Compelling Question: Is there one American experience?

Supporting Questions:

• How did the political, social, and economic transformations in America influence the evolving meaning of freedom and equality in the United States?
• How has the government tried to foster economic opportunity for citizens?
• Was the Great Society successful?
• Why is the 1960s often called an era of change?
• What sorts of social movements exist in the U.S. today?
• What causes the Stonewall Riots?
• What was the Equal Rights Amendment unpopular in the 1970s?
• How do I determine the reliability of a source?
• How do I search for reliable sources online?
• Should Richard Nixon have been charged with a crime in the Watergate Scandal?
• Have major Supreme Court decisions since 1960 mainly expanded or restricted people’s civil liberties?
• How did the economy change during Reagan's Presidency?
• How did Reagan’s “war on drugs” affect rates of imprisonment in the U.S.?
• What caused the Persian Gulf War?
• How did the Republican Revolution affect the balance of power between Democrats and Republicans in the federal government?
• What were the arguments in the U.S against ratifying NAFTA?
• Why didn't the U.S ratify the Kyoto Protocol?
• How did the events of September 11th , 2001 change the United States?
• What sources are trustworthy for learning about the effects of Hurricane Katrina?
• What was the controversy in the 2000 election?
• What caused the financial crisis of 2008?
• How did President Obama’s policies foster economic opportunity?
• What should be the U.S. policy regarding drones?
• How important are free and fair elections in a democracy?

Enduring Understandings: Racial, gender, and socioeconomic inequalities were addressed by individuals, groups, and organizations. Varying political philosophies prompted debates over the role of the federal gov’t in regulating the economy and providing a social safety net.

Formal Writing Task: Argument: Is there one American experience? In this summative task, students construct a multi-paragraph evidence-based argument using multiple sources to answer the compelling question “Is there one American experience?” Students should be expected to demonstrate the breadth of their understandings of the Domestic change occurring after 1960 and their abilities to use evidence from multiple sources to support their claims. Students may also wish to include examples from previous units as this is the year-long compelling question.

Performance Task: Safeguarding Democracy: Understanding Allegations of Russian Election Interference Simulation- Students will participate in a simulation where they analyze multiple sources about Russian interference in the election of 2016. At the end, students should answer the question: How important are free and fair elections in a democracy?