Tentative Curriculum Outline
An Emerging Nation
Sectional Divisions in America
America as an Economic Powerhouse
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The Gilded Age
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Political/Military: Government Corruption from the Presidency to the State Government
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Economic: The Second Industrial Revolution in America, The Gospel of Wealth
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Cultural: The Gospel of Wealth and American Entrepreneurship, Realism in American Society
America on the World Stage
Curriculum Specifics
Rather than a generic classroom curriculum focused on breadth over depth, we will examine US History through a thematic approach that enables students to better understand the details of American history. A model of this approach would be for an instructor to schedule his lesson plan around a theme such as “slavery.” In this module, students would explore the complexity of the issue, and how the idea of stark dichotomy between the tolerant North and the oppressive South is a product of contemporary society’s imagination.
But even though students would explore issues like slavery through a historical lens (examining primary and secondary sources), our paramount goal is to present the study of history as a fun, engaging, and interesting field, which helps to maintain their interest throughout the session. To achieve this goal, each instructor will include in his curriculum designated times to play history board and computer games, and other fun activities that have some aspect of history involved.
Nevertheless, we will still place academic expectations on these kids since we want their writing to be that of emerging historians. Thus, at the end of the first week, students will have chosen a topic within the time period of the class to write a short research paper using primary sources and secondary sources from the library in addition to nightly reading that would assist them in choosing a topic. By the end of the second week, the students will have each written a refined three-page research paper on a topic that they are uniquely interested in. The main goal of the curriculum is to create intellectual curiosity in the students towards the study of American history.