Compelling Question: Was American expansion abroad justified?

Supporting Questions: How is power gained, consolidated, maintained and lost? What does it mean to be a global leader? What motivations and intentions shape foreign affairs? How and why did the U.S emerge as a world power? To what extent did World War I affect American society socially, politically, and economically? Why did the United States become involved in WWI? How did the United States shift their foreign policy from neutrality to interventionism? What were the effects of U.S involvement in WWI?

Enduring Understandings: 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 lasting effects on American society.

Themes: Power, Democracy and Equality

Formal Writing Task: Students will write a speech answering the unit Compelling Question: Was American Expansion abroad justified? In other words, did the expansion of America’s global power justify the means by which lands came under control of the United States? The inquiry calls into question motives and outcomes of imperialism by considering both the positive and negative results of United States expansion abroad. Students will focus on the Age of Imperialism near the turn of the 20th century.

During the late 1800s and early 1900s, the United States expanded its power and control in areas around the world. The Spanish-American War resulted in U.S. control of areas in the Caribbean and the Pacific. U.S. support for groups that overthrew governments in Panama and Hawaii added new areas of control. However, not everyone agreed with the motives behind U.S. imperialism or the methods used to gain control. Students will imagine that they are a U.S. citizen at the time involved in the public debate over American imperialism. They will write an argumentative speech that supports or opposes U.S. actions. Their speech should demonstrate their understanding of the issues involved in the debate over imperialism and an explanation of why their position is more consistent with American ideals and traditions such as free enterprise, limited government, democracy, and people’s right to choose their method of government.

Performance Task: Debating Imperialism

Students will use their knowledge from the unit and formal writing task to participate in a debate with classmates representing different opinions.