AP U.S. HISTORY SYLLABUS
Curricular Requirements
Page(s)
CR1a The course includes a college-level U.S. history textbook.
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CR1b The course includes diverse primary sources consisting of
written documents, maps, images,
quantitative data (charts, graphs, tables), and works of art.
379
CR1c The course includes secondary sources written by historians or
scholars interpreting the past.
3
CR2 Each of the course historical periods receives explicit attention.
6-20
CR3 The course provides opportunities for students to apply detailed
and specific knowledge (such as names, chronology, facts, and events)
to broader historical understandings.
CR4 The course provides students with opportunities for instruction in
the learning objectives in each of the seven themes throughout the
course, as described in the AP U.S. History curriculum framework.
CR5 The course provides opportunities for students to develop
coherent written arguments that have a thesis supported by relevant
historical evidence. — Historical argumentation
CR6 The course provides opportunities for students to identify and
evaluate diverse historical interpretations. —Interpretation
CR7 The course provides opportunities for students to analyze
evidence about the past from diverse sources, such as written
documents, maps, images, quantitative data (charts, graphs, tables),
and works of art. — Appropriate use of historical evidence
CR8 The course provides opportunities for students to examine
relationships between causes and consequences of events or
processes. — Historical causation
CR9 The course provides opportunities for students to identify and
analyze patterns of continuity and change over time and connect
them to larger historical processes or themes. — Patterns of change
and continuity over time
CR10 The course provides opportunities for students to investigate
and construct different models of historical periodization. —
Periodization
CR11 The course provides opportunities for students to compare
historical developments across or within societies in various
chronological and geographical contexts. — Comparison
CR12 The course provides opportunities for students to connect
historical developments to specific circumstances of time and place,
and to broader regional, national, or global processes. —
Contextualization
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CR13a The course provides opportunities for students to combine
disparate, sometimes contradictory evidence from primary sources
and secondary works in order to create a persuasive
understanding of the past.
9
CR13b The course provides opportunities for students to apply
insights about the past to other
historical contexts or circumstances, including the present.
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6 10
7 15
12
16
18
10
19
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1
AP U.S. History
Canton High School
Contact Info: MR. HEITMAN
ROOM 607
EMAIL: jheitman@canton.k12.mo.us
Course Website: http://jheitman.pbworks.com/w/page/40948231/FrontPage
Course Description: The Advanced Placement United States History course is structured to provide high
school students a college level survey of American History from the pre-Columbian period to the
present. It is offered through the College Board’s Advanced Placement Program. Successful completion
of the course and the final examination generally result in college credit granted in later courses of study
at American colleges and universities.
Key Themes: The course is structured around the outline of the primary text; however the following
themes will be embedded into each unit: Identity (ID), Work, Exchange and Technology (WXT), Peopling
(PEO), Politics and Power (POL), America in the World (WOR), Environment and Geography (ENV), and
Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture (CUL).
Historical Thinking Skills: Professional historians employ a specialized skill set in their work daily.
Therefore, an academically solid AP U.S. History course seeks to properly develop the following skills:
Chronological Reasoning
• Historical Causation
• Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
• Periodization
Comparison and Contextualization
• Comparison
• Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
• Historical Argumentation
• Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
• Interpretation
• Synthesis
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Required Texts and Materials: Primary Text--Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of
the American People, 6th edition. New York: McGraw-Hill, 2009. [CR1a]
Supplemental Texts (provided by instructor via online or paperback resources): [CR1b] [CR1c]
•Bailey, Thomas A., Kennedy, David M., Cohen, Lizabeth. The American Pageant, Volume I: To 1877.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
•Bailey, Thomas A., Kennedy, David M., Cohen, Lizabeth. The American Pageant, Volume II: Since 1865.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.
•Bennett, William. The Spirit of America Words of Advice From the Founders in Stories, Letters, Poems,
and Speeches. New York: Simon & Schuster.
•Bolden, Tonya. Cause: Reconstruction America, 1863-1877. New York: Knopf Publishing.
•Borland, Bruce. America Through the Eyes of Its People Primary Sources in American History. New
York: Addison Wesley Longman.
•Davidson, James & Lytle, Mark. After the Fact the Art of Historical Detection. New York: McGraw-Hill.
•Dubois, Ellen Carol, Dumenil, Lynn. Through Women’s Eyes: An American History, With Documents.
Boston: Bedford /St. Martin.
•Garraty, John A., Carnes, Mark C. The American Nation: A History of the United States. New York:
Addison Wesley Longman.
•O’Connor, Karen, Sabato, Larry J. American Government: Continuity and Change. New York: Addison
Wesley Longman.
•Saffell, David C., Basehart, Harry. State and Local Government: Politics and Public Policies.
New York: McGraw Hill.
•Youngs, J. William. American Realities Historical Episodes from the First Settlements to the Civil War.
New York: Harper Collins.
•Zinn, Howard. A Peoples History of the United States. New York: Harper & Row.
•Subscription to: American History Magazine, USA Today
Student Evaluation/Grading Procedure: Students are given a variety of assignments, including
numerous formative and summative assessments. The primary focus of all evaluations is to successfully
prepare students for the AP U.S. History Exam. Homework and Projects (Practice Work) will account for
approximately 40%; Quizzes and Tests (Assessments) 60%.
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Grading Scale: See Student Handbook for Weighted Courses.
Homework and Test Policy: Make-up and late work, including exams will be treated as outlined in the
Canton High School Student Handbook. General rule of thumb: plan in advance, communicate the plan
with the instructor, and follow through with the plan.
Course Goals/Objectives:
*Q=Quarter
Students will:
• Demonstrate a mastery of a broad body of historical knowledge—Q1
• Use historical evidence to defend and support basic arguments and positions—Q1
• Differentiate between various schools of historical thought and interpretation—Q2
• Interpret and draw conclusions from various pieces of historical data including:
original documents, cartoons, graphs, etc.—Q2
• Demonstrate an effective use of analytical skills of evaluation, cause-and-effect—Q3
relationships, and compare and contrast.
• Work effectively in groups to produce products, make presentations, and solve—Q4
problems.
• Prepare for and receive a grade of 3 or higher on the AP U.S. History Exam—Q4
Classroom Discipline Plan: An Ideal Learning Environment
Students are expected to be punctual and attend class regularly. Student participation and effort are
vital to their success in this Advanced Placement course. All assignments are expected to be turned in
on time. Delinquent work and substandard classroom behavior will be treated according to the policies
outlined in the Canton High School Student Handbook. I am a proponent of Positive Behavior
Interventions and Support. However, classroom disruptions are a waste of valuable instruction time.
Therefore classroom management will proceed as follows:
1.
Individual or Group Warning
2.
Final Warning
3.
Environmental approach: Change of assigned seat and education plan
4.
Detention and Notification of Parent/Guardian; or Office Referral
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5.
The instructor reserves the right to alter conditions at any time in order to provide a quality
learning environment for all students
A YEAR IN AP U.S. HISTORY: ‘AT-A-GLANCE’
1.
Unit One: History and American Identity
2.
Unit Two: Road to Revolution
3.
Unit Three: The New Republic
4.
Unit Four: The Age of Jefferson>End of Q1
5.
Unit Five: Age of Jackson
6.
Unit Six: Antebellum America
7.
Unit Seven: Westward Expansion and Buildup to the Civil War
8.
Unit Eight: The Civil War
9.
Unit Nine: The Reconstruction Era
10.
Unit Ten: The American West and Industrialization
11.
Unit Eleven: The Gilded Age>End of Q2
12.
Unit Twelve: The Progressive Era
13.
Unit Thirteen: America and the Great War
14.
Unit Fourteen: The Great Depression and the New Deal
15.
Unit Fifteen: American and the Second World War>End of Q3
16.
Unit Sixteen: The Cold War Part I
17.
Unit Seventeen: The Vietnam War
18.
Unit Eighteen: The Cold War Part II
19.
Unit Nineteen: The Age of Globalization>End of Q4
Unit Objectives and Course Schedule:
First days of school1.
Instructor-Student Introduction, assigns seating, and goes over syllabus.
2.
Assign students various readings and practice assignments.
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3.
Formally evaluate student performance, both written and verbal, in order to establish course
expectations for the academic year. No letter grade will be assigned for practice essays.
Unit One: History and the American Identity
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 1 and 2; The American Pageant- Chapter 1:
“New World Beginnings,” and Dubois: “America in the World, to 1650.”
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV
Major Topics: Evolution of Native American culture; Spanish exploration and the development of
colonies in the Americas; the development of English colonial settlements; the Salem witch hunt and the
evolution of relations between the colonies and England (including Bacon’s Rebellion); the rise of the
English as an imperial power; conflict with the Spanish and the French.
Essential Questions: How did the development of England as a nation-state influence its rise as a
colonial power?
How were the French and Spanish different to the English in their approach to colonization?
What were the push and pull factors leading to rapid population of the Western Hemisphere?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the Spanish Expulsion; the rise of England as a nation-state, and the
religious factors leading to colonial development in North America. Document analysis activity: the
Mayflower Compact and A Short Account of the Destruction of the Indies. Historical interpretations
lesson: Adam Smith’s The Wealth of Nations.
By drawing on selections from The Unfinished Nation, students write an essay that explores the social
and cultural backgrounds of what Africans brought to America. Students also write an essay in which
they evaluate the relationship between Spanish colonists and the Indians. [CR5]
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on topics listed above. Multiple choice test on
topics above, and several maps from the colonial period. Take home essay includes two parts: one on
the question: “How did the English Reformation differ from that of Luther and Calvin? Why did it fail to
satisfy the religious desires of many English people?” AND two: Students will design a museum map
tracing the impact of the Columbian Exchange with reference to specific commodities then provide a
curator’s comment explaining the importance of the commodities to both Old World and New. (WXT-1)
[CR4] [CR12]
UNIT 2: Road to Revolution (1759-1789)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 3-4; and the American Pageant Chapter 7;
excerpt from “Common Sense,” by Thomas Paine.
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
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Major Topics: Causes and consequences of the French and Indian War; policies taken by Parliament in
the 1760's and 1770's that served to incite resistance and rebellion and outbreak of military hostilities;
French strategy in the Revolutionary war; Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation,
Continental Congress, aftermath of the war.
Essential Questions: Was the Revolutionary War avoidable? What leaders emerged from the war?
What potential problems faced the new republic? How was the Revolutionary War a continuation of
Europe’s centuries’ long conflict?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on colonial political representation. Students participate in a debate in
which they analyze different interpretations between supporters of the Federalists versus supporters of
the Anti-Federalists. Different viewpoints will be analyzed featuring articles from Semonche’s The
Debate Over the Constitution: Federalists vs. Antifederalists, Kenyon’s Men of Little Faith: The AntiFederalists on the Nature of Representative Government, and Nedelsky’s Confining Democratic Politics:
Anti-Federalists, Federalists, and the Constitution. [CR6]
Document analysis: Accounts of the Boston Massacre and breakdown of the Declaration of
Independence. Historical interpretations lesson on the Origins of Slavery. [CR4]
Students give an oral presentation on the Historiography of the American Revolution. [CR3]
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. American
Revolution Test: multiple choice, identification, and maps from the time period. [CR1b] Take-home
essay where students must identify and explain the intellectual, social, political, and economic factors
that led Massachusetts to be the ‘hot-bed’ of revolutionary activity.
Unit 3 The New Republic (1789-1812)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 5-6; DBQ on the Alien
& Sedition Acts; and excerpt from Marbury v. Madison decision.
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV
Major Topics: The historical debate concerning Constitutional Convention; the debate over the Virginia
and New Jersey plans; the idea of federalism and the working design of the American Constitution; the
importance of The Federalist Papers in the ratification struggle, the emergence of the first party system;
how the weak new nation coped with various domestic and international problems, the presidency of
John Adams and the passage of the Alien and Sedition Acts; the development of the Supreme Court.
Essential Question: What were the origins of and debates surrounding the U.S. Constitution, and how
the debates were resolved? What were the main arguments and viewpoints of the Federalists and Anti
Federalists regarding the structure of government and the Constitution? How did the early Republic try
to establish itself at home and abroad; and what happened during the Revolution of 1800?
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Unit Activities: In class debate on the Alien and Sedition Act and in class document analysis of Marbury
v. Madison decision, excerpts from the Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. 2 in class
essays on America’s first political parties and how the Constitution reflected an emerging sense of
American national identity. Chapter multiple choice test. Take home DBQ on the Alien and Sedition
Acts.
Unit Four: The Age of Jefferson (1812-1828)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation, Chapters 7-8 and Court Case Briefs from
http://www.streetlaw.org/
Themes: ID, POL, WOR, CUL
Major Topics: American cultural and nationalist aspirations, Republic Education, new societal roles, and
the growth of industrialism; the political philosophy of Thomas Jefferson and Jeffersonian, Federalist
struggle for power and dominance; America’s Westward and Global Expansion, the strange story of
Aaron Burr; The War of 1812 and its aftermath; Bank of the United States; key decisions of the Marshall
Court, nullification, the Monroe Doctrine and its implications.
Essential Questions: Were the policies of the United States government new or merely a continuation of
policies already in place? How did the nullification debate signal later trouble for the New Republic? In
what ways did America develop in contrast to the Jeffersonian ideal? What effect did America's
transportation system have on industrialization? What religious movements occurred during this time
period? How did a new generation of Congressional leadership spur the War of 1812?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the duality of Thomas Jefferson and his impact upon American
political thought. Map skills activity: Battles of the War of 1812. Debate on the Election of 1824 and the
“Corrupt Bargain.”
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. In-class free
response essay on one of the essential questions listed above. Online Reading Quiz covering the
material in the textbook and class discussions and activities.
Unit Five: Age of Jackson (1828-1840)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapter 9; DBQ on Jacksonian Democracy; excerpts from
Alexis de Tocqueville's Democracy in America; and Joseph G. Baldwin's Flush Times of Alabama and
Mississippi.
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL
Major Topics: Effects of the election of Andrew Jackson and his policies upon America’s political,
economic, and cultural institutions; Nullification theory and Native American Policy; The Bank War and
the Taney Court, The Panic of 1837, and the Webster-Ashburton Treaty.
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Essential Questions: What were the general characteristics of "Jacksonian Democracy," its philosophy,
and its practice? What was the Kitchen Cabinet? What were the origins of the Calhoun-Jackson split?
How did Calhoun and South Carolina propose to test the theory of nullification, and what factors
contributed to their decision? What happened to the Bank of the United States in this time period and
what caused the Panic of 1837? How did the Whig Party win back the White House?
Unit Activities: The Jackson Game—simulation activity requiring students to research positions, write
speeches, ask/answer questions from the point of view of their characters, and complete a formal
reflective essay. In-class document analysis activity: from Daniel Webster’s debate with Robert Hayne,
Andrew Jackson’s bank veto; Message to Congress regarding Indian Removal.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment evaluating the historiographical debate over the
Bank War, the Second Party System, or Indian Removal. In-class DBQ essay on Jacksonian Democracy—
measuring the mastery of material, use of documents in supporting thesis statement, sophistication of
argument in response to the prompt, and quality of formal writing. [CR13a] Reading Quiz focusing on
vocabulary of the unit.
Unit Six: Antebellum America (1840-1852)
Reading Assignments: Unfinished Nation: Chapters 10-12; Through Women’s Eyes- Chapter 4:
“Pedestal, Loom, and Auction Block;” The American Nation: Chapter 10 “The Making of Middle Class
America;” Journal of Economic Growth (2006): “Education and income of the states of the United States:
1840–2000.”
Themes: WXT, POL, CUL
Major Topics: Expansion of American Infrastructure, Population Growth, Immigration, Urbanization,
Rise of Nativism, Women’s new roles, the explosion of reform movements, the expansion of slavery in
the South, the culture of the Old South, the rise of King Cotton, Utopian movements, the beginning of
American educational, literary, and social institutions.
Essential Questions: What were the ‘actual’ ideals of the reform and utopian movements? How was did
authors, scholars, and religious authorities craft American identity during this time period? What
progress did reformers and abolitionists make? What cultural differences characterized the North and
South? What is Nativism? What was the economic structure of the South?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the Second Great Awakening, utopian societies, and plantation life.
In-class document analysis activity: “Declaration of Sentiments” Seneca Falls Convention of 1848 and
excerpts from Henry David Thoreau’s “Walden;” and Harriet Beecher Stowe’s “Uncle Tom’s Cabin.”
Students will write a DBQ essay on Antebellum Reform and produce an evaluation for expression of
ideas of American national identity from self-selected artwork/poetry from the time period. [CR1b]
Assignments and Assessments: Online map assignment exploring the spread of cotton plantations in
the South, Multiple Choice/True False Exam, and Take home essay exploring the historiography of
slavery.
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UNIT 7: WESTWARD EXPANSION AND BUILDUP TO THE CIVIL WAR (1846-1860)
Reading Assignments: Unfinished Nation Chapter 13, The American Nation Chapter 12, excerpts from
the Congressional Globe and Compromise of 1850; President’s Polk war address to Congress; and John
Sloat’s proclamation (1846).
Themes: ID, PEO, POL, WOR
Major Topics: The influence of Manifest Destiny on Americans during the period, and how it shaped
American policy in Texas, Oregon, California, and the Southwest; the expansion of slavery into the
western territories that deepened divisions between the North and the South; and the shifting power
structure between the Northern and Southern states causing the outbreak of war.
Essential Questions: What was the concept of Manifest Destiny and how did it influence American
expansionism west of the Mississippi River; especially Texan settlement? Why did the South perceive
the Wilmot Proviso as such a threat? How did the Mexican War and its aftermath lead to extreme
sectionalism? What characterized Far Western development? How did the Compromise of 1850 and
the election of Abraham Lincoln pave the path towards the Civil War?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on Texas independence, the Wilmot Proviso, the Compromise of 1850,
‘Bleeding Kansas,’ and the election of Lincoln. Each student will research an individual from this era in
preparation for an in-class role playing exercise. The discussion will be guided by questions which relate
this era being a turning point in U.S. History and additional themes of AP U.S. History. [CR10]
Assignments and Assessments: Multiple Choice Test; Did Manifest Destiny Unite or Divide Americans?
The class will analyze and discuss various documents and answer the DBQ essay, and free response
essay on the Compromise of 1850. [CR5]
UNIT 8: THE CIVIL WAR (1860-1865)
Reading Assignments: Unfinished Nation: Chapter 14, “The Emancipation Proclamation,” “The
Gettysburg Address,” “War Department General Order 143,” “Second Inaugural Address,” James
McPherson’s Battle Cry of Freedom and excerpts from Hugh Tulloch’s The Debate on the American Civil
War Era.
Themes: ID, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Major Topics: The many interpretations of the causes of the Civil War advanced by historians; Public and
resource support: North vs. South; The significant nationalistic legislation enacted by Congress once
southern members were no longer a factor, including the Homestead Act, Morrill Act, and National Bank
Acts; The step-by-step considerations involved in President Lincoln's decision to issue the Emancipation
Proclamation; The military mobilization of the North and the basic structure of the government of the
Confederate States of America, along with the vital question of states' rights; The military strategies
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adopted by both sides of the Civil War, and the major battles that marked the course of America's
bloodiest conflict.
Essential Questions: To what extent was slavery a "cause" of the Civil War? Was war inevitable after
the sectional crises of the 1850s? What social, political, and economic issues tended to divide
Americans in the period prior to the Civil War? Why did the election of Abraham Lincoln seem to
exacerbate sectional tensions in the prewar period? What impact did political and military leadership
have on the conduct of the war? How did the war affect minorities during the period (women, free
blacks, slaves, immigrants); How did the Civil War “make” modern America?
Unit Activities: Students will read the following historians essays and craft a response using APPARTS
strategy in class, followed by a discussion: Lisa Cozzens, "A Hard Shove for a Nation on the Brink," and
Stephen Demkin, "Politics and Sectionalism in the 1850s." Also, additional sources: The North Resents
Threats (1860), Lincoln’s 1st Inaugural Address (1861), Lincoln Expresses Misgivings (1862), Lincoln
Defends His Decision (1863), The War to Preserve the Union (1863), Jefferson Davis Deplores
Emancipation (1863), Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address (1865), along with various newspaper articles
from Harpers Weekly and the National Tribune.
Assignments and Assessments: Group homework project creating a vintage (living) newspaper article
featuring a battle or issue from the time period. Reading quiz covering chapter vocabulary, and a DBQ
essay over causes of the Civil War.
Unit Nine: The Reconstruction Era (1865-1877)
Reading Assignments: Unfinished Nation Chapter 15, Cause: Reconstruction America-1863-1877, and
Amendment 13-15 of the United States Constitution.
Themes: ID, POL, CUL
Major Topics: The Freedman attempts to negotiate aid in varying responses to ‘freedom;’ The
Reconstruction strategy before and after Lincoln; The historical reality of: the 13th, 14th, and 15th
Amendments; Economic development of the South; Southern reaction (white and black) to the
Reconstruction governments; The diplomatic success and economic failures of Presidents
Johnson/Grant; Jim Crow laws and the response of blacks to conditions in the South following
Reconstruction; The crisis spawned by the election of 1876, and the effects of the so-called Compromise
of 1877 on Reconstruction; The methods used by "Redeemers" in the South to achieve "home rule," and
the social, economic, and racial decisions made by Southern whites in fashioning the New South.
Essential Questions: How did “executive Reconstruction” differ from “legislative Reconstruction?” Why
did the Supreme Court interpret pivotal Reconstruction legislation and constitutional amendments in a
narrow fashion? How did Reconstruction change life for African Americans? What lasting social and
economic changes occurred in the South during and as a result of Reconstruction? How did
Reconstruction alter the U.S. Constitution and its interpretation? How did the Reconstruction era
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change land ownership and use in the South? Did the Reconstruction occur again in modern U.S.
history?
Unit Activities: Class discussions of the Reconstruction Acts, and on Arthur Schlesinger’s scale of
presidential greatness as it applies to Johnson and Grant. Simulation of: The Impeachment of Andrew
Johnson. Document analysis activity: Amendment XIV.
Also: Using the SOAPSTone handout, students analyze and contrast oral histories from former slaves.
[CR7]
Assignments and Assessments: DBQ/Free Response on: Did Reconstruction bring the Southern Blacks
the equality and freedom that slavery had denied them? Documents used will include: The Controversy
over the Fifteenth Amendment (1866, 1870); Alfred Richardson Testifies about Reconstruction-Era in
Georgia (1871); Frederick Douglass Complains (1882); A Sharecrop Contract (1882); as well as others to
be determined by the instructor. [CR7]
Unit 10: WESTWARD EXPANSION AND INDUSTRIALIZATION (1880-1900)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 16-17 and excerpts from Andrew Carnegie’s
“Gospel of Wealth.”
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, CUL, ENV
Major Topics: The pattern of settlement of the last American frontier, and the significance of the
frontier in American history; The growth of the American cultural romance with the West; The impact of
the discovery of gold and silver in the West both on the region and on the nation as a whole; The
development of the cattle industry in the American Southwest after 1860; Federal Response to Native
American cultures and miners/cowboys settlements; The reasons for the transition from subsistence
farming to commercial farming; The impact of industrial development and entrepreneurship upon the
steel, oil, railroad, automobile, industries; The reasons that organized labor generally failed in its efforts
to achieve its objectives.
Essential Questions: To what extent is “The Gilded Age” an apt description of the time period? In what
ways did the courts undermine Reconstruction efforts to bring about racial equality? How various
factors: raw materials, labor, technology, business organization, combined to thrust the United States
into worldwide industrial leadership? How the explosion of industrial capitalism benefited and
worsened conditions for all?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on Materialism, Marxism, and the Indian Wars. Document analysis
activity: “Gospel of Wealth” by Andrew Carnegie. Multimedia presentations/reenactments on unit
topics: Western profiles, Native American Cultures, Missouri and Local History. Projects must cover the
historical development per topic per region.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on topics listed above and documentary film
analysis over Rockefeller, Carnegie and Morgan using the series “Men Who Built America.” Multiple
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choice test, including a take-home free response essay on "Rockefeller, Carnegie, and Morgan: Robber
Barons or Industrial Statesmen.”
Unit Eleven: THE GILDED AGE (1880-1900)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation Chapter 18-19; Gilded Age DBQ; and excerpt from William
J. Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech.
Themes: WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Major Topics: The nature of party politics and patronage; The elections of 1884-1892; The origins,
purposes, and effectiveness of the Interstate Commerce Act and the Sherman Antitrust Act; The rise of
agrarian discontent and financial policies in crisis-tariffs and currency; The election of 1900 and the
beginnings of populism; America’s New Purpose at home and abroad; The relationship between
American economic and military interests, and imperial developments in Hawaii, Samoa, and Puerto
Rico; The causes and events leading up to, and through the Spanish-American War; The military and
political problems encountered in fighting the Spanish/Filipinos; The motives behind the Open Door
notes and the Boxer intervention.
Essential Questions: To what extent did state and federal governments attempt to regulate big business
during the last quarter of the nineteenth century? In what ways did reform movements and
organizations attempt to apply their knowledge and efforts to fix the social problems facing U.S. society?
What opportunities and problems arise from changes in technology? Is inequality inevitable? What is
an empire?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on trends in immigration, industrialization, and the Social Gospel
movement. In-class debate on the proper role of government during this era. In-class document analysis
activity: Bryan’s “Cross of Gold” speech and Jacob Riis “How the other half lives.” Historical
interpretations lesson: Walt W. Rostow’s stages of economic development.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. Document
based question on the costs and benefits of industrialization during the Gilded Age. Special take home
essay assignment comparing/contrasting foreign policy in the Philippines with post war Iraq. [CR13b]
Students must cite causes and goals of each conflict. Multiple choice test, including an essay drawn
from one of the essential questions listed above.
Unit 12: The Progressive Era (1890-1920)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation Chapter 20: “The Progressives,” and State and Local
Government Chapter 3: “Political Parties and Interest Groups,” The American Nation: Chapters 20-21,
with emphasis on political cartoon analysis of Presidents and Big Business Leaders; and U.S. census and
immigration charts from 1890, 1900, 1910, 1920.
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL
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Major Topics: The origins of progressive thought; Progressivism in science, education, and industry; The
role of women and women's organizations in promoting reform and suffrage; The desire of the
progressives to limit the role of political party organizations; The origins of the NAACP and the
movement to restrict immigration; The alternate approaches to the problems of the trusts: socialism,
regulation, and trust busting.
Essential Questions: Who was involved in the Progressive Era and how did they contribute to American
reforms? Is the history of America one of progress or regress? What role, if any, does the federal
government have in ensuring the safety and well-being of its citizens? What did reformers want from
the government? What did the government do to help and hurt the Progressive Movement? How did
the government's role change from before to after this movement?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the role of muckrakers and on third party candidacies in the
Progressive Era. In-class document analysis using APPARTS strategy: excerpts from The Jungle by Upton
Sinclair and The History of the Standard Oil Company by Ida Tarbell. Students will also produce an Inclass mock exposé story over conditions in the factories during this time period (late 19th century).
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary of unit and creation of their own
Progressive Era political cartoon. The cartoon must argue (for or against) a specific Progressive
(political, economic, or social) issue and create an accompanying editorial paragraph. (WOR-7) (CR4)
Additional map assignment on the expansion of women suffrage. Online essay focused on the
evaluation of the continuing changes in Progressive historiography.
Unit 13: America and the Great War (1901-1932)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 21 and 22; Roosevelt’s ‘Corollary’ and Wilson’s
‘Fourteen Points.’
Themes: WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Major Topics: The New American Foreign Policy; The background factors and the immediate sequence
of events that caused the United States to declare war on Germany in 1917; America’s contribution and
war time economy; Wilson’s 14 Points and failure with Versailles; America’s social unrest during
wartime; The election of 1920; The reasons for the New Era industrial boom post WWI; The battle
between labor and “welfare capitalism;” The traditional farmer versus the new agricultural technology;
Change elicited from the rise of consumerism, mass communications, new roles for women, and
changing views on religion; Reaction and change reflected in art and literature; The emergence of
xenophobia and the ‘First Red Scare;’ and the Introduction to President Harding and initial problems.
Essential Questions: In what ways were American relations with Mexico and Central America a
demonstration of the United States as the dominant power in the hemisphere? What were the
precipitating events and policies that culminated in the decision to go to war in 1917? Despite President
Wilson's disappointments at Versailles, what was his most visible triumph? In what ways were the
League fight and the Red Scare symbolic of the shift in America’s worldview in the 1920s? What
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happened to the American economy and ‘social progress’ in the postwar years, 1919-1921? To what
extent did the writers and artists of the 1920s reflect and challenge traditional American values?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on American diplomacy throughout the WWI era, the role of the
national government during the 1920s; The Treaty of Versailles Simulation; Document analysis activity:
Theodore Roosevelt’s Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine and Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. Digital
History and Case Analysis over the Espionage and Sedition Acts; Posting of select Take-Home essay
questions on my website, along with Multiple Format Exam (multiple choice, true false, map).
Unit 14: The Great Depression and the New Deal (1929-1941)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 23 and 24; DBQ on the New Deal; along with
excerpts from The Autobiography of Will Rogers and Fortune Magazine.
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL, ENV
Major Topics: The transition to the style of “Silent Cal” and 20th century Conservatism; “Black Tuesday,”
causes and severity of the Great Depression: Massive Unemployment, the Dust Bowl, effect upon
minorities; The hardship faced by women and families; American culture expressed through movies, art,
literature; President Hoover’s economic policies, The debacle in Washington D.C. of the “Bonus Army,”
The Election of 1932, Hoovers attempt to prevent bank collapse.
Essential Questions: What were the underlying causes and issues that led to the Great Depression?
What economic conditions caused the stock market crash of 1929? Why were the policies of the Hoover
Administration not effective in handling the problems of the Depression? Why did the New Deal seek to
solve the problems of the Depression through public works, rather than distribution of funds? What
impact did the New Deal have literary culture of the 1930s? How did President Franklin D. Roosevelt
change the role of the Presidency in American history? How successful was the New Deal in solving the
problems of the Depression and restoring American prosperity?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the origins of the Great Depression, the Hundred Days, and modern
criticism of the New Deal. Documentary film analysis of the Dust Bowl; Role-playing activity featuring
The Judiciary Reorganization Bill; Document analysis activity: Images of the Great Depression and the
New Deal.
Featured Article Web Quest followed by extensive class debate on the effectiveness of the New Deal
and why historians see this time period so differently. Articles such as: JJ Wallis’ The Political Economy
of the New Deal Revisited, Cole/Ohanian’s How Government Prolonged the Great Depression, and others
will be used. [CR6]
Assignments and Assessments: Online Reading Quiz and select essay questions based on the Essential
Questions of the unit. Homework will be group-constructed annotated timelines featuring New Deal
legislation using http://www.timetoast.com Focus will be (students must annotate) on turning points
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during the Great Depression and Constitutional conflicts between Roosevelt and the other two branches
of government. [CR3] (POL-3) [CR4]
Unit 15: America and the Second World War: (1935-1945)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 25-26; Documents will include: “A Woman
Remembers the War (1984)”, Ben Yorita, “Memories of the Internment Camp (1981)”, African American
Soldier, “Fighting Two Wars Against Germans & Segregation (1945),” as well as others to be determined
by the instructor.
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR
Major Topics: The Kellogg-Briand Pact and the Dawes Plan; F.D.R.’s “Bombshell Message” and “Good
Neighbor Policy;” The Neutrality Acts and failure of Appeasement; The Election of 1940 and the LendLease Act; The Atlantic Charter and the Road to Pearl Harbor; War on two fronts and ‘leapfrogging’ in
the Pacific; Battling Rommel in the Desert, America and the Holocaust; Mobilizing the American War
Machine, Rapid Advancements in Science and Technology; A different kind of war: impact on African,
Native, Mexican, and Japanese Americans; A new nation for American Women; The two prong approach
to Axis defeat; and The Manhattan Project and war aftermath: Welcome to the Atomic Age.
Essential Questions: How isolationist was the United States in the 1920s? Was the dual policy of
economic penetration and arms limitation an effective approach? Compare and contrast the American
reactions to World Wars I and II? Explain the relationship between attitudes toward World War I and the
isolationist sentiment and neutrality legislation of the 1930s? How close to full involvement in World
War II was the United States prior to the attack on Pearl Harbor? Was full entry likely? Summarize the
efforts of the federal government to mobilize the nation's economy for war production? Assess the
impact of the war on American technology and science? Discuss the effects of American participation in
the war on the Depression and the New Deal? Describe the changes that wartime involvement brought
for women and racial and ethnic minorities? Outline the contribution of the U.S. military to victory in
North Africa, Europe, Asia, and the Pacific.
Unit Activities: Class discussions on Pearl Harbor, the two fronts of the war, and wartime diplomacy.
Debate on F.D.R.’s prior knowledge of the Pearl Harbor attack. Document analysis activity: Four
Freedoms. Map skills lesson: European and Pacific Theaters of War. Historical perspectives lesson:
Japanese Internment.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. DBQ Essay
Question: Students will use the information provided to help critically evaluate and formulate an answer
to the question: “Was the U.S. government right in making the decision to use the atomic bomb on
Japan?” [CR8] Students will examine excerpts from President Truman’s memoirs (1955), Robert J.
Donovan’s Conflict and Crisis (1977), Blackett’s Fear, War, and the Bomb (1948), John W. Dower’s War
Without Mercy (1986). Multiple Choice Test Questions will make up the other half of the unit exam.
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Unit 16: The Cold War Part I: (1945-1968)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation Chapters 27-28; “The Sources of Soviet Conduct.”
Themes: WXT, POL, WOR, CUL
Major Topics: Yalta, Potsdam, Post WWII environment, Berlin Airlift; The Marshall Plan and Theory of
Containment; Containment in action in Asia; Union and industry unrest and extent of Presidential
power; The Election of 1948 and comparison with modern times; The Nuclear Age and fear; The Korean
War and the world on the brink; The Economic “Miracle;” The Rise of the Modern West, Penicillin and
the Stalk Vaccine; The suburbs and birth of television; Nuclear Fusion and the Space Program; Elvis
Presley and the new American lifestyle; Brown v. Board of Education, The beginning of the Civil Rights
Movement, End of the Red Scare and the beginning of Communism in Southeast Asia; The U-2 Crisis.
Essential Questions: In what ways was the Marshall Plan an attempt to avoid the mistakes that had
been made after the Treaty of Versailles? To what extent did relations break down between the United
States and the Soviet Union in the wake of the Second World War? In what ways did the containment
policy and the fallout from the Chinese Revolution contribute to the culture of fear and conservatism
during the 1950s? How are the Bay of Pigs, the Space Race, and the Cuban Missile Crisis related?
Unit Activities: Class discussions on the Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, and policy of Containment.
The class will engage in a Cold War Web Quest in which various people involved in the 2nd Red Scare will
be researched culminating in a group presented project. Project will include a graphic organizer
capturing the guiding principles of each individual. Also, an in-class document analysis: excerpt from
“The Sources of Soviet Conduct,” by George Kennan.
Assignments and Assessments: Reading Quiz and Cold War/McCarthyism DBQ.
Unit 17: The Vietnam War (1961-1975)
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation: Chapters 29-30; “He was ours: Lyndon Baines Johnson
and American Identity.”
Themes: ID, PEO, POL, WOR, CUL
Major Topics: The 1960 Presidential Election, Kennedy tested on all fronts, J.F.K.’s and L.B.J.’s vision for
a new America; The Battle for Racial Equality, Cuba, Kennedy and 1963; Johnson’s Great Society
Programs, Vietnam War Expands; Turmoil and reaction domestically; A nation coming apart at the
seams, The election of Richard M. Nixon, The Youth Culture, The Mobilization of Minorities and the New
Feminism, Environmentalism; The Nixon-Kissinger plan to maintain American face, specifically détente
and SALT; From the Warren Court to the Nixon Court, Watergate and the Fall of Richard Nixon.
Essential Questions: In what ways did the war in Vietnam reflect the geopolitical struggles of the Cold
War? To what extent did growing discontent with the war influence changes in American policy between
1968 and 1975? How effective were the tactics used by the opposition? To what extent was the
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counterculture movement fueled by the prolonging of the war, and to what extent were other
contributing factors at work?
Unit Activities: Class discussion on the counterculture movement, the Cambodian Incursion and Kent
State killings. Debate on: the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution. Map skills lesson: the Tet Offensive. Students
will write an in-class essay debating the role of popular music in affecting public attitudes toward the
Vietnam War. (CUL-6) (CR4)
2 Part Civil Rights Assignment:
Part I-Students will use the civilandhumanrights.com and civilrightsmuseum.org websites to construct a
Civil Rights Tree exploring causes, organization, details, and legacies of the movement.
Part II-Students compare NAACP materials from 1920-1930s on lynching and civil rights with 1950-1960s
civil rights materials. Group presentations on differences and similarities in-class. [CR9]
Assignments and Assessments: DBQ on the impact of the Cold War upon the United States in the
1960’s. The following documents will be used: John F. Kennedy, “Cuban Missile Address” (1962), Bob
Dylan, “A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall” (1963), Lyndon B. Johnson, “Message to Congress on the Tonkin
Gulf Incident” (1964), selected charts and graphs from the “Atomic Audit: The Costs and Consequences
of U.S. Nuclear Weapons Since 1940,” as well as others to be determined by the instructor.
Unit 18: The Cold War Part II
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation Chapter 31; excerpt from Ronald Reagan “Tear Down This
Wall.”
Themes: ID, WXT, POL, CUL, ENV
Major Topics: Watergate and Nixon Pardon; OPEC and SALT II, The 1976 election, Carter’s change:
Panama Canal, Camp David, Energy Conservation; The double whammy of inflation and the Iran-Hostage
crisis, The New American Right; Reagan and the restoration of America; The “evil empire,” Reaganomics,
and tax cuts; Fiscal Crisis and “Are you better off…” Fall of the Soviet Union; The First Bush Presidency
and Iraq War; How inflation destroyed the war achievement.
Essential Questions: What domestic issues affected the "custodianship" of President Gerald Ford? How
did Jimmy Carter rise as a national figure and the reasons for his victory in 1976? How did Carter bring
about the Camp David agreement, and his failure to extricate the hostages from Iran? What was the
"Reagan revolution" and the meaning of "supply-side" economics? Explain the rise of the new right in
American politics and the effect on fiscal and foreign policy? Describe the anticommunist Reagan
foreign policy and its part in fostering the Iran-Contra scandals? Explain the increasingly conservative
mood of the American electorate, as exemplified in the Sagebrush rebellion and the Tax revolt? What
happened after the collapse of the Soviet Union? What events led to America’s resumption of world
leadership, the first Gulf War, and the emergence of Bill Clinton?
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Unit Activities: Students write an essay that compares the women’s movement of the 1960s-1980s with
the women’s movement at the turn of the 20th century. Students must make an argument and
individual PowerPoint Presentations about the nature of the ideas, strategies, and accomplishments of
women from both eras. Were they similar or different? [CR11]
Assignments and Assessments: Students will have the following essays for homework:
1. Why was Ronald Reagan so popular despite the ineffectiveness of many of his policies-especially with
regard to the budget deficit?
2. How did the shift away from a bipolar world change the very foundation of American foreign policy as
it had been practiced since World War II?
3. By drawing on selections from and The Unfinished Nation and The American Pageant, students write
an essay that explores the evolution of identity based on race, ethnicity, and nationality. (ID-4) [CR4]
Multiple choice test, including several short answer questions about the social movements of the 1980s.
Unit 19: The Age of Globalization
Reading Assignments: The Unfinished Nation Chapter 32.
Themes: ID, WXT, PEO, POL, WOR, ENV, CUL
Major Topics: The Clintons: From Arkansas to the White House, Clinton’s policies toward healthcare, the
economy, compromise, NAFTA and its global implications; 1994 GOP Sweep; Clinton reelected and great
surplus; Personal scandal and impeachment, The “Comeback Kid;” George W. Bush and the showdown
in Florida; The Internet and the changing face of America; The second term and personal mandate;
Victory and defeat in War; Environmental and financial crisis at home; Barack Obama and the Global
War on Terrorism; 2012 election: Issues and discussion.
Essential Questions: How have conflicts in the Middle East and Southwest Asia symbolize and replace
the major conflicts of the Cold War? To what extent were the Reagan and Bush I presidencies successful
in rolling back reforms of the New Deal and Great Society in reshaping the role of government? How did
Presidents Clinton and Bush II redefine the role of Commander-and-Chief. How did their unique
personalities help and hurt the office of the President? To what extent was America transformed by
new technologies and new diseases? How has the role American Government (each branch) change in
the years from Watergate to the terrorist attacks of September 11th? How did Barack Obama win 2
elections yet be evaluated by critics as “Mediocre President.”
Unit Activities: Class discussion on the collapse of communism and the age of terrorism. Debate on the
rise of the New Right and effects of globalization. Students will also examine a map of reported ancestry
on the 2000 and 2010 Census and engage in small-group research teams to report on the causes for the
settlement patterns revealed in the map. (PEO-2) [CR4]
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Students must write a six to eight–page essay that examines the evolution of the internet and its’ impact
upon American cultural institutions. The essay must use at least use six secondary sources and make an
argument about why the Internet has had a large impact on our society and the role of technological
integration into daily life.
Assignments and Assessments: Homework assignment on vocabulary terms listed above. In-class essay
on the cultural confusion of the 1980s-1990s. Multiple choice test, including take-home essay from
essential questions listed above and an environmental pollution scenario/question in which students
must craft a mock op-ed article for or against drilling for oil in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. The
article must cite precedents in U.S. law and history and organized in a way to justify student opinion.
(ENV-5) (CR4)
**The last two weeks of the semester will be reserved for review and practice in preparation for the AP
U.S. History Exam. Students will receive extensive instructional review and multiple attempts to take
the full length exams posted on the College Board Website. Points will be awarded on the basis of
participation only.
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Signature Section:
Please read this course syllabus carefully, and if you have any questions call or email Mr. Heitman at the
high school. This slip must be signed by both the student and a parent or guardian, and returned to Mr.
Heitman by August 23, 2014. Please keep the syllabus for your records.
I have read and understood the above course syllabus.
Student signature and date
_______________________________________________________________________
Parent(s)/Guardian signature and date
_______________________________________________________________________
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