Module

Discussion

Assignment

Additional Assignments

Module 1: Westward Expansion (1840-1900)

• Discussion: Introductions
• Introduce yourself to the class by answering a few questions and then use Native Lands Digital to do some research about a Native American tribe.

• Assignment: Westward Expansion
• Explore the history of U.S. National Parks and create a brochure for a National Park based on your research.

• Discussion: The Fourth Industrial Revolution
• Discuss the fourth industrial revolution by answering one of two discussion prompts.

• Assignment: Industrialization – A Blessing or a Curse?
• Consider the pros and cons of industrialization by reading four sources on the industrial age and writing a short essay response.

Module 3: The Gilded Age (1870-1900)

• Module 3 Discussion: Gilded Age Political Cartoons*
• Analyze and describe political cartoons relevant to the Gilded Age and Immigration.

• Module 3 Assignment: Lynching as a Hate Crime
• Author a letter to a legislator about the recent passing of a federal anti-lynching bill OR pick an issue of current importance and author a letter persuading a legislator to vote for or against a particular bill.

Module 4: Age of Empire—American Foreign Policy (1890-1914)

• Discussion: Speak Softly and Carry a Big Stick
• Sort a list of U.S. diplomatic actions as either “speaking softly” or “carrying a big stick.” Then choose one event from the list and write a discussion post explaining why you categorized that event as “speaking softly” or “carrying a  big stick.”

• Assignment: Frederick Turner’s Thesis and U.S. Imperialism
• Read two secondary source claims based on modern interpretations of Turner’s Thesis and describe which one you found more convincing and why.

• Discussion: Muckraking
• Explore progressive era or modern era issues by providing evidence and examples of muckraking.

• Assignment: Progressive Era Photo Gallery
• Find at least three photographs related to the Progressive era and answer question prompts about the pictures with a slide deck presentation.
• Assignment: Social Media Activism
• Students pick an activist or reformer from between 1877 and 2000 and create a social media post about them.

Module 6: America in World War I (1914-1919)

• Discussion: Poetry as a Primary Source
• Read three excerpts from poems written during World War I and select one poem for an in-depth analysis.

• Assignment: Propaganda During The Great War
• Analyze two World War I era posters or other forms of printed media from the U.S., one with a pro-war effort message and one with an anti-war effort message. Then create your own propaganda poster or cartoon.

Module 7: The Jazz Age  (1919-1929)

• Discussion: Prohibition Thoughts, Questions, and Epiphanies
• Explore primary and secondary sources on the Prohibition Act and share your thoughts, questions, and epiphanies in a discussion post.

• Assignment: Jazz Age Journal Entries
• Using primary and secondary resources, research a historical figure of your choice and use your research to write two journal entries from the perspective of that person.

Module 8: The Great Depression (1929-1932)

• Discussion: Depression Era Cause and Effect
• Consider the context of events of the Great Depression and cause and effect to understand how various events are connected.

• Assignment: Depression Era Political Cartoons
• Explore Depression-era political cartoons and create your own to highlight an event, issue, or topic from the Great Depression.

• Discussion: FDR’s Fireside Chats
• Explore FDR’s Fireside Chats and create a discussion post answering a number of question prompts.

• Assignment: Alphabet Agencies
• Explore the New Deal Alphabet Agencies by either creating a children’s alphabet book or a slide deck presentation.

Module 10: World War II (1941-1945)

• Discussion: Recognizing Wartime Propaganda
• Write a discussion post considering how propaganda can be focused on a particular audience within a common social experience.

• Assignment: WWII Propaganda Poster
• Create your own World War II propaganda poster and write a statement explaining what result you were aiming for and at whom with your poster submission.
• *Note that this is similar to an assignment from the WWI module on propaganda, so we recommend picking only one to assign

Module 11: Post-War Prosperity and the Cold War (1945-1960)

• Discussion: Conformity
• Using the song Ticky Tacky, write a discussion post considering the topic of conformity within the Cold War era in the U.S.

• Assignment: World War II and the Cold War
• Create a comparative analysis of World War II and the Cold War and write a short paragraph explaining the differences between them.

Module 12: America in the 1960s (1960-1970)

• Discussion: Commonalities and Conflict Among Civil Rights Movements
• Pick at least two movements or activist groups and compare their goals and strategies in a discussion post.

• Assignment: The Impact of the Civil Rights Movement
• Choose one law, initiative, movement, or event that occurred between 1950 and 1980 and reflect on how it has influenced your life by sharing an image or artifact and writing a response to a series of question prompts.

Module 13: Political Storms at Home and Abroad (1968-1980)

• Discussion: Should Nixon be Pardoned?
• Should Ford have pardoned Nixon? Using primary sources, write a discussion post answering this question. Explain your reasoning and defend your answer with evidence.

• Assignment: 1970s Historical Markers
• Create text for four historical site markers commemorating events that relate to content from this module.

Module 14: From Cold War to Culture Wars (1980-2000)

• Discussion: Culture Wars
• Using primary sources from a variety of political perspectives, pick two specific issues that are at stake in the culture wars and write a discussion post exploring these issues.

• Assignment: Television and the American Campaign
• Create a storyboard for your own television advertisement for or against Ronald Reagan’s presidency.

Module 15: The Twenty-First Century (2000-2020)

• Discussion: More Than One Side
• Write a discussion post responding to one of two prompts regarding national security and individual liberty, or social media and the challenges of the twenty-first century.

• Assignment: 21st Century Timeline
• Create a timeline covering important social, political, and cultural events between the year 2000 and the present day.