AMERICAN STUDIES II

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a full year course designed to incorporate studies of economics, geography, and government to help students understand United States history from 1861 to today. Special emphasis is placed on the Civil War, settling the west, the Great Depression, causes/conduct/consequences of WW II and the cold war (including the war inVietnam). Communication through visual means and oral presentations is stressed.

STRATEGIES FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING

We will provide students with opportunities to meet the standards by:

• providing opportunities to participate in democratic processes in the school and the community (E.2.a)

• providing opportunities to report on research in various forms (E.2.f)

• using writing as a tool for learning (E.1.d)

 

COURSE OBJECTIVES

CRITICAL EVALUATION

• students understand the varied uses of data, and use both to make interpretations concerning public issues (6.2)

HISTORY

• students identify major historical eras and analyze periods of transition in various times in the United States to interpret the influence of the past on the present (6.4)

GEOGRAPHY

• students analyze the factors and implications associated with the historical and contemporary movements and settlements of people and groups in the United States (6.8)

CITIZENSHIP

• students analyze the access that various groups and individuals have had to justice, reward, and power, as those are evident in institutions in the United States (6.12)

ECONOMICS

• students apply economic knowledge to historical interpretation, to their own lives, and to the resolution of problems (6.18)

CONFLICTS AND CONFLICT RESOLUTION

• students use concepts of conflict and social theory to create strategies for resolving persistent social problems (6.22)

IDENTITY AND INTERDEPENDENCE

• students understand the variety of influences on the construction and preservation of identity (6.24)

 

STUDENT PERFORMANCE CRITERIA ACCEPTED FOR CREDIT

Students must earn a passing average based on:

• written work

• tests and quizzes

• presentations and projects

VERMONT'S FRAMEWORK OF STANDARDS AND LEARNING OPPORTUNITIES - VITAL RESULTS

communications: 1.1-1.6, 1.8-1.15, 1.18-1.21

reasoning and problem solving: 2.1-2.3, 2.6-2.12

personal development standards: 3.2, 3.3, 3.7, 3.10-3.15

civic/social responsibility: 4.2, 4.4, 4.5