Unit 1- Colonization, Revolution and Independence

Day Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

Intro to US
History

Course content and

expectations outlined

Love your
Geography!

In-class geography work of U.S.

maps

Geography
Review

Review of geography and its

impact on US History

Open-note quiz of U.S. cities,

capitals, natural features

Conquistadors!

Video of conquistadors

Map route of Spanish explorers in

Americas

Jamestown

Textbook analysis and video on

Jamestown

Compose list of things to look for

when settling new colony; choose
ideal setting in Iowa

Thanksgiving
and More

Small group presentation, Real

Story of Thanksgiving; small
group analysis of Mayflower
Compact

Homework check, early settler

groups

North vs.
South/What a
Society Values

Textbook comparison of
Northern and Southern colonial
values

White-board composition of Early

Colonial Values vs. Modern U.S.
values

French and
Indian War

Video/literary excerpts, Last of

the Mohicans

Writing assessment, Letter from

George Washington

Rebellious
Thoughts

Small group work, actions of

colonists leading to revolution

Small group cause and effect

presentations of colonial events

10

Common
Sense/What
gives people
the right to
revolt?

Reading of Common
Senseexcerpt

Class list generated of worthy

reasons to revolt; list applied to
modern revolution(s)

11

Declaration of
Independence

Analysis of Declaration of
Independence

Declaration re-written in common

language

12

American
Revolution Idol!

Computer Lab Research of

important person, event, etc. of
Revolution

1316

Idol
Presentations

Presentations on colonial topics

given by students; notes taken
by audience; emphasis on
authenticity in presentation

Student presentations

17

Revolution
Quiz

18

How do you
start a country?
(Articles of
Confederation)

Small groups generate To do

list when starting a country;
Articles of Confederation
examined

19

Constitutional
Convention

Opposing groups present New

Jersey and Virginia Plans

20

Should we Sign
on?

Federalist 10 read in class

Analysis worksheet of Federalist

10

21

The Bill of
Rights, and so
much more

Examine contents of
Constitution

Worksheet; List modern issues

that are debated with the Bill of
Rights

22

Jefferson

Partner jigsaw presentations;

Marbury vs. Madison and
Louisiana Purchase

23

War of 1812

Mapwork/Video of Louisiana
Purchase; Study Guide given
out

24

Revolutionary
Review

Review game

25

Unit 1 Exam

2628

Founding
Mothers!

Quiz
Students study Articles of
Confederation and speculate on
reasons why they failed

War of 1812 explanations from

four different perspectives

Exam
Researching and small-group
presentations to class of
founding mothers during
colonial times

Presentation of a Founding
Mother; Comparison to todays
most influential women in terms of
duties, character traits, etc.

Unit 2- Civil War Era

Day Topic
Covered

Methodology Example

Unit outline and expectations given

Introduction

Assessments During Unit

Nationalism

Homework review, nationalism issues

Small group presentations,

Issues of nationalism

Worthy of
Tears

Mapwork and primary documents

outlining impact of Trail of Tears

4-6

Manifest
Destiny

Student research on motives for

westward movement of various
groups of settlers; accompanying
mapwork and videos

Everythings
Bigger
There

Video of Alamo battle; accompanying

text reading

Way out west

Lecture about Spanish

missions/current U.S. cities in west

Comparison and contrast of

Spanish missions to
Jamestown

Gold Rush

Gold Rush Video and westward

movement exercise

Students make shopping lists

based on 1849 prices for
westward trip

10

Lets Talk
About This

Compromise of 1850 outlined from

textbook

Student critique on whether

individual components of
Compromise of 1850 favor
North, South, neither or both

1112

Prelude to
War

Small group work presenting Fugitive

Slave Act, Underground RR, Uncle
Toms Cabin, Bleeding Kansas,
John Brown, etc.

Small group re-creations of

events leading to Civil War

13

Uncle Toms
Cabin

Literary excerpt, Uncle Toms Cabin

Worksheet analyzing content

and its impact on Northern and
Southern societies

14

Free or Not?

Partner work, lawyers for and against

Dred Scott

Summary of opposing
arguments for case written on
board

15

Start of War

Explanation of Civil War project;

research day in computer lab

1618

Civil War
presentations

Civil War topics explained in class;

students take notes

Manifest destiny quiz over

mapwork, rationale of groups
moving westward, and impact
on other groups/nations

Student presentations of Civil

War topics; student must
assume role of historical figure
presenting material

19

Gettysburg

Instructor Power Point and map

presentation of Gettysburg battle;
video included

2021

Reconstructio
n

Text and video material summarizing

Civil War Reconstruction; jigsaw
readings of U.S. efforts to
reconstruct Iraq and Afghanistan

22

Exam Review

Review game

23

Unit 2 Exam

2426

Picture this!

Student written
Reconstruction plan for U.S.
in Iraq or Afghanistan

Exam
Civil War Photography project;
research day in Computer Lab and
student presentations of Civil War
themes

Student Power Points and

Presentations

Primary Document Project

Day Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

What is a
Primary
Document?

Teacher Presentation, Understanding

Primary Documents

In-class reading and

analysis of primary
document

Research

Computer Lab research on chosen

document and its historical setting

Document Analysis
Worksheet

For the sake of

comparison

Parallel primary document chosen

and researched

Document comparison
worksheet

4&
5

Presentations of
the Past

Student poster presentations

Poster analyzing primary

documents due

Creating History

Writing session; student historians

create original documents

New primary document

created by student

The Final Say

Conclude project

Migration and Industrialization

Day Topic
Covered

Methodology Example

Unit outline and expectations given;

video, Chief Joseph and the Nez

Introduction

Assessments During Unit

Perce
2-3

Native
Americans

Textbook readings and mapwork/videos

over Native American tribes of late 19th
century and U.S. government policies
toward them

Students create modern

Native American government
policy following research of
current Native Americans

Railroads

Mapwork of transcontinental railroads

and cattle trails diagrammed; video

Students in small groups

create railroad songs;
patterned after Atchison,
Topeka, and Santa Fe

The Wizard
of Menlo
Park

Readings and video of inventors of late

1800s with special focus on Thomas
Edison

Students submit patent for

modern invention; must have
link to one of Edisons
inventions

So you
want a
revolution?

Factors of industrial revolutions

identified by students; small group work
presentations on how to make Cedar
Rapids a part of the Industrial
Revolution

Steel City

Students meet in small groups and then

write details of their research on board
regarding Pittsburgh

8-9

Impact of
the
Revolution

Senate hearings simulation of how

Participation in simulation with
Industrial Revolution impacted American roles of senators, immigrants,
cities
Andrew Carnegie, labor
leaders, Pauline Newman, etc.

1011

Immigration

Text material and video comparing

treatment of European and Asian
immigrants

12

Urbanizatio
n

Student predictions of how major U.S.

cities handled growing populations;
mapwork of growth of cities

13

Count my
Vote!

Video, Women and the right to vote

Critiques of Womens suffrage

strategies; Analysis, How
would a movement succeed
today?

14

Progressive
Thoughts

Text material over Teddy Roosevelts

Square Deal reforms

Reform Plan for Xavier High

School created by students

Research about factors of

Pittsburghs Industrial
Revolution presented in class

U.S. citizenship test given to

students

and sent to Administration

15

Welcome to
the Jungle

Literary excerpt, The Jungle

16

Unit Exam
Review

Game review of Unit 3 Material

17

Unit 3
Exam

1820

Cedar
Rapids:
Boom Town

Guided reading questions

worksheet

Exam
Project dividing students into 4-6
groups, each assigned a topic of how to
provided for Cedar Rapids if the
population increased from 150,000 to
500,000 over 20 years

Individual Research turned in;

Group presentations made in
areas such as transportation,
housing, schools, crime and
safety, etc.

Age of Imperialism and World War I

Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

1920s and 1930s

Day

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

World War II
Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

9
10
11
12
13
14

Postwar and the 1950s (+ Interview Project)

Day

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Civil Rights Movement

Day
1
2

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

1960s and Vietnam

Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit

13
14

The Modern Era in American History

Day
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14

Topic Covered

Methodology Example

Assessments During Unit