Sessions

 

Session 1: Building an American Empire

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define imperialism and armistice. 

Students will explain what caused many Americans to change their opinions about Alaska.

Students will describe how Hawaii become part of the United States.

Students will identify the lands that United States gained as a result of the Spanish-American War.

Students will explain why United States wanted to build the Panama Canal.

Students will describe the advantages and disadvantages of using equal-area and conformal projections on map.

HOMEWORK: 

Use information you learned in this lesson, the internet and other sources to make a table about the places that became part of the United States in the late 1800's. Be sure to include facts about each place and the year when it became part of the United States. Be prepared to share your table with the class in the next session. 

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Session 2: Progressives and Reform

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define:

reform, progressive, commission, conservation, merit system, political boss, settlement house, civil rights and suffrage.

Students will share their tables with the class. 

Students will identify what the progressives wanted to do.

Students will explain why Labor Day is an important holiday in the United States. 

Students will identify who the political bosses were during the Progressive movement.

Students will describe what the woman's suffrage was all about.

HOMEWORK: 

Imagine that you are taking part in the first Labor Day parade. Write a speech about why people should participate in this national celebration.  Be ready to share your speech with the class in the next session. 

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Session 3: The Great War

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define military draft, no-man's land and isolation

Students will share their speech with the class. 

Students will explain why many European countries were drawn into World War I.

Students will describe how the United States prepared for war. 

Students will identify the groups of people that found new job opportunities during the war.

Students will explain what happened when the United States did not approve the Treaty of Versailles.

HOMEWORK: 

During World War I many new job opportunities became available to women. Write a job advertisement for a factory wanting to hire new workers. Be ready to share your job advertisement with the class in the next session. 

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Session 4: Good Times and Hard Times

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define:

consumer good, assembly line, division of labor, industrialization, urbanization, mechanization of agriculture, stock market, depression, bureaucracy and unemployment.

Students will share their job advertisements with the class. 

Students will describe the forms of entertainment that were popular in the 1920's.

Students will explain how the growth of the automobile industry affected related industries.

Students will explain why so many people left farming communities in the 1920's,

Students will describe how the Great Depression affected both manufacturers and workers. 

Students will examine the Dust Bowl Region and why it was important to American history.

Students will describe the New Deal.

HOMEWORK: 

Imagine that you are a newspaper reporter in 1933. You have just interviewed President Roosevelt. Write a new story about Roosevelt's plans to end the Great Depression. Be ready to share your news story to the class in the next session. 

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Session 5: World War II Begins

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define concentration camp, dictatorship, civilian and predictions.

Students will share their news report with the class. 

Students will identify the countries that were ruled by dictators before World War II.

Students will describe what action Germany had taken that started World War II.

Students will identify the event that lead the United States to enter the war.

Students will predict an outcome based on information they have gathered.

HOMEWORK:

Recently (2016) the United States celebrated the 75th anniversary of the attack on Pearl Harbor. Write a memorial honoring the American men and woman who defended the base that day. In your memorial, also discuss the importance of the event in United States history. Be ready to share your memorial with the class in the next session. 

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Session 6: Americans and the War

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define rationing, recycling, interest, relocation camp, trade-off and opportunity cost. 

Students will share their memorials with the class. 

Students will explain how did the government get businesses to produce enough war supplies.

Students will examine blood storage and why it was important to American history.

Students will describe how Americans helped pay for the war.

Students will explain why were many German and Japanese Americans were sent to relocation camps.

Students will explain the trade-offs and opportunity costs of any economical decision they make.

HOMEWORK:

Imagine it is 1942. Make a poster that encourages Americans to ration any of the products listed in this lesson. The poster should also tell why rationing is important to the war effort.  Be ready to share your poster to the class in the next session. 

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Session 7: Winning the War

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define front, D-Day, island hopping and parallel time lines.

Students will share their poster with the class. 

Students will describe what D-Day was.

Students will identify who commanded the Allied forces in the Pacific.

Students will explain why did the Japanese finally surrender.

Students will interpret historical information by reading parallel time lines.  

HOMEWORK:

Imagine you are an American soldier or nurse serving in the Pacific during World War II. The war had just ended. Write a postcard to send home to your family. Be prepared to share your postcard with the class in the next session.

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Session 8: The Effects of the War

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define Holocaust, refugee, communism, free world and cold war.

Students will share their postcard with the class. 

Students will explain what the Holocaust was. 

Students will identify the four countries that took over parts of Germany after the war. 

Students will describe how the United States helped countries fight communism.

HOMEWORK:

The United Nations continues to serve as a meeting place for representatives from around the world. Write a speech about the benefits of a place where different nation as can come to discuss their views.  Be prepared to share your speech with the class in the next session.

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Session 9: The Early Years of the Cold War

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define superpower, airlift, cease-fire, arms race and satellite.

Students will share their questions with the class. 

Students will identify what the Soviet Union's goal was in blockading Berlin. 

Students will explain what started the Korean War.

Students will explain why the arms race happened.

Students will describe what the Apollo Program was.

Students will describe how the crisis in Cuba ended.

HOMEWORK:

Imagine that you are news reporter. Write a news report on the moon landing.  Be prepared to share your news reports with the class in the next session.

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Session 10: Working for Equal Rights

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define nonviolence, integration and migrant worker.

Students will share their news reports with the class. 

Students will identify who Thurgood Washington was and why is important to American history.

Students will describe the effects of Rosa Park's actions.

Students will describe how Martin Luther King, Jr. worked for civil rights.

Students will analyze the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and explain what the act did.

Students will describe how Malcolm X's ideas change.

Students will describe what Cesar Chavez accomplished.

HOMEWORK:

Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I Have a Dream" speech is one of the most famous speeches in American history. Research the speech. What made the speech so important and inspirational? Be ready to share your thoughts with the class in the next session. 

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Session 11: The Cold War Continues

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define arms control, detente and scandal.

Students will share their "I Have a Dream" thoughts with the class. 

Students will explain why the United States became involved in Vietnam.

Students will describe how President Nixon eased tensions with China and the Soviet Union.

Students will identify the scandal that ended Nixon's presidency.

Students will examine and interpret editorial cartoons.

HOMEWORK:

Use the internet and/or library to write a report about the Vietnam Veterans Memorial. Be ready to share your report with the class in the next session. 

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Session 12: A World of Change

LESSON OBJECTIVES: 

Students will define terrorism, deficit and hijack.

Students will share their report with the class. 

Students will identify who Ronald Reagan was and why he was important to American history.

Students will explain how the nation's economy changed after Ronald Reagan was elected President.

Students will describe how relations between the United States and the Soviet Union changed during the 1980's.

Students will explain what caused the Gulf War to happen.

Students will describe how economic growth in the 1990's affected unemployment.

Students will analyze why citizen participation is important in the United States.

Students will describe the ways terrorism has affected the United States.