American History Syllabus
INTRODUCTION: “What, Then, is The American, This New Man?"
Four tasks of American History:
- To discover just what the American was and how that person developed.
- To understand the Constitution as a living, evolving document.
- To look at the face and role of war in our History.
- To appreciate and value cultural differences and variety.
- UNIT I- THE NEW WORLD (1 week)
- Ch. 1 -Early People and Cultures
- Ch. 2 -European Explorers
- UNIT II-
EUROPEAN COLONIZATION (2 weeks)
- Ch. 3 -Spanish, French, and Dutch Colonies Explorers Project
- Ch. 4 -English Colonies
- UNIT III-
COLONIAL SOCIETIES (2 weeks)
- Ch. 5 -Life in the Southern Colonies
- Ch. 6 -Life in the New England and Middle Colonies
- “The Last of the Mohicans” Video
- UNIT IV-
THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION / COM ING TOGETHER (3 weeks)
- Ch. 7 -Conflict with Britain
- Ch. 8 -The War for Independence
- “The Patriot” Video
- UNIT V-
THE NEW NATION (2 weeks)
Ch. 9 -The Confederation Period
Ch. 10 -The Constitution
- UNIT VI-
THE YOUNG REPUBLIC(2 weeks)
- Ch. 11 -The Federalists in Power
- Ch. 12 -The Republican Era
- UNIT VII-
THE EXPANDING NATION (1 week)
- Ch. 13 -Westward Expansion
- Ch. 14 -The Era of Andrew Jackson
- UNIT VIII-
THE DIVERGING WAYS OF LIFE
MOVING TOWARDS CIVIL WAR (1 week)
- Ch. 15 -The Slave South
- Ch. 16 -Toward a More Perfect Society
- UNIT IX-
A SOCIETY IN CHANGE (1 week)
- Ch. 17 -Changing Times
- Ch. 18 -Manifest Destiny
American History
2nd Semester Syllabus
Setting up the Civil War
- Unit I- The New Nation (pg. 136-137)
- Chp. 9 -The Confederation Period
- Lesson 3: Making the Constitution
- Chp. 10 -The Constitution
- Lesson 1: The Federal Government
- Lesson 2: Separation of Powers
- Unit II- Diverging Ways of Life (pg. 232-233)
- Chp. 16 -Toward A More Perfect Society
- Lesson 2: Antislavery and Women’s Rights
- Lesson 3: Literature and The Arts
- (3 Weeks)
- UNIT III- A Nation in Crisis (pg. 292-293)
- Chp.19 The Sectional Crisis
- Lesson 1: Compromise of 1850
- Lesson 3: National Crisis
- Chp. 20 The Civil War
- (2 Weeks)
American History After 1865
- UNIT IV- Rebuilding and Expanding (pg. 2-3)
- Chp. 1 Reconstruction
- Chp. 2 Westward Expansion
- (1 week)
- UNIT V- The Nation in the Late 1800s (pg. 36-37)
- Chp. 3 Business and Label Unions
- Lesson 2: The Growth of Industry
- Lesson 3: The Rise of Labor Unions
- Chp. 4 The Challenges of Farming
- UNIT VI Imperialism and Reform (pg. 71)
- Chp. 5 The U.S. as a World Power
- Chp. 6 The Progressive Era
- (3 weeks)
- UNIT VII War, Wealth, and Welfare (pg. 104-105)
- Chp. 7 World War I
- Chp. 8 Boom or Bust
- UNIT VIII The New Deal and World War II (pg. 136-137)
- Chp. 9 FDR and The New Deal
- Chp. 10 The U.S. in World War II
- (2 weeks)
- UNIT IX The Cold War (pg. 170-171)
- Chp. 11 Truman and The Cold War
- Chp. 12 The Eisenhower Years
- UNIT X The United States At Mid-Century (pg. 204-205)
- Chp. 14 JFK and The New Frontier
- UNIT XI A New Struggle (pg. 238-239)
- Chp. 15 LBJ and The Great Society
- “We were Soldiers” Video
- Chp. 16 The Sixties: Political and Social Change
- 1.) Lesson 1: The Civil Rights Movement
- (5 weeks)
- UNIT XII Years of Conflict (pg. 272-273)
The students are required to keep a three ring binder with five dividers and loose leaf paper of any kind: **
The students will watch various videos. They will also watch other documentaries on the
Civil War, World War I, World War II, and Vietnam. Movies will only be shown when they relate directly
to the subject matter being taught at that time. These movies might include The Alamo, The Memphis Belle,
Thirty Seconds over Tokyo, All Quiet on the Western Front, The Grapes of Wrath and others. The students will
be required to write a short paper sometimes over these videos.
** Notes; vocabulary; daily assignments; returned grade assignments, quizzes, and tests; handouts; and journal.
All grades are of equal value for daily work, graded assignments and quizzes/tests, projects,
and participation. Students have an opportunity to make up missing assignments except projects and to redo composition type assignments for a better grade.