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PrintTwentieth Century United States History
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The United States Coming of Age: 1890–1920
The Immigrants
1.1 The Rising Tide of Immigration
Create journal entries in the voices of immigrants as they partake in the great European migration.
1.2 Voices of Chinese Immigrants: Poems from Angel Island
Discuss life on Angel Island between 1910 and 1940, and create illustrated poems describing detainees’ feelings.
1.3 Analyzing Attitudes on Immigration Through Political Cartoons
Critically analyze eight political cartoons to discover attitudes Americans held toward immigrants.
1.4 Interviewing a Recent Immigrant
Write a profile that documents an immigrant’s experiences in America.
Industrialism and the Progressive Response
2.1 Experiencing the Assembly Line
Feel the impact of assembly line production as they race to complete multiple drawings of a person.
2.2 The Growth of Industrialism
Discuss a series of 10 images depicting the period of rapid industrialization in the United States.
2.3 Progressive Era Thinkers Meet the Press
Actively question nine Progressive era thinkers to understand contrasting viewpoints on key issues.
The Growth of U.S. Imperialism
3.1 Isolationism to Imperialism: The Foreign Policy Spectrum
Arrange nine foreign policy actions along a spectrum ranging from isolation to imperialism.
3.2 The Spanish-American War and the Growth of Imperialism
Discuss nine images depicting key events of the Spanish-American War and post-war power.
3.3 U.S. Foreign Policy Is Like a… ?
Work in groups to create visual metaphors of U.S. foreign policy at the turn of the century.
World War I
4.1 From Neutrality to War
Explore six images illustrating the events of World War I and the U.S. response to them.
4.2 Analyzing World War I Propaganda Posters
Examine World War I posters from four countries to identify propagandists’ objectives and tools.
4.3 Living Trench Warfare
Quiver with fear and empathy as they assume the role of soldiers in the trenches.
4.4 Negotiating a Treaty to Secure World Peace
Assume the roles of President Wilson and the European powers to negotiate a peace treaty
Culminating Project
5.1 Designing a Museum to Evaluate the United States: 1890–1920
Design a museum examining American society and the U.S. government from 1890 to 1920.
The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
The Roaring Twenties
1.1 Understanding Postwar Tensions
Discuss a series of images depicting the tension in American society following World War I.
1.2 Debating the Benefits of Diversity in the 1920s
Host a press conference of nine historical figures to understand the benefits of diversity in the late 1920s.
1.3 Keen Talk for a Swanky Age
Perform skits using slang from the 1920s, and substitute modern-day slang in the delivery.
1.4 Multimedia Presentations of Changing Lifestyles
Create multimedia presentations depicting key social changes in American society during the 1920s.
The Coming of the Great Depression
2.1 The Economic Collapse
Explore the causes of the economic collapse and Great Depression in the late 1920s and the 1930s.
2.2 The Pain of the Failing Economy
Struggle with feelings of despair as the teacher refuses to give credit for “lost” quizzes, and tie these emotions to bank failures.
2.3 Graphing Economic Data on the Great Depression
Interpret economic data to understand the causes and effects of the Great Depression.
The Human Impact of the Great Depression
3.1 Creating Minidramas About the Great Depression
Enact minidramas depicting the experiences of eight American social groups during the 1930s.
3.2 Empathizing with Victims of the Great Depression
Conduct photographic research and write a letter to the president about the hardships of the 1930s.
The New Deal
4.1 My Deal: What Should Be Done About the Great Depression
Assume the role of economists to advise Congress on the economic problems faced by the U. S.
4.2 FDR and the New Deal
Analyze a series of seven images introducing the rise of FDR and the legacy of the New Deal.
4.3 Discovering the Legacy of the New Deal
Explore how the New Deal affected the Great Depression and has influenced contemporary American society.
Culminating Project
5.1 An Illustrated Storybook About the Roaring Twenties
Publish a storybook that illustrates the key lessons of the Roaring Twenties and the and the Great Depression.
The United States in World War II
The Coming of World War II
1.1 Bringing World War II Terms to Life
Present skits and pictowords that demonstrate the meaning of eight key World War II terms.
1.2 From Versailles to Pearl Harbor
Explore the events that led to the outbreak of World War II and discuss how the U.S. responded.
1.3 Using Historical Hindsight to Prevent World War II
Write a memo explaining how the U.S. and its allies could have prevented World War II.
The United States Goes to War
2.1 Winning World War II
Explore a series of images depicting major military events during World War II.
2.2 Assessing the Decision to Build and Use the Bomb
Debate the U.S. government’s decision to use atomic weapons in World War II.
The Home Front
3.1 Newscasts from the Home Front
Broadcast news stories on how U.S. involvement in World War II impacted the American home front.
3.2 Evaluating the Japanese Internment During World War II
Investigate how U.S. concerns about enemy collaborators led to the use of internment camps.
3.3 Haiku About Internment
Assume the role of Japanese-American poets to create illustrated haikus about internment.
The Holocaust
4.1 Facing the Holocaust: Why Genocide?
Critically analyze the escalation of the Holocaust in Germany during World War II.
4.2 Analyzing American Responses to the Holocaust
Examine societal reactions to understand what U.S. measures could have prevented the Holocaust.
Culminating Project
5.1 Creating an Illustrated World War II Report Card
Design an illustrated report card that evaluates the U.S. performance in World War II.
The Cold War
Early Cold War Tensions
1.1 Contrasting Cold War Terms
Define eight Cold War terms to explain the tension between the U.S. and the Soviet Union.
1.2 Discovering the Roots of the Cold War
Discuss seven images depicting the key events in the development of the Cold War.
1.3 McCarthy and the Cold War at Home
Form groups based on secret identities, making connections to the anticommunist hysteria of the 1950s.
1.4 The Cuban Missile Crisis: You Make the Call
Act as presidential advisors to respond to the escalating stages of the Cuban Missile Crisis.
A Case Study of the Vietnam War
2.1 Writing Oral Histories from the Vietnam War
Conduct interviews and write oral histories that document the interviewees’ experiences with Vietnam.
2.2 The Vietnam War: A Visual History
Explore a series of images that chronicles the key stages of the Vietnam War.
2.3 Writing Songs About the Vietnam War
Compose song lyrics about the Vietnam War from varying perspectives.
2.4 Taking a Stand on the Vietnam War
Debate the merits of U.S.involvement in the war and write position papers on the topic.
The End of the Cold War
3.1 Experiencing Missile Madness
Form a human bar graph to represent the arms race and connect their experience to history.
3.2 Identifying U.S. Methods in the Late Cold War (1970–1990)
Critically analyze eight events from the late Cold War to uncover anti-communism tactics of the U.S.
Culminating Project
4.1 Creating a Visual Metaphor on the Cold War
Create a visual metaphor representing the U.S. rolein the Cold War.
The Civil Rights Movement
The Challenges and Benefits of American Pluralism
1.1 Creating an American Quilt
Design quilt squares depicting the contributions of 16 ethnic and racial groups in the United States.
1.2 Experiencing the Sting of Discrimination
Compare reactions to an unfairly disparate testing situation to experience discrimination and segregation.
The African-American Civil Rights Movement
2.1 African Americans Lead the Struggle for Equal Rights
Examine 12 images depicting key events in the African-American civil rights movement.
2.2 Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X Talk It Out
Write a fictional dialogue reflecting Martin Luther King Jr.’s and Malcolm X’s differing viewpoints.
2.3 Creating Interactive Monuments to Heroes of the Civil Rights Movement
Dramatize various African Americans’ heroic acts during the civil rights movement.
The Widening Struggle for Equal Rights
3.1 The Widening Struggle: Analyzing Civil Rights Documents
Examine primary-source documents to identify methods used by various groups to gain civil rights.
3.2 Creating Newscasts on the Women's Movement
Broadcast news stories that show how the women’s movement of the 1960s and 1970s changed American society.
3.3 Understanding the Legacy of the Women's Movement Through Oral History
Interview four generations of women on how their lives have been affected by the movement.
Civil Rights Today
4.1 Analyzing the Impact of the Civil Rights Movement
Interpret graphs of social, economic, and political data to evaluate the progress made by various American groups.
4.2 Who Should Be Admitted?
Debate as college admission officers whether ethnicity and economic status should be considered.
Culminating Project
5.1 Creating a News Magazine on the Civil Rights Movement
Publish a news magazine on how the civil rights movement has contributed to making the U.S. a more just society.
Contemporary American Society
An Overview of Contemporary American Society
1.1 Exploring Popular Culture of the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, and 1980s
Interpret images and music on five topics—fads, cars, weddings, technology, and popular music.
1.2 Interpreting a Song About Contemporary America
Perform interpretations of song stanzas to create a “music video” of the four decades.
The 1950s: Pursuing the American Dream
2.1 Peace, Prosperity, and Progress
Compare a series of 11 images on the ideals and realities of American social life during the 1950s.
2.2 Prime Time Family Values
Critique three “new” television sitcoms— Father Knows Best, I Love Lucy, and Amos 'n' Andy.
2.3 Creating 1950s Television Show Episodes We Never Saw
Invent episodes for fictitious television shows about seven marginalized groups in American society.
Idealism and Dissent in the 1960s
3.1 The Aura of Camelot: The Kennedy Presidency
Examine 11 images depicting the life, accomplishments, and sorrows of the Kennedy family.
3.2 Discovering the Legacy of the "War on Poverty”
Discuss President Johnson’s “War on Poverty" programs, such as Head Start, the Job Corps, and VISTA.
3.3 Debating Mainstream and Counterculture Views in the 1960s
Debate topics of cultural rift between the mainstream and the counterculture and write a reflective editorial.
Reactions from the Political Right: The 1970s and 1980s
4.1 A Cartoon History of the Watergate Scandal
Analyze a series of Watergate political cartoons and discuss the scandal’s effect on American politics.
4.2 Creating Commemorative Plaques and “Wanted Posters” of Ronald Reagan
Apply opposing perspectives of Reagan’s policies to design commemorative plaques and “wanted” posters.
Culminating Project
5.1 Assembling a Time Capsule of Contemporary America
Encapsulate 10 events from 1950 to 1990 that have significantly shaped present-day American society.