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In this unit, students will understand the influence the United States has in the 21st century. By using the connecting theme of beliefs and ideals, students will understand why the United States felt it was important to try to stop the spread of communism. Students will use the theme of conflict and change to understand how the United States has worked to combat terrorism to protect U.S. interests. Finally, students will continue to learn about how changes in technology affect many different parts of their everyday life.
SS5H7 Trace important developments in America from 1975 to 2001.
a. Describe the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the role of Ronald Reagan.
I can describe the collapse of the Soviet Union, including the role of Ronald Reagan. (Knowledge)
Ronald Reagan
Ronald Reagan
President Reagan's beliefs and policies lead to the collapse of the Soviet Union. initially, President Reagan believed that superior military power would defeat the Soviet Union. He began a buildup of America’s military arms. The victory of democracy over communism and Gorbachev’s resignation as president led to the collapse of the Soviet Union.
The election of Ronald Reagan as the 40th president of the United States ushered in a new era in relations between the United States and the Soviet Union. When he was first elected as president, Reagan believed in a policy of reversing Soviet control over Eastern Europe. He believed that superior American technology, military might, and economic power would defeat the communist super power. To do this he emphasized arms buildups as a deterrent to the aggressions of the Soviet Union and to weaken the power of the Soviet Union and end the Cold War. Upon his election to a second term, President Reagan changed his foreign policy. He believed that the economic struggles of the Soviet Union and the fall of the Berlin wall were signs of American success. Therefore, he worked to improve American relations with the Soviet Union by encouraging Mikhail Gorbachev to enact reforms in his country and he actively pursued arms reduction agreements. He wanted to end the cold war with the Soviet Union.
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
nearly a halfcentury of Cold War conflict, the nations under Soviet control began to dismantle their Communist governments. Economic and social reforms were occurring within the Soviet Union through the leadership of their leader, Mikhail Gorbachev. He had begun to increase personal freedoms and provide more economic opportunities to Soviet citizens. As reforms spread throughout this region of the world, the Soviet Union was no longer stable. Thus, in 1991, Gorbachev faced resistance within his own country. Communist hardliners within the government were poised to change the country back to its traditional communist system. Their plan was to accomplish this through a military coup but this failed, due to their soldiers’ unwillingness to cooperate. As a result, the Soviet Union disintegrated into fifteen newly separate countries. These countries became loosely aligned in a “Commonwealth of Independent States,” with each existing as a separate independent country.
The end of the Cold War was a positive for both sides because both could stop investing so many resources into arms production and instead invest resources in its people. A positive for the United States was Americans did not have to fear a possible nuclear war with the Soviet Union. The end of the Cold War also meant the United States became the world’s only superpower, which made America a powerful world leader. A positive for the countries of the Soviet Union is that the end of the Cold War led to their independence and these countries were now able to elect their own leaders and decide their own futures free from Soviet control.
The Berlin Wall
The Berlin Wall
West Berliners tearing down part of the wall as East German guards looked on, on Nov. 11, 1989.
b. Describe the events of September 11, 2001 and analyze their impact on American life. Explain the impact of the personal computer and the Internet on American life.
I can describe the events of September 11, 2001. (Knowledge)
I can analyze the impact of the events of September 11, 2001, on American life. (Reasoning)
"Our war on terror begins with al Qaeda, but it does not end there. It will not end until every terrorist group of global reach has been found, stopped and defeated."
-- President George W. Bush, September 20, 2001
George W. Bush
George W. Bush
President from 2001-2009 and son of former president, George H.W. Bush, was president when terrorists from the Middle East attacked the United States on September 11, 2001. He focused the U.S. on the War on Terror.
The War on Terrorism began in the aftermath of terrorist attacks against the United States on September 11, 2001. Terrorists attacked the United States by seizing control of airplanes and forcing them to crash into the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon in Washington D.C. The terrorists involved in the attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon were identified as belonging to a terrorist group called Al Qaeda from the Middle East. By using military force in the countries under Al Qaeda or Talibancontrol, the United States government decided to locate, prosecute, and possibly eliminate, the group and its leaders who perpetuated this crime. United States troops entered Afghanistan, and were successful in overthrowing the Taliban regime. However, pockets of resistance remained in Afghanistan.
al-Qaeda
al-Qaeda
The terrorist organization al-Qaeda was responsible for planning and carrying out the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.
The Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security
The Department of Homeland Security was established by President Bush after the September 11th attacks, its role is to combat terrorism at home, as well as to provide aid to parts of the country hurt by natural disasters. He believed that by providing additional security/police in airports and on flights, that we can prevent another attack like September 11, 2001.
The rough terrain in Afghanistan and the use of guerilla tactics resulted in a prolonged war. In 2003, the United States continued the War on Terror with an invasion of Iraq. When the attack was initiated, President Bush argued that the Iraqi government, under Saddam Hussein, was supporting terrorists and violating earlier agreements during the first Gulf War. American troops invaded the country, Hussein’s reign as a dictator ended, and a new government was elected. Due to the continual conflict in the region, American troops remained in Iraq until December 15, 2011 and remain in Afghanistan to the present.
c. Explain the impact of the personal computer and the Internet on American life.
I can explain the impact of the personal computer and the Internet on American life. (Knowledge)
Personal Computers
Personal Computers
Today, computers can compute information in seconds and perform countless tasks. They allow businesses, governments and citizens to work much faster and produce much more than in the past. Today, TV’s, cell phones, cars and many other devices are often equipped with these.
Personal computers and the Internet have changed lives. Since 1975 personal computers have become more affordable and accessible to average Americans. Prior to that, their size and the cost of manufacturing limited their use to scientific and industrial purposes. As more and more Americans purchased computers, their use became prevalent. Today, computers are essential for nearly all professions and that they make many tasks easier and more efficient. Computers have become a part of people’s everyday lives, and being computer literate is a necessary skill.
With personal computers everywhere, engineers and scientists expanded the possibilities of communication between computers. This computer to computer communication or Internet, increased significantly in the 1990’s. Initially, the Internet was a small network of research computers communicating with one another, which has now developed as a communication tool used worldwide by ordinary people. In addition, the speed of this communication has allowed people to access information almost immediately. This has had both positive and negative consequences.
Invention of the Internet - Eorld Wide Web (www)
Invention of the Internet - Eorld Wide Web (www)
The invention of the Internet and the personal computer had a large effect on American life. Communicating information is the primary means of global advancement and that this is the hallmark of our economy. These also improved research, and job opportunities. This technological advancement that occurred after 1975 increased business productivity by making it possible for businesses to communicate almost instantly with buyers and sellers all around the world.
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