Wednesday, March 24, 2021

How to Teach US History (Units)


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

No comments: