US History

Philosophy
It is through the lens of history that we can see change and continuity in human affairs.

With a knowledge of history, we can then compare our lives with those of people in other eras and circumstances.  On the other hand, ignorance of history isolates us from reality, leaving us victim to censored versions of the past spread by partisan interests.

The study of U.S. History should pay close attention to the techniques of the discipline itself: standards of objectivity, practice with original sources, weighing evidence, and forming and testing hypotheses.  Much of the emphasis should be on what historians can agree has happened in the past.  Very importantly, what men and women have done, thought, suffered, and accomplished needs to be emphasized because without stories of real people, history shrinks to a study of mere dates and isolated events.

Why was the Bill of Rights added to the U.S. Constitution after it was ratified?  Who were the women from Steubenville, Ohio, who petitioned the U.S. Congress in 1830 to not remove the Indians from their lands?  In what ways was the Reconstruction period of the U.S. considered both a success and a failure?   How did the Grandfather Clause in Louisiana restrict African American suffrage?  Why did America enter World War I & II ?  What was the Civil Rights Movement in America?  This course will help students answer these and many other questions with the use of primary documents, research, lecture and textbook.  Students will be required often during the school year to present orally, and in writing, their findings from their research.
Textbook: Clayton, Andrew, and Perry, Elisabeth Israels, and Winkler, Allan M.  America: Pathways to the Present, Upper Saddle River, NJ:  Prentice-Hall, 1998. 

COMPETENCY GOAL 1: The learner will develop a basic understanding of history, what it is, and why it is important to their lives. Objectives:
The learner will

  • understand the chronological order of historical events and recognize the complexity of historical cause and effect, including the interaction of forces from different spheres of human activity, the importance of ideas, and of individual choices, actions, and character.
  • understand the meaning, implications, and import of historical events, while recognizing the contingency and unpredictability of history--how events could have taken other directions--by studying past ideas as they were thought, and past events as they were lived by people in their own time.
  • understand past ideas as they were thought, and past events as they were lived by people in their own time.

COMPETENCY GOAL 2: The learner will develop an understanding of the sources of history and be able to evaluate these sources. Objectives:
The learner will

  • be able to find, recognize and analyze the primary sources that guide our understanding of history.
  • acquire the ability to form answerable questions:  to collect, evaluate, and employ information from primary and secondary sources, and apply it in written and oral presentations;  they will understand the many kinds and uses of evidence;  and by comparing competing historical narratives, they will differentiate historical fact from historical interpretations or points of view.
  • describe and explain origins, conditions, responses, and achievements of different  social and economic classes, minority groups, and marginalized groups in the United States over the course of time.
  • recognize and describe our common humanity amidst diversity.
  • explain the individual and societal benefits and difficulties, which can stem from homogenous populations and traditions.
  • describe and analyze limits to the pursuit of individual happiness and gratification implicit in the ideas of justice and respect for the human dignity and rights of others.
  • explain and assess the use of the principles of justice and human dignity in identifying such forms of conduct as right or wrong, and tolerable or intolerable; be able to distinguish toleration from respect and assess alternatives for addressing persistent but intolerable conditions, circumstances, practices and behavior through the means of law, policy, and personal engagement.
  • describe and explain major advances, discoveries and inventions over the course of time in science, mathematics, and technology;  recognize some of their effects and influences in the past and present on human life, thought, and health, encompassing the use of natural resources; production, distribution and consumption of goods; exploration; warfare; communication; and the education of the public.

COMPETENCY GOAL 3: The learner will recognize the historical, geographical and economic terms used in the study and discussion of American history. Objectives:
The learner will

  • be able to identify and explain the location and features of places, including boundaries of nations and regions; cities and towns; capitals and commercial centers; roads, rails and canals; dams, harbors and fortifications; and routes of trade and invasion;  and recognize the systems organized and named by human choice through time to establish these.
  • compare the major theories of economics and the different historical approaches people have taken to organize the production, distribution, and uses of goods and services, and how these have affected people’s daily lives.
  • explain the theories and workings of mercantilism, colonialism, communism and capitalism.
  • comprehend stages of economic change in the United States [and its territory before nationhood] from the 17th century to the late 19th century.
  • recognize the effect of changing modes of transportation and communication on the distribution of goods and services.
  • understand differing views of how government should relate to the economy.
  • analyze the effects of foreign and American inventions on the U.S. economy in the 18th and 19th centuries.
  • describe the effects of slavery on the U.S. economy.
  • describe how the U.S. federal government encouraged business expansion in the 19th century.
  • describe the new industries, manufacturing techniques and lending practices of the early 20th century.
  • describe the causes of the Great Depression.

COMPETENCY GOAL 4: The learner will understand the basic mechanisms of our government and the terms used to describe it. Objectives:
The learner will

  • describe and compare the legitimate exercise of authority, the abuse of office and power, the historical effects and public responses to each.
  • compare democracy to tyranny; describe and appraise government by the one, the few, and the many, and their consequences.
  • describe the relationship among governmental authority, social justice, individual liberty, and public safety.
  • describe, analyze and appraise the uses of government authority to alter social conditions.
  •  identify authors and other key figures in drafting and signing the Declaration of Independence, and drafting and ratifying the Constitution of the United States.
  • compare the fundamental principles of American government and law to the political philosophies of such leading European political thinkers as Hobbes, Locke, Montesquieu and Rousseau.
  • describe the circumstances in which the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution were written and the content of each.
  • explain the meaning of “all men are created equal,” the differences between granting rights and securing them, the relationship between “just powers” and “consent of the governed,” and the principle of separation of powers and checks and balances.
  • acquire an understanding of the founding documents, including selected Federalist Papers and anti-Federalist positions.
  • describe the division of powers among levels of government.
  • describe the election and appointment of officials in the Federal and local governments.
  • describe the process of judicial review.
  • describe the process of nomination and promotion of candidates for elective office.
  • describe similarities among major political parties.
  • describe the basic legislative process at the Federal and state level.
  • describe and compare the interaction between chief executives and legislative bodies.
  • describe the role of political parties.
  • summarize landmark interpretations of the U.S. Constitution, including Marbury vs. Madison, McCulloch vs. Maryland, Dred Scott vs. Sanford, and Plessy vs. Ferguson, and demonstrate an understanding of their importance.
  • trace the development of the ideas of citizenship with a focus on the American Revolution and the history of opposition to universal suffrage.
  • identify contributions of citizens and civic groups to public policy, legal reform, justice, and public safety.

Technology Learning Outcomes
The student can

  • Create a graphic and move to another document.
  • Incorporate prerecorded sounds into a presentation.
  • Record sounds and incorporate them into a presentation.
  • Create a project using video equipment.
  • Develop a project using a variety of printed and online resources.
  • Use simulation programs to engage in decision-making and/or solve real world problems.