American History [Competency Based] (2nd semester)

Course Description

American History takes students on a journey through the key events that have shaped America as a nation, from the end of the Civil War in 1865 to the height of the Cold War in 1980. The journey begins with Reconstruction, a period of great transition and opportunity to heal a broken nation. Students witness the great migration westward and explore how the Industrial Revolution and waves of immigration fueled the flames of the American spirit. The course details the challenges America faced and the elusiveness of equality for populations of Native Americans, African Americans, immigrants, and women. Students learn how the core values of the founding fathers eventually prevailed and led to the women’s suffrage and civil rights movements. The course closely examines the impact of war, with units covering the role of the United States in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War. Throughout their journey, students encounter the great political, industrial, military, and human rights leaders who shaped America into a beacon of hope.

Course Breakdown

• The Progressive Era
• World War I
• Technological advancements in warfare
• Great Depression
• New Deal
• World War II
• The end of World War II
• Cold War
• Vietnam War and anti-war protest
• Social movements
• Technological advancements

Course Goals

1. Identify the social, political, and economical impact World War I and World War II had on the United States.
2. Identify and explain the economic factors that contributed to the stock market crash of 1929 and the Great Depression.
3. Describe and evaluate the impact of scientific and technological advancements in the twentieth century.
4. Explain how Europe and Asia were reconstructed in the wake of World War II.
5. Define key figures, events, and effects of the Cold War.
6. Explain how social movements in the second half of the twentieth century changed American culture.
7. Describe ways in which rapid technological advancement changed American culture in the late twentieth and early twenty-first centuries.