United States History:

Quarter 2

Chapter 9: The Civil War (1861 - 1865)

Essential Questions:

  1. Can the nation's union of states be broken?
  2. Should war be conducted against both military and civilian populations?

"I Can"

  1. Contrast the advantages and disadvantages for the North and South at the start of the Civil War.
  2. Identify why the Civil War is considered to be the first modern war.
  3. Express why it was necessary for both sides to resort to conscription.
  4. Evaluate the success of the Union's naval blockade of Southern ports.
  5. Explain why the Battle of Shiloh was an important battle in the West.
  6. Indicate why the Battle of Antietam was a crucial victory for the Union.
  7. Contrast the Northern and Southern economies during the Civil War.
  8. Explain why many African Americans enlisted in Union forces and how it may have helped to challenge racial prejudices.
  9. Describe what life was like for soldiers in the field and the women who aided the war effort.
  10. Indicate why Vicksburg was an important victory for Union forces.
  11. Identify why Gettysburg was considered a turning point in the war.
  12. Summarize how General Grant earned Lincoln's trust in guiding the Union forces.
  13. Evaluate the military strategies during the war's final year.
  14. Judge whether armies should treat civilians differently than soldiers during a war.
  15. Assess what I think life was like in the South at the conclusion of the war.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.a.h
  4. SS.Hist2.c.h
  5. SS.Hist3.a.h
  6. SS.Hist3.b.h

Chapter 10: Reconstruction (1865 - 1877)

Essential Questions:

  1. How do nations recover from civil war?
  2. Was Reconstruction a success or failure?

"I Can"

  1. Contrast the Radical Republicans' and President Lincoln's Reconstruction plans.
  2. Describe how the Freedman's Bureau helped formerly enslaved African Americans.
  3. Assess why congressional Republicans were angry with President Johnson's Reconstruction plan.
  4. Analyze the methods that the Radical Republicans used to prevent President Johnson's interference with their Reconstruction plan.
  5. Describe how African Americans participated in politics during Reconstruction
  6. Identify the role of churches and schools in the lives of African Americans during and after Reconstruction.
  7. Evaluate how the federal government reacted to the Southern resistance groups that developed during Reconstruction.
  8. Appraise how political and economic issues during the Grant administration weakened Reconstruction.
  9. Explain why the Compromise of 1877 is considered to be the end of Reconstruction.
  10. Explain how the South's postwar economy forced many African Americans into difficult circumstances.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.a.h
  4. SS.Hist2.c.h

Chapter 11: Settling the West (1865 - 1890)

Essential Questions:

  1. Why would people take on the challenges of life in the West?

"I Can"

  1. Explain how mineral discoveries shaped the settlement of the West.
  2. Summarize why cattle ranching was an important business for the Great Plains.
  3. Appraise the relationship between Hispanics in the Southwest and new settlers.
  4. Evaluate what encouraged settlers to move west to the Great Plains.
  5. Classify new methods and technologies that revolutionized agriculture and made it practical to cultivate the Plains.
  6. Interpret how westward migration changed the Plains Indians' way of life
  7. Determine whether Native Americans were justified in leaving the reservations and refusing further relocation by the government.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.c.h
  4. SS.Hist3.b.h

Chapter 12: Industrialization (1865 - 1901)

Essential Questions:

  1. How did the United States become an industrialized society after the Civil War?

"I Can"

  1. Explain why the United States was successful at industrialization.
  2. Decide what invention from this period has the most impact on my daily life.
  3. Interpret how laissez-faire economics promoted industrialization.
  4. Analyze how the Transcontinental Railroad transformed the West.
  5. Appraise how government grants to build railroads resulted in large-scale corruption.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.a.h
  4. SS.Hist2.b.h
  5. SS.Hist2.c.h

Chapter 13: Urban America (1865 - 1896)

Essential Questions:

  1. Why do people migrate?
  2. How is urban life different from rural life?

"I Can"

  1. Describe how immigrants of the late 1800s changed American society.
  2. Analyze why nativists opposed immigration.
  3. Summarize how life in big cities was different from life on the farms and small towns.
  4. Contrast how living conditions of the urban work class differed form those of other social classes.
  5. Explain the problems that developed due to the rapid growth of urban areas.
  6. Explain the main idea of Social Darwinism and compare it to the idea of individualism.
  7. Assess the methods and philosophies that were developed for helping the urban poor.
  8. Appraise why artists and writers started portraying America more realistically.
  9. Discuss why civil service reform was needed.
  10. Describe the kinds of problems farmers faced.
  11. Explain the goals of the People's Party.
  12. Discuss why the Populists supported the Democratic candidate -- William Jennings Bryan -- in the election of 1896.
  13. Describe how African Americans resisted racism and tried to improve their way of life following Reconstruction.
  14. Assess the laws passed in the South to impose segregation and deny African Americans their voting rights.
  15. Evaluate how the African American community leaders responded to legalized segregation.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.a.h
  4. SS.Hist2.c.h
  5. SS.Hist3.a.h

Chapter 14: Becoming a World Power (1872 - 1917)

Essential Questions:

  1. How are empires built?

"I Can"

  1. Assess why the United States asserted itself as a world power.
  2. Analyze why the United States looked to the Pacific for new markets.
  3. Explain why the United States was willing to go to war with Spain over Cuba.
  4. Contrast the Spanish-American War from earlier U.S. wars.
  5. Describe how the United States developed an overseas empire.
  6. Summarize why the United States wanted to eliminate spheres of influence in China.
  7. Determine if President Roosevelt was correct in his belief that a strong military presence promoted global peace.
  8. Evaluate how 'moral diplomacy' shaped President Wilson's foreign policy.


Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SS.Hist1.a.h
  2. SS.Hist1.b.h
  3. SS.Hist2.a.h

Chapter 15: The Progressive Movement (1890 - 1920)

Essential Questions:

  1. Can politics fix social problems?

"I Can"

  1. Identify who the progressives were and what they believed caused social problems.
  2. Summarize how progressives hoped to make government more efficient and responsive to citizens.
  3. Appraise why the progressives supported the woman suffrage movement.
  4. Discuss the problems social-welfare progressives attempted to reform.
  5. Hypothesize how much a president's personal beliefs should shape national policy.
  6. Evaluate why President Roosevelt supported conservation.
  7. Discuss how President Taft's beliefs differed from the progressives' beliefs.
  8. Describe how the election of 1912 was different from previous presidential elections.
  9. Express how Wilson earned the respect of the progressives.
  10. Discuss the most important success and failure of the Progressive movement.

Wisconsin Standards for Social Studies

  1. SSHist1.a.h
  2. SSHist1.b.h
  3. SSHist2.b.h
  4. SSHist3.a.h
  5. SSHist3.b.h