Here is a course syllabus for US history at our local high school. Does this seem like a normal history course?
VIDEOS: INCLUDING (BUT NOT LIMITED TO): MANUFACTURING CONSENT, SALT OF THE EARTH, METROPOLIS, WOODSTOCK Units of Study (activities)
FIRST SEMESTER
Unit One: Political Theory & Historic Concepts.
This unit lies our and examines the political theories generated by the Enlightenment and contextualizes them with the founding of the United States. Special attention is given to the development of political tradition and of the Constitution. Other political theories are also discussed. In addition, time is devoted to laying out basic outlines that will serve as tools for the rest of the course. (History-Social Science Framework: 11.1.1, 11.1.2, 11.1.3, 11.3.2, 11.3.3, 11.3.5)
Unit Two: Technology & The Environment.
From the Industrial Revolution to the Information Superhighway, this unit follows the development, progress, and implications of technologies and their places in history. Students examine the rise of mass production, the impact of new technologies, and major developments in communication, travel, medicine, production, and entertainment. In this unit, students also consider questions of ethics regarding technology (for example, the dropping of the Atomic Bomb) and issues pertaining to the environment. Each student makes his/her own webpage highlighting a new technology of a previous era. (11.1.4, 11.5.6, 11.5.7, 11.7.6, 11.7.7, 11.8.6, 11.8.7, 11.11.5)
Unit Three: Immigration & Population Shifts.
Historically, immigrants came to the U.S. seeking better economic opportunities and freedom from persecution, but often they came across strong feelings of prejudice and nativism. Even within the borders of the United States, populations shifted (and continue to shift) because of economic, political, and social reasons. This unit investigates these shifts and their effects on the nation's landscape. Immigration is America's story. (11.1.4, 11.2.4, 11.3.4, 11.5.7, 11.8.2, 11.9.7, 11.11.1)
Unit Four: Progress, Imperialism, and the Big Stick (the 1890s & 1900s).
At the turn of the 20th century, the United States entered the world stage of Imperialism. This unit examines the elements that contributed toward this choice. The Spanish-American War, the Open-Door policy, Panama, and Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy are closely regarded. An emphasis is also given to the social and political climate of the time, including Populist and Progressive movements, the Pullman strike, Plessy v. Ferguson, and Social Darwinism. (11.2.1, 11.2.7, 11.2.8, 11.4.1, 11.4.2, 11.4.3, 11.4.4)
Unit Five: From Isolation to the War To End All Wars (the 1910s).
In this unit, students draw comparisons between Roosevelt's Big Stick Diplomacy, Taft's Dollar Diplomacy, and Wilson's Moral Diplomacy. Students also study the nation's shift from Isolationism to military participation. A Close analysis is made of the War's conclusion (Treaty of Versailles) and its aftermath (Wilson's 14 Points, the League of Nations). Students also examine Congressional acts of the time and four new Amendments to the Constitution (nos. 16-19). (11.2.9, 11.4.4, 11.4.5)
Unit Six: Race.
The American Civil War did not solve the issue of race in the United States. In this unit, students examine the origins and effects of the Ku Klux Klan, exclusion acts, Jim Crow laws, race riots, and internment camps. Students inquire about what makes such events happen and how can such events be prevented from happening. Historic events that influenced the course of history (Brown v. Board of Education, sit-ins, freedom rides, the Civil Rights Act, Proposition 187, etc.) are studied. Individuals such as Marcus Garvey, Jesse Owens, Jackie Robinson, Rodney King, and Rosa Parks are considered. (11.1.4, 11.5.2, 11.7.5, 11.10.1, 11.10.2)
Unit Seven: The Jazz Age (the 1920s).
This unit focuses on the far-reaching and enduring social and economic changes wrought in the 1920s. With the workweek dropping from 60 to 48 hours and social barriers dwindling, play became as important as work. The rich and the commoner rubbed elbows in the common pursuit of drink. The White House met scandal. Gangsters and captains of industry consorted freely…and it all ended in a Crash. (11.5.1, 11.5.3, 11.5.4, 11.5.5, 11.6.1, 11.8.1)
SECOND SEMESTER
Unit Eight: The Great Depression & The New Deal.
It was not the first depression of the U.S. economy, but it was certainly the worst. In this unit, students examine the human toll of the Great Depression. Students surmise why economic depressions occur and what specific elements led to this one. Students also investigate steps taken by Hoover and Roosevelt to combat the economic crisis. (11.6.2, 11.6.3, 11.6.4, 11.8.5, 11.8.8)
Unit Nine: Labor.
Labor history in the United States is a story rich in human drama and tragedy. It is also one of progress and hope. In this unit, students study the effects of industrialization on living and working conditions, especially in relation to the development of the United States as a major industrial power in the world. Students examine organized labor, poverty, and the changing role of women. Specific references are made to Upton Sinclair's The Jungle. (11.2.1, 11.2.2, 11.2.5, 11.2.6, 11.6.5, 11.11.3, 11.11.6)
Unit Ten: A Nation at War (the 1940s). (11.7.1, 11.7.2, 11.7.3, 11.7.4, 11.7.5, 11.7.7, 11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.1, 11.10.1)
Unit Eleven: The Cold War, Elvis, & the Red Scare (the 1950s). (11.7.8, 11.8.3, 11.8.4, 11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.3, 11.10.2, 11.11.2)
Unit Twelve: The Longest War & The New Consciousness (the 1960s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.2, 11.9.3, 11.9.4, 11.10.4, 11.10.6, 11.10.7, 11.11.2)
Unit Thirteen: The "Me" Decade (the 1970s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.4, 11.11.2, 11.11.4)
Unit Fourteen: The Reagan Revolution (the 1980s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.5, 11.11.2)
Unit Fifteen: The New World Order (the 1990s). (11.8.5, 11.8.8, 11.9.1, 11.9.6, 11.11.2)
Here are some recommended readings
- Columbus & Western Civilization, by Howard Zinn
- Why Autonomous AIM Opposes Columbus Day and Columbus Day Parades, by Glenn Morris and Russell Means
Ummm, a US History course that glosses over the 15th, 16th, and 17th centuries, the Revolution, the Founding Fathers, Westward Expansion, and the Civil War (all crammed into Unit 1) and starts with the Industrial Revolution in Unit 2? Elvis and Rodney King get mentioned in the outline, and Washington, Franklin, and Jefferson don't? It looks more like the History of the US Progressive Movement rather than the History of the US.