Foundations of U.S. History
Course Overview
The 4th/5th Grade Humanities course focuses on the stories and peoples of the Pre-Colonial times onward. Students start with a study of the first explorers and Americans, and work their way toward the end of the American Civil War. Time is taken to conduct an in-depth study of the groups of people that are often overlooked from this time period, such as Native Americans and African Americans.
Students will practice their historical inquiry skills of sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading as they read anecdotal stories and analyze primary and secondary sources from the time period; they also watch a variety of videos to help create visual connections. Writing tasks range from opinion pieces, to analytical pieces, to creative pieces, among others. Both individual and class projects are developed, which ask students to apply knowledge from class to form an assortment of products, such as videos, song parodies, board and computer games, etc. Individualized grammar tasks are also practiced to help students communicate efficiently and thoughtfully.
This course uses Jay Hakim's A History of Us as its foundation.
Overall Themes
● The First Americans
● Making Thirteen Colonies
● From Colonies to Country
● The New Nation
● Liberty for All?
● The Civil War
Sample of Essential Questions:
● What makes us who we are?
● How are our identities today shaped by history?
● How does struggle help define who we are?
● What are the benefits and challenges of living in a diverse society?
● How do different people or groups of people represent and express their power?
● How can people with less power stand up to people with more power?
● How have people advocated and fought for justice throughout history?
The 4th/5th Grade Humanities course focuses on the stories and peoples of the Pre-Colonial times onward. Students start with a study of the first explorers and Americans, and work their way toward the end of the American Civil War. Time is taken to conduct an in-depth study of the groups of people that are often overlooked from this time period, such as Native Americans and African Americans.
Students will practice their historical inquiry skills of sourcing, contextualizing, corroborating, and close reading as they read anecdotal stories and analyze primary and secondary sources from the time period; they also watch a variety of videos to help create visual connections. Writing tasks range from opinion pieces, to analytical pieces, to creative pieces, among others. Both individual and class projects are developed, which ask students to apply knowledge from class to form an assortment of products, such as videos, song parodies, board and computer games, etc. Individualized grammar tasks are also practiced to help students communicate efficiently and thoughtfully.
This course uses Jay Hakim's A History of Us as its foundation.
Overall Themes
● The First Americans
● Making Thirteen Colonies
● From Colonies to Country
● The New Nation
● Liberty for All?
● The Civil War
Sample of Essential Questions:
● What makes us who we are?
● How are our identities today shaped by history?
● How does struggle help define who we are?
● What are the benefits and challenges of living in a diverse society?
● How do different people or groups of people represent and express their power?
● How can people with less power stand up to people with more power?
● How have people advocated and fought for justice throughout history?
