This course covers a period of immense change and development in the history of the United States. We begin by looking at Reconstruction and the process of putting the nation back together after the Civil War and continue into the 1970’s. Students explore the various ways that individuals, groups, and the government use power to influence the outcome of events and create change. By the end of the course, students will have a greater understanding of how innovation, global politics, civil rights, and international relations have come to form the world in which we currently live. There is an emphasis on analyzing primary sources, making and supporting claims with evidence, and analyzing graphs and data.
Thematic Framework:
Truth, Choices, Systems, and Change are the linchpins of Rivendell Academy’s social studies courses. Developing the skills of historical thinking leads to the understanding of what constitutes historical truth. The study of the social sciences is full of social, political, economic, geographic, cultural, philosophical, and economic choices for students to analyze given the context of time and place. Choices lead to the development of a variety of systems including economic, political, and social systems. All systems change over time due to a variety of factors.
Rivendell Academy Learning Expectations:
Read, comprehend, analyze, and critique a variety of media
Communicate effectively for a variety of audiences and purposes
Demonstrate effective problem solving skills
Apply mathematical analysis in a variety of situations
Enduring Understandings:
Individuals and societies struggle with the concept and value of human life and human rights.
The actions of an individual impact a community.
Conflict changes communities over time politically, economically, socially, and ideologically
People explore, migrate, or emigrate for varying social, political, and economic reasons.
Across time and place, people have held differing assumptions regarding power, authority, governance, economics, law, civic values, principles, and views of the roles and rights of citizens.
Individuals can impact societies and even bring about change by reacting to the existing structure in accordance with their beliefs and ideals.
Individual rights and responsibilities vary depending on the type of governance and the social and economic conditions of a society.
Individuals and groups within society use their agency to impact the political, economic, and social systems of their community, nation, and region of the world.
How does capitalism create both opportunities and challenges for a society?
How do individuals and groups influence and change society?
Why do countries go to war?
How does war impact society?
Major Concepts:
Reconstruction resulted in changes that ultimately
changed the relationship between the federal government and state governments
defined citizenship
established the right to equal protection
proved that biracial democracy was possible
Social change is not easily achieved.
Democracy shifts and changes.
Major Content:
Reconstruction Plans
Black Codes
Radical Reconstruction
Civil Rights Act & Reconstruction Amendments
Violence and backlash
The Compromise of 1877 and the end of Reconstruction
Unit Assessment:
Museum Artifacts and Claims
Major Concepts:
The rapid changes created by the Second Industrial Revolution transformed American society economically, politically, and socially.
Laissez-faire capitalism created a division in classes in which a few experienced great wealth while many others struggled.
Major Content:
Westward Expansion
Building of the Transcontinental Railroad
Rise of Big Business
Robber Barons
Unions
Government Corruption
Working Conditions
Urbanization
Jim Crow
Plessy V. Ferguson.
Unit Assessment:
"A Day in the Life" narrative story
Major Concepts:
The main objectives of the Progressive movement were addressing problems caused by industrialization, urbanization, immigration, and political corruption.
Widespread social activism and political reform resulted in major changes to American society.
Major Content:
Background on those working to reform society
The Triangle Factory fire
Women’s suffrage movement
Food and Drug Administration
Creation of national parks
Investigative journalism
Regulations on big business
Unit Assessment:
Progressives Paper
Major Concepts:
Numerous factors contributed to the rise of the United States as a world power.
Debates over the United States’ role in world affairs increased in response to overseas expansion and involvement in World War I.
United States participation in the war had important effects on American society.
Major Content:
Spanish-American War
World War One
US Neutrality
US decision to enter WWI
Mobilization for war, the draft
The espionage and sedition acts
Supreme Court ruling on Freedom of Speech
The impact of the war on women, African-Americans, and immigrants
Wilson’s 14 points
The Treaty of Versailles.
Unit Assessments:
Creating political cartoons
Major Concepts:
The aftermath of World War One and the 18th and 19th amendments to the constitution created many social and economic changes.
The emergence of new beliefs and attitudes created tensions and conflicts among various members of society.
Consumerism and unregulated credit can lead to economic bubbles.
Major Content:
The 19th and 20th Amendments
Effects of prohibition/rise of crime
The Red Scare
Rise of consumerism
Traditionalists vs. Modernists
The Scopes Monkey Trial
The changing role of women
Immigration laws
The Eugenics movement
The Stock Market Crash.
Projects/Assessments:
1920s Magazine Project, Stock Market Simulation
Major Concepts:
Economies are globally connected.
Unregulated Capitalism has unintended negative consequences.
The role of the government in a democratic society is to protect its citizens economically as well as socially.
Major Content:
Causes of the Great Depression
Impact of the Great Depression on individuals
Lynching and the legacy of Jim Crow
The Scottsboro Boys
The New Deal
Social Security
Eleanor Roosevelt
Projects/Assessments:
Government programs research and analysis paper
Major Concepts:
Economic inequality can result in governmental instability.
War unites and divides us.
Difficult times reveal the best and worst of the human race.
Our moral obligations determine our choices.
Major Content:
Rise of fascism
Anti-Semitism
Rise of Hitler
US Neutrality
Pearl Harbor
Japanese internment camps
The Holocaust
FDR’s Four Freedoms
The war in the Pacific
Hiroshima & Nagasaki
Projects/Assessments:
Long Way Home Direction Signs
WWII Narrative Scrapbook Project
Major Concepts:
Technology creates opportunities and challenges.
Economic decisions influence political policies.
Successful protest movements require organization and commitment.
Media influences social change.
Major Content:
Women in the 1950’s
Television
The Cold War and U.S. policy of Containment
The Korean War
Impact of atomic energy on society
Brown vs Board of Education
The Civil Rights Movement
The Montgomery Bus Boycott
The Civil Rights Act of 1964
The March on Selma
The voting Rights Act of 1965.
Projects/Assessments:
Civil Rights visual timeline
Major Concepts:
Music is a vehicle for social change.
Significant social change produces divisions in society.
Laws are necessary to enforce civil rights.
Generational differences are inevitable.
Trust in government is necessary for a strong democracy.
Morals and values change over time.
Unresolved issues, such as poverty and racism, lead to social unrest.
Major Content:
Folk Music
Protest Music
Hippie culture
Drug culture
Women’s Rights movement
Trip to the moon
The Vietnam War
Identity politics
Gay Pride
ERA
Roe v. Wade
Watergate
Energy Crisis
Title IX
Projects/Assessments:
Social Change Poetry Posters or Mind Maps