AMERICAN HISTORY & AMERICAN HISTORY HONORS

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Course Code: 2100310
Honors Course Code: 2100320
AP Course Code:
Description:

American history is full of big questions that grab our attention. In this course, you will look at some of the most profound questions that thoughtful Americans still debate. As a researcher, you will apply the rules of evidence, and render your own verdict. In the process, you will witness the development of America from its first settlers to today’s superpower status.

Questions about slavery, regulation of business, religious freedom, and how to maintain a stable world order have always been part of the American experiment. Most of the time, the answers are not so simple, but we want to know what you think. To develop your personal beliefs, you will use verified sources, including original documents and the writings of people contemporary with the events.

Equally important, this course will challenge you to apply your knowledge and perspective of history to interpret the events of today. The questions raised by history are endlessly fascinating. We look forward to your participation in the debate.

Prerequisites: English I & II

Estimated Completion Time: 2 segments / 32-36 weeks or 1 block/18 weeks

Major Topics and Concepts:

Segment 1:

* Geography (map skills, types of maps, using maps)
* Age of Discovery (Native Americans, Explorers)
* Settling of early America
* Comparing Northern and Southern Colonies
* Declaration of Independence
* American Revolution
* Constitutional Convention
* New Nationalism- Louisiana Purchase, War of 1812, Jackson
* Slavery (The Politics of Slavery, Slave Diaries)
* Civil War
* Reconstruction
* Civil Rights Act, Voting Rights Act, 14th Amendment
* The Civil Rights Movement- nonviolent protest, leaders

Segment 2:

* Manifest Destiny
* American Imperialism
* Spanish American War
* Old West- Cowboys, Indians and the Gold Rush
* The Industrial Revolution
* Immigration
* Populist Movement
* The Harlem Renaissance
* Modernism in the 1920's
* 1920's- prohibition, women's suffrage
* Trials of the 1920's
* World War I
* The Great Depression
* World War II and the Holocaust
* Cold War
* Korean War
* Vietnam War
* A survey of each decade from 1950 to the early 2000's

Course Assessment and Participation Requirements:

Besides engaging students in challenging curriculum, VLACS guides student to reflect on their learning and to evaluate their progress through a variety of assessments. Assessments can be in the form of self-checks, multiple choice questions, writing assinments, projects, research papers, essays, oral assessments, and discussions. Instructors evaluate progress and provide interventions through the variety of assessments built into a course, as well as through contact with the student in other venues.