United States History: 1877 to the Present

Skills

USII.1

The student will develop skills for historical and geographical analysis, and responsible citizenship, including the ability to

a) identify and interpret primary and secondary source documents to increase understanding of events and life in United States history to 1877;
b) make connections between the past and the present;
c) sequence events in United States history from pre-Columbian times to 1877;
d) interpret ideas and events from different historical perspectives;
e) evaluate and discuss issues orally and in writing;
f) analyze and interpret maps to explain relationships among landforms, water features, climatic characteristics, and historical events;
g) distinguish between parallels of latitude and meridians of longitude;
h) interpret patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents;
i) identify the costs and benefits of specific choices made including the consequences, both intended and unintended, of the decision and how people and nations responded to positive and negative incentives..

NOTE: The Virginia Board of Education adopted the revised 2008 History and Social Science Standards of Learning at the January 10, 2008, meeting. Full implementation of these documents is scheduled for the 2010-2011 school year, as outlined in Superintendent’s Memorandum Informational Number 49. In the revised SOL, United States History I will be taught through 1865 and U.S. History II will encompass 1865 to the present.

SUGGESTED INSTRUCTIONAL STRATEGIES

Have the students demonstrate an understanding of slogans, quotes, and documents through drawing, a one-act play, group debate, original poetry or song, or other method.
Display patriotic slogans and excerpts from notable speeches and documents using textbooks, instructional materials, or resource Web sites.

WEB SITES

http://www.archives.gov/digital_classroom/teaching_with_documents.html
Teaching With Documents: Lesson Plans from the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration

http://memory.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/97/firsthand/main.html
History Firsthand Primary Source Research in Elementary School from the Library of Congress Memory Project: Learning Page

http://lcweb2.loc.gov/ammem/ndlpedu/lessons/fw.html
Library of Congress Learning Page: Framework for Using Primary Sources with Students

http://www2.lib.udel.edu/subj/hist/ushist/internet/
Internet Resources for U.S. History from the University of Delaware Library

http://www.gilderlehrman.org/
A portal for American history offering high-quality educational material for teachers, students, historians, and the public. Maintained by the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

http://www.nps.gov/history/
Links to the Past from the National Park Service is rich in American history and culture, which the National Park Service is responsible for preserving and protecting. This Web site contains vast amounts of information on these important topics.

http://www.americaslibrary.gov/cgi-bin/page.cgi
Library of Congress in Washington, D.C., the largest library in the world and the nation's library

http://edsitement.neh.gov/tab_lesson.asp?subjectArea=3
"EDSITEment" is a Web site for humanities education developed by the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal government agency, in partnership with WorldCom Foundation, the Council of the Great City Schools, and the National Trust for the Humanities for the benefit of parents, students, and teachers.

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