Middle School American History I
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Number of Credits
1.0
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Estimated Completion Time
32-36 weeks
Description
Learning about history allows people to see how far we have come and what awaits us on our path to the future. In this course, students will explore the history of the United States and analyze the cause and effect in historical events. They will investigate history by using the tools of a historian to examine the historical, geographic, political, economic, and sociological events that influenced the development of the United States. Students will imagine what it was like to live in the past by reading the stories from the people who experienced it. This course begins with the engaging stories of what brought the earliest American colonists to the New World and ends with the struggles to repair the United States following the Civil War. Engaging in this study allows students to recognize the themes of history that span across centuries and leads to a greater appreciation of the development of the United States and the resulting impact on world history.Module One: Settlement
-major ecosystems of the United States
-the relationship between humans and their environment
-sources of information used by historians
-factors motivating colonization of North America
-the colonies: Southern, Middle, and New England
-examples of colonial interdependence
-enslaved Africans in America
-the impact of slavery on America’s economy
Module Two: Independence
-impacts of colonization
-the French and Indian War
-the effects of the French and Indian War
-causes of the American Revolution
-important events of the American Revolution
-the Declaration of Independence
-contributions of the Founding Fathers
Module Three: Nationalism
-how we interpret history
-contributions of different groups to colonial society
-main features of the Articles of Confederation
-strengths/weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
-the Constitutional Convention
-the Preamble to the Constitution
-ratifying the Constitution
-the Bill of Rights
Module Four: Growth
-events in the life of George Washington
-washington’s impact on the presidency
-events during John Adams’ presidency
-perspectives of underrepresented groups in Revolutionary times
-events of Thomas Jefferson’s presidency
-significance of the Lewis and Clark expedition
Module Five: Movement
-meaning and effects of Manifest Destiny
-impacts of westward expansion on Native Americans
-impacts of the Trail of Tears
-the Missouri Compromise, Compromise of 1850
-the Kansas-Nebraska Act
-impacts of westward expansion on enslaved peoples
-the Oregon Territory and California culture
-role of transportation in developing the economy
-the Mexican-American War and its effects
Module Six: Advances
-inventions that impacted industrial growth
-roles of women and children on industrial growth
-consequences of industrial growth
-the changing nature of cities and urban areas
-key ideas and influences of Jacksonian Democracy
Module Seven: Ideas
-impact of the Second Great Awakening
-experiences of enslaved persons
-social reform movements
-literary movements
-transcendentalist poetry and music
Module Eight: Conflict
-the causes of the Civil War
-events of Abraham Lincoln's presidency
-strengths and weaknesses of both sides
-cause and effect relationships of the Civil War
-effects of key events of the Civil War
-policies of Reconstruction
-impeachment of Andrew Johnson
-policies and laws that concluded reconstruction
-political and social consequences of reconstruction