In my previous post, I mentioned that schools dedicate grades 6,7,9, and 10 to World History. I said that leaves grades 5,8, and 11 for U.S. History, with 12 for Civics. If a textbook has 35 chapters, on average, I tried to figure out how to cover the material.
So here are my ideas, based on the same premises, of what those U.S. History sections would look like.
5th
Grade: Early American History
1:
Indigenous Settlement of North America
2:
Eastern Cultures
3:
Western Cultures
4:
Daily Life in Mesa Verde
5:
Spanish Arrival: Columbus to Conquistadors
6:
Early French and British Exploration
7: The
Mission System
8:
French and British Colonies and Slavery
9: The
Seven Years War
10:
Leadup to the American Revolution
11: The
American Revolution
12:
Aftermath of the Revolution
13:
Articles of Confederation to the Constitution
14:
Early American Culture
15: The
First Administrations
16: The
War of 1812 and Tecumseh’s War
17:
Expanding West
18:
Jacksonian America
19: The
Mexican-American War
20: Wars
with Native Americans
21: The
Gold Rush and Slavery Compromises
22: American
Culture in the Midcentury
23:
Industrialization in the North
24: Plantation
Life in the South
25:
Lead up to the Civil War
8th
Grade: America Transitions to the Modern
1:
Outbreak of the Civil War
2:
Civil War Battles
3:
Daily Life for a Union Soldier
4: The
End of the War
5:
Aftermath and the Death of Lincoln
6:
Early Reconstruction
7:
Reconstruction’s Failure
8:
Further Westward Expansion
9: Wars
with Native Americans
10: The
Reservation System
11:
Increasing Industrialization
12:
Nineteenth Century Feminism
13:
Urbanization and the Great Migration
14:
Tenement Living
15:
American Imperialism
16: The
Spanish-American War
17: The
Philippine-American War
18:
Economic Colonialism in the Pacific
19:
Economic Colonialism in Latin America
20: Panama
21: Revivalism
and Freethinkers
22: Populism
23: Progressivism
24: The
Gilded Age
25: Early
Labor Movements
26: The
Second Industrial Revolution
27: Medical
Breakthroughs at the Turn of the Century
28:
Scientific Breakthroughs at the Turn of the Century
29: American
Culture at the Turn of the Century
30:
Labor Movements Gain Strength
31:
Progressive Victories
32:
Women’s Suffrage
33:
Leadup World War I
34:
America’s Role in WWI
35:
Aftermath of WWI
11th
Grade: Modern America
1: The
Roaring Twenties
2: The
Causes of the Great Depression
3: The
Depression and Dust Bowl
4:
Roosevelt and the New Deal
5: Leadup
to World War II
6:
America Enters the War
7: The
African and European Theater
8: The
Pacific Theater
9: The
Rise of Big Science and the End of the War
10:
International Cooperation After the War
11: The
Origins of the Cold War
12: The
Intelligence Agencies
13: The
Military-Industrial Complex
14:
Suburban America
15: The
Korean War
16:
Midcentury American Culture
17:
Midcentury Scientific Breakthroughs
18: Midcentury
Technological Advances
19: Civil
Rights from WWII to 1960
20: Political
Realignment: Kennedy and Johnson
21:
Civil Rights after 1960
22:
Vietnam: Covert Years
23:
Vietnam: Open War
24: Nixon
and The End of Vietnam
25:
Watergate and Scandals
26:
Environmentalism
27:
Feminist Movement and Gay Rights
28:
Civil Rights for All
29:
Conservatism Returns
30: End
of the Cold War
31:
Internationalism and the Turn of the Century
32:
Terrorism and New Wars
33:
Political Divisions and Culture Wars
34:
Twenty-First Century Technologies
35: The
Trump Era and Climate Change
12th
Grade: Civics
1: Prelude
to the Constitution
2: The
Constitutional Convention
3: The
Articles
4: The
Bill of Rights
5: Later
Amendments
6: Non-enumerated
Rights
7: The
Legislative Branch: The House of Representatives
8: The
Legislative Branch: The Senate
9: How
a Bill Becomes a Law
10: The
Judicial Branch: The Supreme Court
11: Key
Supreme Court Decisions 1789-1920
12: Key
Supreme Court Decisions 1920-2020
13: The
Attorney General and the Justice Department
14: The
Executive Branch
15: The
Treasury
16: Taxes
17: The
Department of the Interior
18: The
Departments of Agriculture, Transportation, and Housing and Urban Development
19: The
Departments of Energy and Commerce
20: The
Department of Labor
21: The
Department of Education
22: The
Department of Health and Human Services
23: The
Departments of Veterans Affairs and Homeland Security
24: The
Department of Defense
25: The
Armed Forces
26: The
Intelligence Agencies
27: Immigration
and Citizenship
28: The
State Department
29: Ambassadors
and Diplomats
30: Sovereignty
and International Law
31: Federal
Parties and Elections
32: State
Governments
33: The
Lower Courts
34: Law
Enforcement
35: Other Government Agencies and Groups
