Sophomores- American History Syllabus

623 American History

Course Description:

            This course is designed to tell the story of American History with a narrative approach.  It will spotlight those men and women who played significant roles in the unfolding of the American saga.  The course is designed to cover major phases and forces that have affected the American people and their way of life.  Strengthening of reading and study skills will be emphasized as the time period from exploration to the modern world is covered.  Civics will also be included in this course.

Materials Needed:

- Text:  America: Pathways to the Present, Pearson Education, Inc., 2005

            - Notebook only for American History

            - Folder for handouts. Label this folder “American History” and put your name on

               it.

- Student planner (which you received in homeroom) to record assignments and

   due dates

- Students are required to have all materials in class everyday

Units of Study:

-       Unit 1 (1400’s-1750’s): European Exploration and Colonization of America. Geography of North America will also be covered in this unit.

Chapters 2 and 3

-       Unit 2 (1753-1800): The Revolutionary Era and Origins of American Politics.

Chapters 4 and 5

-       Unit 3 (1800-1860): Antebellum America. Focus on westward expansion, early industrialization and role of slavery during the pre-civil war era.

Parts of chapters 6, 7, 8, 9, and 10

-       Unit 4 (1861-1877): The Civil War and Reconstruction.

Chapters 11-12

-       Unit 5 (1860’s-1920): Post-Civil War America. Focus on the growth of American industry and cities across the country. The Progressive era will also be covered. 

Parts of chapters 13,14,15, and 16

-       Unit 6 (1890’s-1920): America Becoming a World Power. Focus on the rise of imperialism and the Spanish-American War and World War I.

Chapters 17 and 19

-       Unit 7 (1920-1941): Boom Times to Hard Times. Focus on the Roaring Twenties, Crash and Great Depression, and the New Deal.

Chapters 20, 21, 22, and 23

-       Unit 8 (1931-1945): World War II.

Chapters 24-25

-       Unit 9 (1945-1975): The Cold War and a Period of Turmoil and Change.

Parts of chapters 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, and 31

-       Unit 10 (1969-present): Movement to the Present World

Chapters 32-34

Assessments:

- Tests and Quizzes: Students will be responsible for all information covered in    

  class from the text, class notes, videos, worksheets, maps, etc.

- Homework and class work: Many homework assignments will be section reviews

from the textbook and reading assignments . All questions from the section reviews must be answered in the notebook.  All definitions must be written out with the word and short answers must be answered in complete sentences.

- Projects/ Presentations: Ex: Oral History project (Details will be given out at a 

  later date)

Grading Policy:

Your grade will be based on a TOTAL POINTS system.  This means your percentage grade can be determined by dividing the number of points earned by the total number of points possible. For example, test grades will range from approximately 80-100 points; projects 50-100 points; quizzes 10-30 points; homework 5-10 points.