Students who are interested in U.S History
High school students
One-on-one and small group (Max. 7 students/class)
Class Introduction
This is a 10-session course (2-hour session each week) that will provide an overview of US History from the Native Americans in 1491 through the present day. The course will highlight the major political, social, and economic issues of each of the 10 historical periods discussed.
Outcome
Upon successful completion of the course each student will have a comprehensive understanding of the basic concepts and themes in each period of US History and will enable them to delve more deeply into the study of US History during a yearlong course. Additionally, students will develop a variety of social studies skills that will serve them well in a liberal arts education.
Skills Emphasized
The following skills align mostly with AP US History and AP World History, some ELA targets, and some PSAT/ACT components.
- Close Reading:(SQ3R, Main Idea, Specific Details, Conclusions) (Week 1)
- Note-Taking: taking notes from text and lectures (2-Column, Charting, T-Charts) (Week 1)
- Basic Geography: Map Skills and Importance of Geography (Week 2)
- Interpreting Visual and Audio Sources: WAVES Method) (Week 2)
- Writing (Thesis Writing CVS-R), Short Answer (ACE), DBQs (8 Steps), and LEQs) (Writing Historical Reasoning) (Week 3-8)
- Historical Contextualization
- Comparison and Contrasting
- Causation and Effect
- Continuity and Change
- Making Connections, Chronology, and Timelines
- Sourcing (Critical Analysis of Primary and Secondary Sources) (Hipp or Hippo)
- Argumentation: (Week 9)
- Researching: Academic sites and how to create research projects. (Week 10)
Class Schedule
| Date | Topic |
| 1 | The beginnings of US History to the beginning of the Revolutionary War Years: 1491-1763 |
| 2 | The Revolutionary War through the Aftermath of the War of 1812 Years: 1763-1820 |
| 3 | Industrial Transformation through Cotton is King Years: 1820-1840 |
| 4 | Antebellum Era through the Civil War Years: 1840-1865 |
| 5 | Reconstruction through Growing Pains of Urbanization Years: 1865-1900 |
| 6 | Politics of the Gilded Age through the Age of Empire Years: 1870-1914 |
| 7 | WWI through the New Deal Years: 1914-1941 |
| 8 | WWII through the turbulent 1960’s Years: 1941-1970 |
| 9 | The Problematic 1970’s to the 21st Century Years: 1970-2001 |
| 10 | The 2000’s to the Present Years: 2001-Present |
Feedback
Students and their parents will receive brief feedback after each class regarding the student’s general participation in class. Students will also receive feedback on graded assignments via email.
Schedule
2 classes per week, 2 hours per class, 10 classes in total, 20 hours in total
