Students will:

• Be introduced to skills for historical thinking, geographical analysis, economic decision making, and responsible citizenship.
• Make connections across time through an examination of current events.  

Students will consider:

• What makes me an important member of my community?
• What connects people across cities, regions, and the country?
• What can I/we learn from someone different from me/us?

Students will apply history and social science skills to:

• Understand the ongoing effects of Reconstruction on American life after the mid-19th century by:
  • Describing the impact of the assassination of Abraham Lincoln and the political aftermath of the Civil War.
  • Analyzing the goals and effects of the Reconstruction Amendments, the Freedmen’s Bureau, and civil rights policies that changed the meaning of citizenship in the United States.
  • Describing the legacies of Abraham Lincoln and the Gettysburg Address, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Hiram Revels, and Frederick Douglass.
  • Describing the role of Congress and the Supreme Court in specific plans and policies including, but not limited to Lincoln’s Ten Percent Plan.
  • Describing the role and motivations of individuals who sought to gain from Reconstruction including, but not limited to formerly enslaved people elected to office during the years right after the Civil War.
  • Explaining how the 1876 presidential election led to the end of Reconstruction.
• Understand the social, political, economic, and technological changes of the early 20th century by:
  • Describing racial segregation, housing discrimination via redlining, the rise of “Jim Crow” laws, Black Codes, and threats of violence including, but not limited to intimidation, lynchings, armed conflicts, suppressed voting rights, and limits on political participation faced by African Americans and other people during post-Reconstruction.
  • Analyzing events and impacts of African American leaders in response to “Jim Crow” including, but not limited to the formation of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), strikes, protests, the role of historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs), and the work of leaders like Booker T. Washington, W.E.B. DuBois, Mary White Ovington, and Ida B. Wells-Barnett.

Students will consider:

• How did the assassination of President Abraham Lincoln lead to political changes after the Civil War?
• How did the 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments to the Constitution of the United States change the definition of citizenship?
• What were the benefits of the costs and benefits of Reconstruction on American life after the mid-19th century?
• What was the Freedmen’s Bureau and how did it and other policies seek to help formerly enslaved Black Americans?
• How did the northern and southern ideals that led to the Civil War continue to be visible in both federal and state Reconstruction policies?
• How did the actions of Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant, Robert E. Lee, Hiram Revels, and Frederick Douglass create lasting impacts on the nation?
• What role did Congress play during Reconstruction?
• What was the major cause of conflict between the executive and legislative branches during the Reconstruction period?
• How did the election of 1876 end Reconstruction?
• How were African Americans’ rights and freedoms limited in the early 20th century?
• How did “Jim Crow” laws and segregation impact life in America during the early 20th century?
• Who were the early 20th century civil rights leaders and how did they impact American society?
• What are historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs) and what role did they serve?
• To what extent can the effects of segregation and racial discrimination be seen today?
• What is resiliency?
• How did Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois differ in their approach to the issues and advancements towards racial equality?
• How did Ida B. Wells-Barnett fight against the practice of lynching?
• What type of actions did many African Americans take to advocate for themselves by the end of Reconstruction?

Students will apply history and social science skills to examine westward expansion after the mid-19th century by:

• Explaining how technology allowed settlers to adapt to the physical features and climate of the West.
• Identifying the motivations for westward expansion.
• Examining the impact of policies, legislation, and treaties associated with the growth of the nation.
• Explaining the effect that the growth of the United States had on Indigenous people.

Students will consider:

• How did the environment of the Great Plains differ from the environment of the eastern regions?
• What inventions and adaptations allowed settlers to live in the challenging environment of the West?
• How did the Homestead Act and other government incentives attract people to move west?
• What was the purpose of the first transcontinental railroad and who were the workers who made it possible?
• How did westward expansion affect Indigenous people?
• How did the United States government’s interactions with Indigenous people of the West affect their populations, survival, and the preservation of their culture over time?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand how industrialization changed rural and urban America after the Civil War by:

• Explaining relationships among natural resources, transportation, and industrial development from 1865.
• Explaining the impact of new inventions, the rise of big business, the growth of industry, and the changes to life on American farms in response to industrialization.
• Evaluating and explaining the impact of the Progressive Movement on child labor, working conditions, the rise of organized labor, support for eugenics as a social policy, immigration policy, women’s suffrage, and the temperance movement.
• Explaining the events, factors, and motivations that caused individuals and groups to migrate to the United States towards the end of the 19th century.
• Examining the cause and effect relationship between rapid population growth and city government services and infrastructure.
• Explaining how governmental actions including, but not limited to the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, caused harm to Chinese Americans and other immigrants.
• Explaining how various groups worked to alleviate the issues facing new immigrants and how immigrants advocated for themselves.
• Describing the technological advances and the broader impact of the 1893 Chicago World's Fair on America’s rise as a world leader in innovation, business, and trade.

Students will consider:

• How do societies respond to rapid change?
• How did farm and city life change after the Civil War?
• How did geography as well as the location of natural resources influence centers of rapid growth and development?
• How did rapid population growth affect city government services and infrastructure?
• How did the expansion of railroads influence the development of the United States?
• What inventions and innovations contributed to change and growth in the United States?
• Who were the business leaders and how did they grow their business and wealth?
• How did America rise as a world leader in innovation, business, and trade?
• What was the Progressive Movement and what reforms did people seek?
• What was the difference between the robber barons and the captains of industry?
• Who were the muckrakers and what did they expose about industrialization?
• What key events helped to establish the rise of organized labor?
• How did labor change with the rise of unions and strikes?
• What were the goals of the temperance movement?
• How did Susan B. Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Alice Paul, and Lucy Burns work for the passage of the 19th amendment?
• Why did different groups of immigrants come to the United States towards the end of the 19th century?
• How did the influx and mix of people and cultures benefit and create barriers for the various immigrant populations?
• How did people work to help immigrants?
• How did the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882 and other governmental actions escalate racism and discrimination in rapidly growing cities?
• How did many immigrant groups advocate for themselves?

Students will apply history and social science skills to explain the changing role of the United States from the late 19th century through World War I by:

• Explaining the legacy of Theodore Roosevelt including, but not limited to conservation contributions, progressivism, the building of the Panama Canal, and his role in the Spanish-American War.
• Explaining the reasons for and results of the Spanish-American War, including the Roosevelt Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine.

Students will consider:

• What is the relationship between the United States’ domestic interests and its involvement in world affairs?
• How and why did the United States acquire Alaska and Hawaii and other territories in the Pacific?
• What were the causes and effects of the Spanish-American War?
• What is yellow journalism and how did it impact public opinion leading up to the Spanish-American War?
• How did Roosevelt’s role during the Spanish-American War impact his U.S. foreign policy?
• How did Roosevelt’s conservation contributions impact his domestic policy?
• What was the Monroe Doctrine and how did Roosevelt expand it?
• How did the Spanish-American War and Roosevelt’s foreign policy change the role of the United States in the world?

Students will apply history and social science skills to explain the changing role of the United States from the late 19th century through World War I by:

• Analyzing the major causes and consequences of World War I and examining the roles of key leaders and groups.
• Examining the evolution of warfare tactics and technology including, but not limited to cavalry, air, submarine, chemical, trench warfare, and other technological advancements.
• Explaining how the war was a catalyst for the United States gaining international power and expanding its sphere of international influence.
• Examining how post-war sanctions and the failure of the League of Nations set the stage for World War II.

Students will consider:

• What were the primary causes for the outbreak of World War I?
• Who were the major leaders involved in World War I?
• What alliances were formed to support one another during World War I?
• Why did the United States get involved in World War I?
• What was the impact of new technologies during World War I?
• How did the United States gain international power and expand its international influence after World War I?
• Who was Woodrow Wilson and what were his plans for peace after World War I?
• How did President Wilson’s Fourteen Points and the Treaty of Versailles impact world affairs after World War I?
• Why did the United States decide not to join the League of Nations?

Students will apply history and social science skills to uUnderstand the social, political, economic, and technological changes of the early 20th century by:

• Explaining how capitalism and free markets helped foster developments in factory and labor productivity, transportation, and communication and how rural electrification changed American life and the standard of living.
• Examining how the rise of communism affected America including, but not limited to the first Red Scare.
• Describing the reasons for and impact of the Great Migration.
• Describing the events and leaders that led to Prohibition, the Women’s Suffrage Movement, and the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment including, but not limited to Susan B. Anthony, Lucy Burns, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Carrie Chapman Catt, Ida B. Wells-Barnett, and Sojourner Truth.
• Examining the art, literature, and music of the 1920s and 1930s including, but not limited to the Roaring Twenties and the Harlem Renaissance.

Students will consider:

• How do innovations in transportation, communication, and electrification impact a nations’ standard of living?
• What is an assembly line and how did this innovation change factories and labor productivity?
• How did the rise of communism affect America?
• What were the political, social, and economic factors that led to tension in America surrounding the rise of communism?
• What were the effects of the first Red Scare on American life during the early 20th century?
• What were the reasons for, and impacts of, the Great Migration?
• How did the Great Migration influence the Harlem Renaissance?
• How did the temperance movement connect to Prohibition?
• How did the 18th Amendment to the Constitution of the United States create both social and economic change to the nation?
• Why was there a shift in population from rural to urban areas during the late 19th and early 20th centuries?
• How did the Women’s Suffrage Movement eventually lead to the passing of the 19th Amendment?
• What is suffrage and how did women’s suffrage influence the lives and roles of not only women, but all citizens?
• How does technology introduce and share contemporary artists with broader audiences?
• Who were some artists who exemplified the new trends in art, literature, and music and how did their work reflect their lived experiences?

Students will apply history and social sciences to understand the social, political, economic, and technological changes of the early 20th century by:

• Analyzing the causes of the Great Depression and the impact of the Dust Bowl on the lives of Americans.
• Describing the features, effects, programs,  and lasting institutions of Franklin D. Roosevelt’s New Deal.

Students will consider:

• How did electrification change life and labor in both urban and rural America?
• How did post-war optimism and consumer spending help to create an unstable economic system?
• How did the stock market, the Federal Reserve, high tariffs, credit, and debt contribute to the Great Depression?
• What was the Dust Bowl?
• How did the national government respond to the Dust Bowl and Great Depression?
• How did President Roosevelt’s New Deal expand the role of the federal government for Americans?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand the major causes and events of World War II and the effects of America’s role by:

• Explaining the rise and spread of fascism and totalitarianism intentionally and the policy of appeasement towards Nazi Germany.
• Explaining the causes and events that led to American involvement in the war, including the attack on Pearl Harbor.
• Locating and describing  the major events and turning points of the war in Europe including, but not limited to the allied invasion of Italy, the invasion of Normandy (D-Day), the Battle of the Bulge, and the Battle of Berlin.
• Locating and describing the major events and turning points of the war in the Pacific including, but not limited to the Battle of Iwo Jima, the Battle of Midway, and the Battle of Okinawa.
• Explaining and evaluating the role of key political and military leaders of the Allies and Axis powers including, but not limited to the United States, Germany, Japan, the Soviet Union, Italy, and Great Britain.
• Identifying the roles and sacrifices of U.S. armed forces, including prisoners of war (POWs), women, and segregated units, as well as other notable heroics including, but not limited to the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Bedford Boys.
• Evaluating the effects of the war on the home front including, but not limited to women in the workforce, the incarceration of Japanese Americans, rationing, conservation, and war bonds.
• Examining the causes and consequences of the Holocaust including, but not limited to Jewish life before the Holocaust, antisemitism, the rise of the Nazi Party, Nuremberg Laws, persecution of Jews and other targeted groups, resistance efforts, the United States’ response, and the Nuremberg Trials.
• Describing the events that led to the surrender of the Axis powers and America’s role in the Allied victory including, but not limited to the Manhattan Project, as well as events that shaped post-war peace.

Students will consider:

• How did certain political and economic events of the early 20th century (e.g., the conclusion of World War I and the Great Depression) set the stage for World War II?
• What were the ongoing issues and conflicts in Europe and Asia during the interwar period?
• What is fascism and how did fascist dictators acquire power between World War I and World War II?
• Who were the victims of Nazi persecution?  
• What issues motivated the formation of the Allied and Axis alliances in World War II?
• What were the main differences between the Allies and the Axis powers?
• How did the American policy of neutrality gradually change to direct involvement in World War II?
• How did the war effort temporarily break down some racial, ethnic, and gender barriers?
• What were the contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the 442nd Regimental Combat Team, the Women's Army Auxiliary Corps, the Women Airforce Service Pilots, the Navajo Code Talkers, and the Bedford Boys?
• Why did the United States pursue a policy of internment toward Japanese Americans following the attack on Pearl Harbor?
• What was Japanese internment and how did it impact Japanese Americans for generations to come?
• How did the United States government deny certain minorities their basic rights as citizens during World War II?
• What changes and sacrifices did Americans make on the home front to support the war effort?
• How did rationing support the war effort?
• How did the effort on the home front during World War II bring an end to the Great Depression?
• What are the examples of global interdependence the United States experienced in preparation for the war?
• How did U.S. industry specialize in preparation for the war?
• What was Jewish life like in Europe before the Holocaust?
• What is antisemitism?
• What was the Holocaust?
• What were the gradual stages of removing Jews from society and what was Hitler’s “Final Solution”?
• What other groups did the Nazis target and persecute?
• What were the Nuremberg Laws?
• Who were the resistors to Nazi aggression during the war?
• Why did the United States turn away Jews attempting to flee Nazi persecution prior to the United States direct involvement in World War II?
• What were the Nuremberg Trials?
• What are some of the lessons learned about the human story, citizenship, and civic responsibility from the Holocaust?
• What events led to the surrender of the Axis Powers?
• How did America’s role in the Allied campaign secure victory?
• What was the Manhattan Project?
• How did the leaders prepare for long-term peace after World War II?
• What major issues did the world face following World War II?
• Why was the United Nations formed?

Students will apply history and social science skills to understand the transformation of U.S. foreign policy between the end of World War II and the new millennium by:

• Explaining how key decisions and agreements including, but not limited to the Atlantic Charter, formation of the United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), established international allies.
• Describing the Marshall Plan’s objectives for rebuilding Europe, the occupation and reconstruction of Japan, and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers.
• Describing the differences between a communist nation and a democratic nation including, but not limited to self-governance and economic philosophy.
• Examining the role of the United States in fighting communism and defending freedom during the Cold War including, but not limited to the Berlin Airlift, conflicts in Korea and Vietnam, the roles of John F. Kennedy and Nikita Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis, the fall of the Berlin Wall, and the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe.
• Explaining the collapse of communism in the Soviet Union and Eastern Europe and the end of the Cold War, including the actions of Ronald Reagan and Mikhail Gorbachev.

Students will consider:

• What is communism and how does it differ from capitalism?
• What plans to rebuild were put into place for the Allied and Axis powers after World War II?
• What conditions did Allied leaders place on Germany and Japan at the end of the war?
• How did the Atlantic Charter, formation of the United Nations, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) help to establish international allies and loyalties?
• How did the formation of the North American Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact further divide the world?
• What were the goals, purposes, and effects of the Marshall Plan?
• What were the major differences between the United States and the Soviet Union during the Cold War?
• What were the ideological differences between the United States and the Soviet Union?
• What were the origins of the Cold War?
• Why did the United States adopt a policy of containment toward the Soviet Union and the spread of communism?
• What were the goals and purposes of the Marshall Plan?
• How did the formation of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO) and the Warsaw Pact further divide the world?
• Who was Mikhail Gorbachev and what role did he play during the Cold War?
• What was the “Reagan Doctrine” and how is it related to the collapse of communism?
• What major conflicts after World War II increased the tensions between the Soviet Union and the United States?
• How did the arms race between the United States and the Soviet Union both escalate and deter global war?
• How did the Space Race, and other cultural rivalries, influence the Cold War?
• Why did communism eventually collapse in Europe?

Students will apply history and social science skills to analyze the key changing patterns of society during the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries by:

• Examining the contributions of key leaders and events during the Civil Rights Era including, but not limited to Robert Kennedy, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, Medgar Evers, John Lewis, Rosa Parks, Ruby Bridges, Jonathan Daniels, Dorothy Height, the Selma march, sit-ins, and boycotts.
• Describing the protections and provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Describing the similarities and differences between the objectives of the women’s movement of the early and mid-20th century.
• Describing expanded educational and economic opportunities for military veterans, women, and minorities.

Students will consider:

• What is the difference between segregation and discrimination?
• What were some lasting effects of segregation and the pursuit for equality under the law?
• How did actions by the Supreme Court hinder or support the Civil Rights Movement?
• How was the Supreme Court decision in Plessy v. Ferguson used by the leaders of the Civil Rights Movement?
• What was the Civil Rights Movement and how did it impact other social reform efforts?
• How did leaders and participants of the Civil Rights Movement bring attention and create change?
• What are the lessons learned about citizenship and civic engagement from the Civil Rights Movement?
• What protections does the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provide?
• What were the objectives of the National Organization for Women (NOW), Title IX, and the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA)?
• How did the federal government expand educational and economic opportunities for military veterans, women, and minorities in the late 20th and early 21st centuries?

Students will apply history and social science skills to:

• Understand the transformation of U.S. foreign policy between the end of World War II and the new millennium by describing the Marshall Plan’s objectives for rebuilding Europe, the occupation and reconstruction of Japan, and the emergence of the United States and the Soviet Union as superpowers
• Analyze the key changing patterns of society during the second half of the 29th and early 21st centuries by:
  • Explaining the significance of urban renewal plans including, but not limited to Jackson Ward in Richmond and Vinegar Hill in Charlottesville.
  • Examining key events of the 1960s and 1970s including, but not limited to the Apollo missions, the moon landing, assassinations, the women’s movement, the creation of public sector labor unions, the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, and the passing of the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act.
  • Describing the impact of the baby boom, the changing demographics of the United States, and the ending of the military draft.
  • Describing expanded educational and economic opportunities for military veterans, women, and minorities.
  • Describing how the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001, including the heroic sacrifices of Flight 93 passengers, significantly impacted domestic policies, American society, and global perspectives on the war on terror.
• Analyze the key changing patterns of society during the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries by:
  • Studying the iterative and ongoing advancements in science and technology.
  • Describing the changes in American culture related to music, art, media, and communication, as well as advancements in American economics related to banking, business, and industry.

Students will consider:

• What is urban renewal?
• How did the federal government support cities' growth and expansion?
• What are the benefits and challenges of urban renewal for local areas?
• How did the development of the interstate highway system impact suburban and urban communities?
• How did the Watergate scandal and President Richard Nixon’s resignation impact the United States?
• What were the similarities and differences between the Clean Air Act and the Clean Water Act?
• How did the federal government expand educational and economic opportunities for military veterans, women, and minorities in the late 20th and early 21st centuries?
• How did the events of September 11, 2001, change domestic policies and global perspectives on the war on terror?
• How have immigration policies changed throughout the 21st century?
• How has the United States government dealt with global issues in the 21st century?
• How does understanding history and current events around the world impact local action and global citizenship?
• What were the advancements that took place during the second half of the 20th and early 21st centuries in science related to medicine, technology, environment, and space?
• How has the “information age” changed the knowledge and skills that people need to succeed in the 21st century?
• How has American culture related to music, media, art, communication, technology, and architecture changed due to global interconnections?
• What are the educational and training requirements for various jobs across America today?
• What technological advancements have changed the face of American economics related to banking, business, and industry?
• Why is innovation necessary for progress?
• What knowledge and skills for post-graduation success will be necessary as various fields continue to develop new technologies for innovation and progress?