Adlai E. Stevenson High School Course Description Division: Course Number: Course Title: Special Education/Social Studies ISO321/ISO322 Instructional U.S. History Course Description: This sequence fulfills the graduation requirement of one year of U.S. History as established by the State of Illinois. With an emphasis on the 20th century, the overriding goal of this course is to give students the opportunity to understand how the current domestic and international status of the U. S. developed. It is designed to help students to identify causes and effects, events and philosophies, which led to the contemporary situation, and provide them with an historical basis for decision-making. This course builds on the skills associated with historical inquiry introduced in World History. Geographic themes such as location, mobility, and interaction with the environment are stressed within this historical treatment. In support of each special education student, this course will reflect the flexibility necessary to adapt to the individual needs of each student with respect to modifications, pace, accommodations, and size. Content Objectives By the end of this course, students will be able to: A. Understand the Colonial Experience in America to 1754. B. State the causes of the American Revolution and the importance of the constitutional Period. C. Understand the challenges of the Early National Period. D. Describe how America changed during the Age of Jackson. E. Explain the concept of Manifest Destiny, and it s impact on the growth of the United States. F. Explain the causes of the Civil War and the process of Reconstruction. G. Describe the problems faced by Native Americans in the process of Settling the of West. H. Explain how America changed during the Gilded Age and the reasons for the Progressive Movement. I. Describe the era of Imperialism and America s role in World War I.
J. Understand the era of The 1920s and the impact of the Great Depression. K. Develop an understanding of World War II and the Cold War Era. L. Describe life in America in the 1950s and the impact of the Civil Rights Movement. M. Explain how America became involved in Vietnam, and the turmoil that resulted from this war. N. Develop an understanding of the changes in Politics and Economics from the 1970s to 2000. O. Describe the recent challenges facing the U.S. during this Modern Era. College Readiness Standards By the end of this course, students will be able to: A. Locate basic facts (e.g., names, dates, events) clearly stated in a passage. B. Recognize clear cause-effect relationships described within a single sentence in a passage. C. Draw simple generalizations and conclusions using details that support the main points of more challenging passages. D. Understand the overall approach taken by the author or narrator (e.g., point of view, kinds of evidence used) in more challenging passages. E. Present a thesis that establishes a focus on the writer s position on an issue. F. Present a somewhat developed introduction and conclusion. G. Maintain a clear focus on discussion of the specific topic and issue in the prompt throughout the essay. Social-Emotional Learning Objectives By the end of this course, students will be able to: A. Develop their Social Awareness Skills.
B. Develop their Relationship Skills. C. Develop their Responsible Decision Making Skills. Content Learning Targets A. The Colonial Experience in America to 1754 1. I will know the main causes for English settlement in North America. 2. I will understand how the English colonies came to form regions distinct from each other and also different from England. 3. I will understand that the settlement and location of the original thirteen colonies still has a major impact on America today. B. American Revolution and Constitutional Period. 1. I will know the main causes for American Revolution. 2. I will understand how and why the Constitution was created. 3. I will recognize what the United States looked like following the Treaty of Paris, 1783. C. Early National Period. 1. I will know how the United States established a federal government, a Bill of Rights and political parties. 2. I will understand how and why the early United States expanded. D. Age of Jackson. 1. I will know the major issues during the Presidency of Andrew Jackson. 2. I will understand why the American political system became more democratic during the Age of Jackson. E. Manifest Destiny. 1. I will understand the economic, political and cultural reasons for Manifest Destiny.
2. I will understand the importance of Manifest Destiny on making the West a new area of population and economic growth. 3. I will understand how the United States gained the Louisiana Territory, Texas, California and Oregon. F. Civil War and Reconstruction 1. I will understand the tensions between the North and the South that led to the Civil war. 2. I will understand the key events of the Civil War. 3. I will understand what happened after the Civil War (Reconstruction). G. Native Americans and the Settling of the West. 1. I will know that Native Americans developed lifestyles and cultures adapted to their environments. 2. I will understand the reasons why miners, ranchers and farmers moved west. 3. I will understand the impact of American westward expansion on Native Americans. H. The Gilded Age and Progressive Movement. 1. I will understand the key events that led to the Growth of Big Business in the early 20 th century. 2. I will understand the causes for, and impact of immigration during the Gilded Age. 3. I will understand the social and political issues that led to the Progressive Movement. 4. I can describe how the role of government changed as a result of the Progressive Movement. I. Imperialism and World War I 1. I will understand the major arguments supporting American expansion in the early stages of the 20 th century.
2. I will understand the causes that led to the Spanish American War. 3. I will identify the new territories and lands influenced by the U.S. during the Age of Imperialism. 4. I will understand the MAIN (underlying) causes of World War I. 5. I will understand how the U.S. became involved in World War I. 6. I will know how the unresolved issues of World War I, helped lead to World War II. J. Boom and Bust: The 1920s and the Great Depression. 1. I will understand how American society changed during the 1920s. 2. I will understand the causes and effects of the Great Depression. 3. I will understand the policies and impact of the New Deal. K. Hot and Cold Wars: World War II and the Cold War Era 1. I will explain how the United States came to be involved in World War II. 2. I will describe how the Nazis persecuted the Jewish people. 3. I will describe what life was like on the home front during World War II. 4. I will understand how the Cold War developed, and the U.S. response to the spread of communism. 5. I will describe how McCarthyism impacted America. L. America in the 1950s and the Civil Rights Movement. 1. I will explain how the G.I. Bill and the baby boom changed American society. 2. I will explain how the space race developed between the U.S. and U.S.S.R.
3. I will describe the reasons and methods used by African Americans in their struggle to gain equal rights. M. The Vietnam Era 1. I will explain why America decided to fight in Vietnam, and explain how Vietnam came to divide America. 2. I will describe the ways that college students and the counterculture wanted to change America. 3. I will describe the methods and goals of the feminist movement that began in the 1960s. 4. I will describe the reasons for, and tactics of the Latino movements of the1960s. N. Politics and Economics-1970s to 2000 1. I will identify and describe the positive and negative aspects of Nixon s Presidency. 2. I will describe how America s energy policies changed during the presidencies of Ford and Carter. 3. I will understand how President Reagan s economic and foreign policies impacted America and the world. 4. I will critique the successes and shortcomings of the Clinton Administration. O. The Modern Era 1. I will explain how the events of 9/11/01 changed U.S. foreign policy. 2. I will describe how the G.W. Bush presidency responded to America s economic and foreign policy issues. 3. I will discuss the importance of the election of 2008, and describe Obama s policies.
College Readiness Learning Targets A. Locate basic facts (e.g., names, dates, events) clearly stated in a passage. 1. I will locate and identify basic facts that are clearly stated in a reading passage. B. Recognize clear cause-effect relationships described within a single sentence in a passage. 1. I will recognize and identify the cause-effect relationships that are found within a single sentence passage. C. Draw simple generalizations and conclusions using details that support the main points of more challenging passages. 1. I will identify and use details to draw generalizations and conclusions that support the main points in the passage. D. Understand the overall approach taken by the author or narrator (e.g., point of view, kinds of evidence used) in more challenging passages. 1. I will recognize the author s point of view in primary source readings. E. Present a thesis that establishes a focus on the writer s position on an issue. 1. I will write a clear thesis when responding to a historical writing prompt. F. Present a somewhat developed introduction and conclusion. 1. I will follow writing conventions by incorporating an introduction and conclusion in a historical essay. H. Maintain a clear focus on discussion of the specific topic and issue in the prompt throughout the essay. 1. I will maintain the focus of a historical essay by clearly responding to the writing prompt.
Social-Emotional Learning Targets A. Develop their Social Awareness Skills. 1. I will explain what it means to be empathetic. 2. I will utilize resources to understand another persons feelings and/or perspectives. 3. I will seek to understand the diverse background of others. B. Develop their Relationship Skills. 1. I will build and sustain relationships characterized by mutual respect. 2. I will work cooperatively with others. C. Develop their Responsible Decision Making Skills. 1. I will identify possible options, including major alternative points of view and their consequences before making a decision. 2. I will identify resources before making a decision. 3. I will utilize resources before making my decisions