Themes of United States History
A student shall:
A. demonstrate understanding of the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, and themes related to key events, concepts, and people in the historical development of the United States, including the convergence of people, colonization, settlement, and the American Revolution; expansion, the Civil War, and the Reconstruction; tribal sovereignty and the relationship between American Indian tribal governments and federal and state government; industrialization, the emergence of modern America, and the Great Depression; World War II; and postwar United States to the present; and
The assessments that I have created cuts up the standard into pieces according to the key events in United States history. In order to meet the requirements for this standard I put an underlying theme to each unit. These themes are emphasized in each assessment task in different ways. I chose to examine the following themes: push – pull factors in history, role of government, conflicting views and ideals leading to war, and conflicting interests when expanding a nation. These themes are underlying components of each assessment that I will be implementing in my class, and meet the themes part of the standard, I would also argue that these themes would fit for the key concepts of the events. Also I looked at the understanding of people in historical events in a few different ways. For example, I asked the class to give a personalized account of s settler in journal form in the convergence of people. This gives the students a very personal first person account of the people in history. I also looked at different historical figures in the American Revolution section. In this section, I actually have the class examining the ideas and roles of various historical figures in history. This will give the students a concrete example of an individual's role in history.
In
order to meet part B of the standard, I used the assessment method in the
colonization and settlement portion of my assessments. In this activity, I have students exploring
governmental structure and relations with the people from two very different
perspectives. On one hand I have the
view of the colonists, and on the other the views of the British
government. This gives a clear-cut
example of the influence of diverse ideas or beliefs on an event or theme in
the historical development of the United States.
In
order to meet the understanding of the Declaration of Independence and the
United States Constitution, I chose to have a test prior to the unit on the
American Revolution. This test will be
a comprehensive multiple-choice test that will assess the students on whether
or not they understand the material.
·
The first
task will be the Convergence of People journal activity (Theme: push – pull factors). In
this activity the students will be required to take the perspective of an early
settler in the new world. As the class
goes through the unit the students will be required to keep a running journal
of a specific person (someone that they make up), and write entries of what it
would be like for that person in the new world. This should be written in the first person point of view, and
contain thoughts, ideas, perspectives, feelings, and experiences, that may have
been common among early settlers of this time.
As we progress into the unit, it will become more and more evident what
the settlers were going through, and this should give the students multiple
topics to write on. By the units end,
the students should have an extensive journal on the accounts of a specific
settler (that they made up), to use as an example of personal experiences of a
group of people. Some basic questions
that need to be answered in the journal would be:
Who
is this person?
Why
did this person come to the new world?
What are some personal experiences that this person may have gone through in his/her time in the new world?
What are this person’s views on topics discussed in class, and why are they held?
Also for this activity the instructor would have the freedom
of structuring the journal entries to manipulate what the student writes
about. For example I would give them
specific topics to write about on certain days like: How did this person react
to the harsh winters? or, What kind of relation did this person have with the
natives?
·
Prior to
the next assessment activity, the students will be tested on their knowledge of
the Declaration of Independence, and the United States Constitution. This test will be a comprehensive
multiple-choice test to assess the students understanding of the material.
·
The second
task will be the Colonization and Settlement debates (Theme: role of government). These
debates will focus on the role that the British government played in the
colonies. For this activity the class
will be divided into 2 groups, one representing the view of the colonies, and
the other the views of Great Britain.
As we discuss the role of the British government in this unit, the
groups should get some idea of what would be a strong point to debate for them. Each group will then choose 2 topics to
debate on (totaling 4 debate topics), and the research begins on what view each
side might have held on this topic. The
research can be done in the library or the computer lab using the Internet. This research should take no more than a 2
days, as it will be a group effort, and the tasks can be split up. Once the research is complete the debates
will begin. In order to get the whole
class involved, each of the 2 groups will be split up into 4 subgroups (one for
each topic), and the subgroups will be the ones debating on the issue. These debates will bring about diverse
perspectives on the same issue, and present more than one side to a particular
topic. It is also designed to get the
class involved.
·
Task three
will be on the American Revolution and will be a conversation between different
historical figures with multiple views (Theme:
conflicting views and ideals leading to war). For this activity, the class will be divided into groups of
5. In these groups of 5 the students
will be allowed to chose a historical figure from one of 2 lists which I will
provide (one list containing figures important to the colonies, and the other
will have figures significant to Great Britain). Each group needs at least 2 people in it from each list. The students will then research their
historical figure in both the library and computer lab, taking one day in
class. Once the research is complete
the groups will meet in class and begin discussing the views of their
historical figure pertaining to the American Revolution (a list of conversation
topics will be suggested prior to the research). The teacher, who may take the initiative to join a conversation
when permitted by students, will observe these conversations. To keep the conversations flowing and
interesting to the students, the groups should be mixed up about 4 times
throughout the class period.
·
Task four
will be on the Expansion unit and will be in the form of an essay that can be
shared with the rest of the class (Theme:
conflicting interest when expanding a nation). To set up this essay, the teacher will need to come up with a
list of territories that the U.S. expanded into towards the west while
fulfilling it manifest destiny. The students
will then need to select one of the territories to write the essay on, territories
need not be assigned as long as all territories are covered. The students will then research the territory that the U.S.
expanded into and answer some basic questions:
Who
was there before the U.S. moved in?
In
what ways did we acquire the territories?
When
did we acquire the property, and what state/states did it later become?
What
motivations did settlers have to moving to this territory?
What
methods did the U.S. use to obtain the territory?
Once the essay portion of this task is completed, the people with the same territories will meet in class, and create a handout on their territory for the rest of the class. This handout should also contain answers to the above questions, and be in a form easy enough for the rest of the class to easily understand. These handouts will be copied and given to the rest of the class to be used as a study tool. Finally in class we will discuss the territories in class, and compare and contrast them (in terms of the questions).
·
The fifth
and final assessment is on the Civil War and Reconstruction and will involve
interpreting a timeline and developing a theme around it (Theme: to be decided by the students). In this activity the students will select the important events in
the Civil War and Reconstruction and put them into chronological order, in
essence creating a timeline. They will
then be divided into groups, each group describing an event. The class as a whole will then go on a walk
through the school looking at the selected events at different locations of the
school. The groups will then explain
the event. This Loci Model will help
the students memorize the materials.
More importantly, upon going through the timeline, students will be
required to come up with a theme for the unit.
The theme will be put in an essay format and handed in with the
test. The class will be allowed to
share ideas once the timeline has been completed, but each student must
complete the essay and construction of a theme on their own. This theme should tie together all of the
events that were in the timeline and have a common thread amongst each
one. The students themes can be
original, or have a combination of themes discussed in class up to this point. In the essay the students will explain why
their them fits the events, and go into detail concerning the importance of how
the theme engulfs all of the events and sums them up in one short phrase.
Journal Project: Personal Account of an Early Settler
Early American History
Convergence of People
Mr.
Welle
Theme:
Push – Pull factors in history. This is an important theme in this unit because we need to begin
looking at what motivated people to come to the new world. Were they running from something? Were they running toward something? By looking at personal accounts, we will
begin to understand the concerns of early settlers in the colonies.
Task
Introduction:
In this unit you will be required to take the perspective of
an early settler, and explain what he/she is going through when coming to the
new world. You will do this by keeping
a running journal of a person (someone you make up) during the duration of the
unit. As you learn more about the
convergence of people, and we discuss it more in class, you may incorporate
this into your journal. The journal
should include a description of the following:
Who
is this person? In this journal you should explain whom the
person writing this journal is in order to get an understanding of his/her
views. You need to include where he/she
lived prior to the trek to the new world.
Why
did this person choose to come to the new world? It is important to explain the push or pull factors that
drove people to the new world.
Personal accounts of important events. Give
examples of important events that happened in this persons life as you record
it, including what it was like in the new world, what was different about it,
what may have been some fears.
Creative
views on issues discussed in class. We will be discussing various important
aspects of life of these early Americans, and will discuss the ideas that some
of them may have held. In your journal
you will be required to take a stance on a political issue pertinent to the
time.
Details:
In class we will be discussing what happened with the
convergence of people and what types of events they may have encountered in the
new world. We will be building a base
of learning for you so that you may better understand what these times were
like, and while this is happening, you will be required to add entries into
your journal putting our class discussions and lectured into account.
This is meant to be both a fun and
interesting activity. You are
encouraged to use your imagination when accounting for events in the
journal. You will be given the freedom
to explore different aspects of the convergence of people as long as they
logically tie into the journal project.
Debates: Great Britain’s Role in the New World
Early American History
Colonization and Settlement
Mr. Welle
Theme:
Role of government.
In this unit we will be looking critically at what role the British
government had in the colonies. It is
important that we understand fully what role they played in the colonies rather
than just looking at the Americanized version of the involvement of the British
government. As a class we will begin to
see the importance and legitimacy of government in history.
Task
Introduction:
Throughout this unit we will engage in a series of debates
involving the effects of the British government on the colonists. The class will be split into 2 different
groups, one representing the colonists and one representing the British
government. As a group everyone in
class will contribute in researching the views of their group (either British
or colonist) and bring them together as a whole. Once the group has met as a whole they will choose 2 things that
they wish to debate in class, and the total of 4 things will be debated on in
days to come (you will be given time to prepare your main points and
rebuttals). By doing this we will
obtain a better idea of what role Great Britain played in the colonies. Here is what I will be looking for in the
debates.
Topics: Are the topics chosen for debate relevant to
the class? It is important that both
groups choose topics that we stand to gain something from in class.
Is
the view presented the view held by the group being represented? I want both groups to research the views
of their group thoroughly, so that they can give the proper opinions, and back
them up. You also should be able to
give a basis for why this opinion is held.
Conduct during the debate. You
should conduct yourself in a professional manner, and be informed on what
issues you will be arguing. These
debates will take place in a civil manner, and we will all respect the opinions
of others in the class.
Details:
Because there will only be 2 groups in class, there will be
about 14 people per group. To better
split up the workload, each group may divide in to subgroups of 3 or 4 people
to prepare for each debate. This way
everyone will have a chance to speak during the series of debates, and no small
group of people will dominate every issue.
You will not be grade on whether or not your group “won” the debates,
but how well you represented the opinions of your group. This should be an accurate depiction of the
opinions.
Conversation: Historical Figures’ Views
Early American History
American Revolution
Mr.
Welle
Theme:
Conflicting views and ideals leading to war. In this unit we will discuss different views
held by individuals during this time period.
Looking at the opinions of important historical figures can help us
understand how conflict arose, and eventually how it may have been
resolved. With this project you will
see the importance of various historical figures, and the role that they played
during the Revolutionary War, or period leading up to the war.
Task
Introduction:
The class will be divided into groups of 5 where each group
member will be given the role of a historical figure of this time. I will provide 2 lists of historical
figures, and each group must have 2 people from each list. One list will be that of colonial figures
during the Revolutionary War, and the second list will be of British figures
during the Revolutionary war. Each
group member will research one of the historical figures thoroughly, and
prepare to discuss this person. After
the research is complete, the group will meet during one class period and have
a discussion concerning issues pertinent to the Revolutionary War. I will provide ideas for some
conversation. During the conversation,
you must put yourself in the first person perspective of the person you
represent, and pretend you are him/her.
As the class period goes on, we will switch people around in groups, to
get a wider variety of opinions. Things
to research:
Your
individual’s contributions to the Revolutionary War. You are to research who your individual was, and what he/she
did during the war. Were there any
major contributions that would be important to the class?
Stance
on various issues. I will provide an idea of things that
will be discussed in your conversations, and you should research what stance
your individual hold on these issues.
Opinions
of the opposing view. You should be
ready to argue over the validity of the opposing view, and explain why it holds
water or not (this is an opinion, but should be based on the historical figures
role).
Details:
As a class we will learn the various
views of people during this time, and get a better flavor for the importance of
their role. During the conversation, I
will be evaluating you on your participation in the group, and someone in your
group will need to fill out a discussion sheet, pointing out the topics that
your group discussed. I may also enter
your conversation as a historical figure to dig out your ideas.
Essay: Examining a New Territory
Early American History
Expansion
Mr.
Welle
Theme:
Conflicting interests when expanding the territory of a
nation. In this unit we will be
discussing how the U.S. expanded westward into new territories, and how they
did so. At the same time we will be
looking at who were in these territories prior to the expansion, and how the
U.S. came to gain the territory (war, treaties, purchased). In doing so we will identify different
perspectives on the expansion of our nation and what it did for our country,
and to the people that we took the land from.
Task
Introduction:
You as an individual will be asked to write an essay
explaining how territory was settled and what factors played a role in the
settlement. By doing this you will
build a base of what it took to claim a territory for a young nation, and the
methods in which the U.S. used to acquire this territory and fulfill its Manifest
Destiny. Your opinions will not yet be
incorporated into this activity and your moral code on whether the U.S. did the
right thing as far as how we took territories should not be reflected in the
essay. This essay should include the
following things:
Who
was there before the U.S. moved in? You
need to identify what groups of people were living in the area before our
nation infringed on the territory.
In
what way did we acquire the territory? You
need to look at the methods that the U.S. used in gaining the property. Were there treaties, wars, negotiations, or
anything else worth discussion.
When
did we acquire the property, and what did it eventually become? It is important that you see the time
frame that the property became part of the U.S. and what that property later
became, as far as states are concerned.
What
motivations did settlers have to moving to this territory? You will also be looking at the push –
pull factors in expansion effort of the U.S.
If you understand the motives to moving to a new territory, despite the dangers,
you will see the significance of expansion in the bigger picture.
Details:
After everyone in the class has finished their essay papers on a territory, we will begin to look at expansion as a class. Every person with the same territory researched for the essay will meet as a group and begin working on a handout. This handout will be dispersed throughout the entire class, so that everyone will be versed on all aspects of expansion. Once familiar with the concept of expansion and the different pieces of land acquired, we will compare and contrast them as a class.
Timeline: Explaining a Theme of the Civil War
Early American History
Civil War and Reconstruction
Mr.
Welle
Theme:
Students will develop their own theme concerning this unit
on the Civil War and reconstruction.
After constructing a Loci Model of the events in the Civil War and
Reconstruction, you will be required to write an essay on a theme of this time
period. The theme can be on whatever
you thought was the most important underlying idea of the Civil War and
Reconstruction.
Task
Introduction:
We will begin this activity by selecting the most important
events in the Civil War and Reconstruction, and putting thing them in
chronological order. Then the class
will be divided into as many groups as there are important events and they will
be required to explain its significance (diagrams, posters, pictures, and other
visual aids are encouraged). We will
take all of these events and construct a timeline throughout the school using different
points to represent each event (this
will help commit them to memory). Once
we have gone over the timeline, you will be required to come up with a theme
explaining the correlation between the events.
This theme will be expressed in an essay format, and will be handed in
with the test. You are encouraged to be
original with your ideas for a theme, but must also cover some basics, which
are essential in this unit:
Does
the theme fit the timeline? The
theme that you come up with must have something to do with the timeline
activity and relate to the events discussed in the activity.
Is
the theme thought through? Did you
take into careful consideration all the events discussed in the timeline before
developing a theme?
You
understand the significance of every event discussed in the timeline? In your essay you show that you
understand that each event was somehow important by fitting it into your theme,
and explaining why it fits.
Can
be original or a theme previously used in class. This essay on a theme can include original ideas on a theme,
or be a combination of ideas presented throughout this course, as long as the
theme fits the events.
Details:
You will be given time in class to think of a theme for this
unit, and may share ideas with the rest of the class. This is an individual project, so you may not work in groups,
only share ideas. The essay should be
written up before the test, so that you need not take time out during the test
to write the essay. The themes will be
discussed in the next class period, and students will be asked why a particular
theme was chosen.
The essay assignment for the Expansion
unit will be evaluated as follows:
Poor researching
skills, Good researching
skills, Great use of resources
and time
bad time
management poor use of time
1 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5
Essay is poorly
written Well written, but Well written and
and hard to read hard to follow easy to read
1 - - - - - - -
- - -3 - - - - - - - - - -5 - - - - - -- - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - -9 - - - -
-10
Not all
questions Questions
were answered, All questions
were answered but not thoroughly answered thoroughly
1 - - - - - - -
- - -3 - - - - - - - - - -5 - - - - - -- - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - -9 - - - -
-10
Did not
participate well Participated with group, Participated with group,
with the group but little contributed added a lot
1 - - - - - - -
- - - - - - - - - - - - -3 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -5
Poor group
handout, Good handout,
lots of Great handout, lots
of
little
information information,
hard to read information and
easy to read
presented, hard
to follow and
study from
1 - - - - - - -
- - -3 - - - - - - - - - -5 - - - - - -- - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - -9 - - - -
-10
Poor
essay and handout Satisfactory
essay Great essay, and
handout
and handout
1 - - - - - - -
- - -3 - - - - - - - - - -5 - - - - - -- - - - -7 - - - - - - - - - -9 - - - -
-10
Comments:
______________________________________________________________________________
Grade______/50
This assessment task is authentic because
it meets the following criteria required by Sheurman and Newmann. The task uses construction of knowledge,
because students must take the lectures and interpret them into terms that
would apply to an individual of the time, and then evaluate the information in
their journal entries. In the
disciplined inquiry category, the journal acts as a tool to allow the students
to write opinions, ideas, and experiences down on paper. In these journal entries the students will
make conclusions on the type of life that an average settler in early America
may have been like. The value beyond
school in this task would be the students comparing their own lives’ to that of
early Americans. They can begin to
appreciate the necessities that we take for granted and take luxuries that we
cannot live without in this society into perspective.
In this debate, students will be allowed
and encouraged to consider different divergent perspectives while debating with
classmates. Because the students will
be researching the opinions of the British as well as the Americans, many views
of the some topic will emerge. When
forming the arguments the students will undoubtedly see things from different
perspectives. The students will also
display the information that they researched in the oral debate, and will
demonstrate that they understand the perspective that they are presenting by
arguing with the opposing group. This
activity will help the students outside of class because they will be learning
how to form arguments, and help them successfully argue valid points in a
mature manner.
In the conversation that this unit will
contain, the students will have opportunities to consider divergent
perspectives as they discuss different topics with different historical figures
in the class. They will not be arguing
about topics, merely discussing them and offering up various views that these
individuals hold. Everyone involved in
the conversation will be exposed to conflicting views and will be able to
interpret them into information that they can use when building an
understanding of the Revolutionary War.
Once again, students will be required to present the information that
they have gathered in an oral form when they have a conversation with other
historical figures (other classmates).
The students will also make it evident to those they converse with why
they hold a certain opinion or view.
This activity will also have relevance outside of the classroom because
they will begin to notice biases in peoples’ opinions because they have just
looked at why a historical figure thought the way he/she did.
In this unit the students will interpret
information regarding new territories that the U.S. was expanding into. In the essay, students will look at the
various questions that I requested to be answered in the essay, and come to
conclusions on why the U.S. chose to move west. They will look critically at what effects the expansion of our
nation had on the native population, and evaluate the expansion effort as a
whole. The essay will also show that
students understand the material because they will be writing about the WHY’s
of expansion westward. The information
researched in this project will also be presented to the rest of the class in
terms of a handout. This activity serves
a purpose outside of the classroom, because the students will learn how to
select the most important information when relaying an understanding to the
rest of the class. The students will
need to create a user-friendly handout that the rest of the class can use and
confidently understand the information given to them. Basically the students will be learning how to make a mass of
information palatable.