Blocks+2+and+3+American+History+1+Syllabus

South Middleton School District

** American History I  ** ** Mr. Freese **
 * __SMSD__** **__Mission__** **__Statement__:** The Mission of the South Middleton School District is to provide an education that empowers all students to achieve their potential and to become productive, responsible citizens.


 * __Course Title__:** American History I


 * __Weight of Course__:** 1.0


 * __Length of Course__:** This course meets days 1 – 6 for one semester.


 * __Department__:** Social Studies


 * __Course Description__:** This course includes American History from Reconstruction through World War II. This course surveys the political, social, and economic changes occurring during the reconstruction and continuing through the progressive era. The later part of the course will study America’s past in the turbulence and conflicts of the 20th century through World War II.


 * __Text__:** __America____: Pathways to the Present__, Cayton, Andrew //et. al.,// Prentice Hall: Needham, Massachusetts, 2007.


 * __Statement of Purpose__:** The purpose of this course is to offer the student a multi-century look at the economic, social, and political structure of the United States from 1865 through the second World War.

--Discover the Reconstruction plans developed during the Civil War. --Learn how the daily lives of Americans changed in the decades following the Civil War. --Learn about the kinds of conditions that lured people to migrate to the West and the effect it had on the life of the Plains Indians. --Investigate how business influenced politics during the late 1800s --Examine the issues in the debate of women’s equality. --Find out about the factors that led to the growth of imperialism. --Learn the key goals of Progressives and why progressive reforms met with resistance. --Analyze how the United States responded to war in Europe in the early 1900’s. --Recognize the affects of World War I on the United States. --Investigate the effects of the Great Depression on American society. --Explain the difficulties faced during World War II.
 * __Learning Objectives__:** The Students in this course will:


 * __Course Outline__:**
 * The Civil War Era
 * Reconstruction
 * Westward Expansion
 * Building a Powerful Nation
 * U.S. Imperialism
 * World War I
 * Social Changes and Politics in the 1920's
 * Great Depression and the New Deal
 * World War II


 * __Assessment__:** Students’ grades will be based on a point system, which will be determined by:
 * Daily participation in class discussions of assigned readings.
 * Announced and unannounced quizzes.
 * Map exercises
 * Class presentations
 * Written assignments
 * Chapter and Unit Tests
 * Final Exam


 * __Note__:** Necessary adaptations and accommodations will be made for Special Education students as detailed in the student’s IEP.