuing with this
unit.
Context
The final unit of content addresses the issues facing the US in the period after the Second World War. As a superpower it took a leading role in world affairs, albeit
reluctantly at first. Federal government’s need to balance domestic and foreign policy concerns means that it is productive to study the two in conjunction with each
other.
Outline
This unit addresses federal government policies in both the domestic and foreign policy spheres. It also considers social and economic developments impacting on
the lives of all Americans. The order in which the elements are taught should be the decision of the individual teacher.
Teaching time
Based on a total time allocation of 130 contact hours for this Cambridge IGCSE course, it is recommended that this unit should take 14 hours/11% of the course.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 3: How effectively did the federal government respond to the challenges it faced from 1933–2000?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with information about Kennedy’s ‘New Frontier’ and
Johnson’s ‘Great Society’. This should include aims, actions and
impact.
Assess how extensive the reform programs
of the 1960s were.
Assess how far the power and the prestige of
the presidency has been eroded since 1969.
Learning resources
Ask learners to compare each president’s plans and actions and
impact. This should be the basis for a chart of notes in grid format:
Kennedy
Johnson
Plans/aims
Actions
Impact
These notes should be used as a basis for answering the questions
such as:
“Johnson’s aims in the ‘Great Society’ were more far-reaching that
Kennedy’s in his ‘New Frontier’.” How far do you agree with this view?
Explain your answer.
Learners should be provided with information about the events
affecting the power and prestige of the presidency since 1969, as
listed in the syllabus (Watergate, Iran Contra, 2000 election,
Congress/Presidency relations). They should then plot these events
on a living graph.
Learners discuss which of the events was most damaging to the
prestige of the presidency and which was most damaging to its power.
(P)
Basic: some learners may find it more difficult to distinguish between
power and prestige so could cover both together.
Challenging: learners distinguish between power and prestige in
reaching a judgment in relation to the Key Question.
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Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 3: How and why did the economic, social, and political status of African Americans change from 1754–2000?
Focus Points: How and with what success did the civil rights movement gain momentum after 1945?
Key Question 1: How and why did the economic, social, and political status of Native Americans change from 1754–2000? *
Key Question 2: How and why did the economic, social, and political status of Hispanic and Asian Americans change from ca.1840–2000? *
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners are given a timeline of key events in the African-American
struggle for civil rights since 1945. The number of events and level of
detail will depend on the ability of the learners to handle information.
The quantity of information provided should not be so extensive as to
prevent learners from identifying patterns of change and continuity.
(W)
0409 Specimen Paper:
Paper 1 Q3(c)
Assess the extent to which attitudes to ethnic
minorities have changed since 1945.
Assess the success of ethnic pressure
groups in achieving their aims.
Learners could research or be given information about the key events
on the timeline. The focus should be on information that will be useful
to them in answering the questions:
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 1 Q4(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
“Martin Luther King’s role in helping the civil rights movement gain
momentum after 1945 has been greatly exaggerated.” How far do you
agree with this view? Explain your answer.
‘Malcolm X contributed more to the progress of African Americans
than Martin Luther King.’ How far do you agree with this view? Explain
your answer.
Learners could be guided through planning one of the answers, then
plan and write an answer to the second question. (P/I)
* Similar exercises could be undertaken on the Red and Brown Power
movements. Learners could then assess the relative success of each.
(P)
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Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 5: What were the major changes in the US economy from 1941–2000?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Provide learners with sets of pictures and other data illustrating the
major periods of change outlined in the syllabus: the impact of the
Second World War, recovery from the Second World War, the slump
of the 1970s and early 1980s and the ‘Information Age’. (W)
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 1 Q5(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Identify and describe the major changes in
the US economy, 1941–2000.
They could then role play, using the information to complete
questionnaires about the positive and negative impact of economic
changes on different groups of Americans (big businessmen, workers,
etc.) in their working and social lives. (G)
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Theme 2: Who Are Americans?
Key Question 6: To what extent was gender equality achieved during the period 1848–2000?
Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 7: How far did US popular culture change from 1920–ca.1975?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Give learners sources illustrating ‘before’ and ‘after’ in relation to one
or more of the aspects of culture. Ask them to identify what has
changed. (W)
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 1 Q6(c)
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Assess the impact of the long 1960s on US
popular culture with reference to counterculture and protest ca 1955–1975: beatniks
and hippies, style (design, fashion, music)
the sexual revolution, the drug scene,
Woodstock and Altamont.
Learners should also consider the extent to which these changes
impacted on American culture and the positive and negative effects.
They should then undertake a practice examination-style question, for
example:
Judge how important the Second World War
was in moves to gender equality.
‘The hippy movement had a negative influence on the development of
US culture.’ How far do you agree with this view? Explain your answer.
Assess the extent to which gender equality
has been achieved starting in the 1960s.
Learners should be provided with a timeline of legislation affecting the
rights of women since 1945. The teacher should select the most
important.
Learners could then be asked to consider whether changes in the law
or changes in culture and attitudes are more important in achieving
equality. This provides a good opportunity for re-visiting the issue in
relation to racial minorities. (W/G)
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Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 4: How did the USA achieve and sustain its status as a superpower from 1945–2000?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learners should be able to:
Learners construct a living graph showing the relative strengths of
each side in the nuclear arms race from 1945–1989. (I)
Assess how the US achieved and sustained
its status as a superpower from 1945–2000.
(Note: 1945–1953 is addressed in Unit 6 and
will not be tested in Paper 1 in 2015).
Learning resources
Learners should be provided with key dates (acquisition of different
levels of nuclear capability, places where missiles were deployed,
arms reduction negotiations etc.)
They then plot the strength of each side in different colors. (I)
Learners then answer the question:
‘After 1949 neither side in the Cold War could win a nuclear war.’ How
far do you agree with this view? Explain your answer. (I)
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Scheme of work – Cambridge IGCSE® American History (US) 0409
Unit 8: Learning to use historical evidence
Recommended prior knowledge
Sources of evidence may be used to introduce or review topics. In the latter case, learners would be expected to have knowledge of the context of the source under
consideration.
Context
Learners will be tested on their ability to use historical evidence in Paper 2 and in their coursework. The historical concept of evidence takes time to embed and
develop, so it is recommended that learners encounter sources of evidence throughout the course, for example as part of a starter or plenary activity in each lesson.
This unit provides exemplars to show how an understanding of the historical evidence can be developed. Teachers should aim to develop further similar resources
so that each lesson incorporates an element of source analysis and evaluation.
Outline
The unit starts with generic questions that will support the use of sources of evidence, including the development of understanding of the concept of evidence. It then
proceeds to provide examples of how sources may be used in the teaching of Paper 1 topics. It assumes that the topics will be taught in the order suggested in Units
1–7. The content for each activity is a suggestion: each one could be adapted to a number of different content areas by using the same activity but different sources.
Teaching time
The suggested teaching activities in Unit 8 are designed to be integrated into the teaching of Units 1–7. It is recommended that learners are introduced to source
tasks early in the course and that, where possible, sources are used in a starter or plenary activity in most lessons. The teaching of the chosen Paper 2 topic should
focus more on the use of sources.
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Theme 3: Economic and Social Change 1754–2000
Key Question 7: How far did US popular culture change from 1920–ca.1975?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Learners should have some prior knowledge of the entertainment
industry the 1920s.
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2 Q6 Source A
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Understand the difference between historical
information and historical evidence – that
historical sources do not speak for
themselves, they have to be interpreted.
Recognize the difference between what a
source tells them and what they can learn
(infer or work out) from it.
Learners should be given a short time to look at Source A from the Jun
2014 Paper 2. Ask them to note what they can see in it. (P)
Check that they have noticed: the name of the film; the number of
screenings each day/week; the name of the company producing the
film and of the theatre; the name of the star; the picture of the jazz
singer – they may recognise that Al Jolson is blacked-up – the movie
company has not used an African-American actor for the role; the
word ‘vitaphone’. Learners need to form the habit of identifying detail
and referring to it explicitly. (P)
Use question and answer to direct learners to develop each point by
saying what they can learn from this evidence. For example, the twice
daily screening of the film suggests that going to the movies was a
popular recreational activity. It also implies that many people had
sufficient disposable income and leisure time to go to the movies.
The title of this popular film suggests that jazz was a popular form of
music at the time. Learners are likely to use their knowledge that jazz
had African-American origins. The casting of a white actor to play the
part of an African-American jazz singer could suggest racial prejudice
and/or that the popularity of a film depended not only on the subject
matter but also movie star.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865?
Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 4: How did the USA achieve and sustain its status as a superpower from 1945–2000?
Learning objectives
Learners should be able to:
Use a wide range of different types of
sources, e.g. written, pictorial, statistical.
Show an understanding of the different
issues they raise as well as the different
uses they have.
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Activity 1:
Using the cartoon from Jun 2013 Paper 2 Section A Source A:
What is the message of the cartoon?
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 2 Section A Source A and
Section B Source A
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Note: Cartoons can be difficult for learners to interpret, but systematic
interrogation of the source will support the process.
Ask learners to describe what they can see in the cartoon. They will
need to identify details such as the two men fighting, what they are
wearing, and the branch of the tree, the chasm and the word
bankruptcy.
Then move on to the idea that the image is not intended to be
interpreted at face value – it has a message which the candidate
needs to identify by referring to the details they have already noted.
Ask learners to use their knowledge of the Civil War to explain the
details:
Who do the two men represent?
Why do they look so similar?
What is the significance of their striped pants?
What does the tree represent?
What does the broken branch represent?
What does the chasm represent?
Does the cartoon fit the learners’ knowledge?
Was the US in danger of breaking apart?
Was there a danger of bankruptcy?
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Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners then consider the provenance of the cartoon: it is from a
British magazine – does this affect the message of the cartoon? Is the
date it was produced of any significance?
Activity 2:
Using the poster from 0409 Jun 2013 Paper 2 Section B Source A:
Why was this poster produced?
Ask learners to identify details in the cartoon: what does it show? They
should identify the jungle and the clearing in it. They should note the
US soldiers in the clearing, heavily armed and crouching and the truck
in the background in which the soldiers arrived. They should note the
Vietcong soldiers hiding in the jungle. The clothing of the two sets of
men should help to identify which is which. (W)
Ask learners what they can learn from this poster about the fighting in
the Vietnam War. They will need to use their knowledge of the fighting
to interpret correctly what they can see – the inability of the US GIs to
adapt to the environment; the ability of the Vietcong to melt into the
jungle; the use of ambush; guerrilla warfare. (W)
Ask learners to note that this is a Vietcong poster. The caption on the
examination paper suggested it was used as propaganda. What does
this mean? What message were the Vietcong trying to put across?
You could prompt learners to consider the message about the US
soldiers, the ability of the Vietcong to beat them, the likely outcome of
the war. (W)
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Theme 4: The USA and the World 1754–2000
Key Question 4: How did the USA achieve and sustain its status as a superpower from 1945–2000?
Learning objectives
Learners should be able to:
Understand the importance of the purposes,
interests and the intended audiences of the
authors of historical sources.
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Using Source C from Jun 2013 Paper 2 Section B, this source gives a
very pessimistic view of the prospects for US success in Vietnam.
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 2 Section B Source C
Available from Teacher Support at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Ask learners to identify all the points that Acheson makes in support of
his initial claim “We can no longer do the job we set out to do ...” They
should refer to: reactions in America, the inability of the US to build an
independent South Vietnam, the problems of keeping the North
Vietnamese out of South Vietnam because of their strategy. (W/P)
Learners should be asked to provide contextual evidence to explain
Acheson’s points. The precise date of the source (March 26, 1968) is
important here. Expect learners to refer to the Tet Offensive as well as
demonstrations in the US. They could also use more generalized
knowledge of the Ho Chi Minh trail and guerrilla tactics.
Online:
www.lbjlib.utexas.edu/johnson/archives.ho
m/speeches.hom/680331.asp – President
L B Johnson’s address to the nation
announcing steps to limit the war in
Vietnam ...(1968)
Learners should then consider why the views Acheson expresses are
so pessimistic.
– Why is he expressing a view at this time?
– To whom is he speaking?
– What was the context for LBJ with regard to the war and the
upcoming presidential election? (P)
The link to Johnson’s speech of March 31, 1968 provides an
interesting insight into the impact of the discussion of the ‘wise men’.
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Theme 2: Who are Americans?
Key Question 4: How did immigration affect the USA during the years1860–2000?
Learning objectives
Learners should be able to:
Understand the importance of contextual
knowledge in the interpretation of historical
sources.
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should study the issues of immigration post World War I
before undertaking this activity. The examination question based on
this source asks how typical Senator Heflin’s views were.
Online:
http://history.hanover.edu/courses/excerpts
/227immigration.html – congressional
debate on immigration restriction (1921)
Ask learners to identify all the problems that Senator Heflin attributes
to immigration. (W)
For each of these problems, ask learners to provide evidence to
support Heflin’s claims.
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2 Section B Source B
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Ask learners about the economic problems of the early 1920s – the
transition to a peace-time economy and the political and economic
problems of Europe that caused mass-emigration. This context helps
to explain Heflin’s views.( W)
Heflin’s views are clearly anti-immigration. In order to establish their
typicality, ask learners for further evidence of anti-immigration opinions
in the US at the time. They should consider, for example, the widening
targets of the Ku Klux Klan; Immigration Acts of 1921, 1924 and 1929;
The Palmer Raids and the Red Scare; the Sacco and Vanzetti case.
These make the case for Heflin’s views matching those of many
others.
To identify alternative views, learners could access the electronic
version of the debate (see learning resources).
Learners will now be in a position to use contextual knowledge to
judge the typicality of Heflin’s views.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865?
Learning objectives
Learners should be able to:
Use contextual knowledge and
understanding of the provenance of sources
to explain differences between the content
of two sources.
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners study the two sources found in the 0409 June 2013 Paper 2
which give contrasting accounts of the burning of southern cities
during the Civil War. (W)
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2013 Paper 2, Section A, Source D
and E
Available from Teacher Support
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Ask learners to make two lists. The first should contain points of
difference, the second points of similarity. (P)
Ask learners to identify who wrote each source. Knowledge of the two
sides in the Civil War and the context of the later stages of the war
should be used to explain why the events were presented differently in
each source. (P)
Ask learners why the complaint (Jun 2013 Paper 2 Source D) and the
report (Jun 2013 Paper 2 Source E) were written. Support learners in
using these points about the provenance of the two sources to explain
why they present events differently. (W)
Having worked through these points, learners should write an answer
to a question such as:
Why do these two accounts of the actions of the Unionist army differ?
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 1: How did Americans develop the US political system during the period from 1754–1865?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
After studying the situation in the first few years of the Theme 1,
present this cartoon (Source A from the 0409 June 2014 Paper 2) to
the learners on screen or paper. Make sure that they recognize what
the initial letters represent and that they have noted the date and
authorship of the source. (W)
0409 past examination paper:
Jun 2014 Paper 2, Q1 Source A
Available from Aug 2014 at
http://teachers.cie.org.uk
Use details from a source to establish its
meaning.
Use contextual knowledge to interpret a
source.
Use the provenance (in this case the date) of
a source to interpret a source.
Ask the learners to work in pairs. Give each pair one of three
statements, all purporting to be the message of the cartoon. One of
the statements should be: “It is imperative that the British colonies of
America unite together. If they remain divided they will be defeated by
the French.” The other statements could be: “America’s British
colonies will be defeated by the British if they do not unite together.”
and “Britain’s American colonies will be more powerful if they join
together as they will be like a snake.” (P)
Ask the learners to discuss whether the statement they have been
given accurately represents the message of the cartoon. (P)
Put each statement under the cartoon on the whiteboard/screen in turn
and ask learners who have been considering this statement to present
their views on the accuracy with which it represents the message of
the cartoon. (W)
Look for references to the situation in 1754, when the colonists were
threatened by the French, not the British, as contextual knowledge that
is critical to identifying the message as intended by Franklin. Also look
for reference to detail from the cartoon – “Join, or die” is far stronger
than the message in the last exemplar statement.
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Theme 1: Government and the People 1754–2000
Key Question 3: How effectively did the federal government respond to the challenges it faced from 1933–2000?
Theme 3: Economic and social change 1754–2000
Key Question 4: What were the economic and social changes of the period 1919–1941?
Learning objectives
Suggested teaching activities
Learning resources
Learners should be able to:
Present learners with three or more sources giving opinions about
FDR’s New Deal. Also give them pictures of people representing the
type of people who might have made the statements. Ask them to
match the written comments to the character. Ask them to identify
precisely what the view is and to provide information that explains why
that person held the view.
Online:
www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/?pid=29639
‘The New Deal Pump’ cartoon
There are some suggestions of sources giving opinions in the
resources list: use opinions from people at the time, not comments
from historians or later political commentators.
Planned economy or planned destruction
cartoon in the Chicago Tribune, 1934
Recognize that there were different opinions
at the time about a key policy.
Explain why people at the time had different
opinions about a key policy.
Confidence in your doctor is half the battle
cartoon
Quote from:
The Roosevelt I Knew
Author: Perkins, F
(Penguin Group, 1946)
ISBN: 9780670607372
® IGCSE is the registered trademark of Cambridge International Examinations.
© Cambridge International Examinations 2014
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