Independent Research Project Individual Graduation Committee (IGC) Recommended Assignment for: United States History Since 1877 Time Allocation Six Weeks Unit Overview This independent research project addresses mastery of social studies skills using a specific focus concept, traced through time from 1877 to the present. The student must demonstrate mastery via a written essay. The project must answer the essential question for the focus concept, and the paper must show an understanding of how the selected concept has changed over time. Focus Concepts (Students will choose one of these topics to trace through time. The chosen topic must be connected to the Modern Era, and to three other eras.) Civil Rights How has the concept of civil rights changed since the end of Reconstruction? What progress have we made as a nation, and in what areas is there still more work to be done? Role of Women How has the role of women changed since the end of Reconstruction? What progress have we made as a nation, and in what areas is there still more work to be done? American Interaction with the World How has American foreign policy changed since the end of Reconstruction? In what way is our role still the same? What challenges do we still face as a nation? Role of the Judiciary How has the role of the court system in America changed over time? How have court decisions allowed us to progress as a nation? How has the relationship between the judicial branch and the executive and legislative branches changed?
TEKS/SEs Gilded Age: Immigration (3A) analyze political issues such as growth of political machines (3C) analyze social issues affecting women, minorities, children, immigrants, urbanization, the Social Gospel, and philanthropy of industrialists (3D) describe the optimism of the many immigrants who sought a better life in America (6A) analyze causes and effects of events and social issues such as immigration, Social Darwinism, race relations, nativism, and the changing role of women (13B) analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from legal and illegal immigration to the United States (14A) identify the effects of population growth and distribution on the physical environment (15C) explain how foreign policies affected economic issues, such as the Chinese Exclusion Act of 1882, and immigration quotas (26B) discuss the Americanization movement to assimilate immigrants and American Indians into American culture (26D) identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women such as Frances Willard and Jane Addams to American society Progressive Era: Progressivism & Reform (5A) evaluate the impact of Progressive Era reforms, including initiative, referendum, recall, and the passage of the 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th amendments (5B) evaluate the impact of muckrakers and reform leaders such as Upton Sinclair, Susan B. Anthony, Ida B. Wells, and W. E. B. DuBois on American society (14B) identify the roles of governmental entities and private citizens in managing the environment such as the establishment of the National Park System, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered Species Act (15B) describe the changing relationship between the federal government and private business, including the Pure Food and Drug Act (15E) describe the emergence of monetary policy in the United States, including the Federal Reserve Act of 1913 and the shifting trend from a gold standard to fiat money (23B) evaluate various means of achieving equality of political rights, including the 19th, 24th, and 26th amendments and congressional acts such as the American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924 (26A) explain actions taken by people to expand economic opportunities and political rights, including those for racial, ethnic, and religious minorities as well as women, in American societ
Rise to World Power: Expansionism & Imperialism (2D) explain the significance of the following years as turning points: 1898 (Spanish-American War) (4A) explain why significant events, policies, and individuals such as the Spanish-American War, U.S. expansionism, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Theodore Roosevelt, and Sanford B. Dole, moved the United States into the position of a world power (4B) evaluate American expansionism, including acquisitions such as Guam, Hawaii, the Philippines, and Puerto Rico (12A) analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on the Panama Canal (12B) identify and explain reasons for changes in political boundaries such as those resulting from statehood and international conflicts (15D) describe the economic effects of international military conflicts, including the Spanish- American War Roaring 20s: Social Issues (6A) analyze causes and effects of events and social issues such as Social Darwinism, eugenics, race relations, nativism, the Red Scare, Prohibition, and the changing role of women (return of the KKK) (6B) analyze the impact of significant individuals such as Clarence Darrow and William Jennings Bryan (Scopes Monkey Trial) (13A) analyze the causes and effects of changing demographic patterns resulting from migration within the United States such as the Great Migration (25B) describe both the positive and negative impacts of significant examples of cultural movements in art, music, and literature such as Tin Pan Alley and the Harlem Renaissance World War II: Home Front 7(A) identify reasons for U.S. involvement in World War II, especially the attack on Pearl Harbor. 7(C) analyze the function of the U.S. Office of War Information. 7(D) analyze major issues of World War II, including the internment of German, Italian, and Japanese Americans and Executive Order 9066 7(G) explain the home front and how American patriotism inspired exceptional actions by citizens and military personnel, including high levels of military enlistment; volunteerism; the purchase of war bonds; Victory Gardens; the bravery and contributions of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Flying Tigers, and the Navajo Code Talkers; and opportunities and obstacles for women and ethnic minorities 17(A) describe the economic effects of World War II on the home front such as the end of the Great Depression, rationing, and increased opportunity for women and minority employment 19(B) explain constitutional issues raised by federal government policy changes during times of significant events, such as World War II
Cold War: Containment (8A) describe US responses to Soviet aggression after World War II, including the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, the Berlin airlift, and John F. Kennedy's role in the Cuban Missile Crisis (8C) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in the Korean War and its relationship to the containment policy (8D) explain reasons and outcomes for U.S. involvement in foreign countries and their relationship to the Domino Theory, including the Vietnam War. (8E) analyze the major issues and events of the Vietnam War such as the Tet Offensive, the escalation of forces, Vietnamization, and the fall of Saigon (8F) describe the responses to the Vietnam War such as the draft, the 26th Amendment, the role of the media, the credibility gap, the silent majority, and the anti-war movement (20A) describe the impact of events such as the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution and the War Powers Act on the relationship between the legislative and executive branches of government (26F) discuss the importance of Congressional Medal of Honor recipients, including individuals of all races and genders such as Roy Benavidez Civil Rights: Focus on African American Impact (2D) explain the significance of the following years as turning points: 1968-1969 (Martin Luther King, Jr assassination) (9A) trace the historical development of the civil rights movement in the 19th, 20th, and 21st centuries, including the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 19th amendments (9B) describe the roles of political organizations that promoted civil rights, including ones from African American civil rights movements (9C) identify the roles of significant leaders who supported various rights movements, including Martin Luther King, Jr. and Rosa Parks (9D) compare and contrast the approach taken by some civil rights groups such as the Black Panthers with the nonviolent approach of Martin Luther King, Jr. (9E) discuss the impact of the writings of Martin Luther King, Jr. such as his "I Have a Dream" speech and "Letter from Birmingham Jail" on the civil rights movement (9F) describe presidential actions and congressional votes to address minority rights in the United States, including desegregation of the armed forces, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965 (9G) describe the role of individuals such as governors George Wallace and Orval Faubus and groups, including the Congressional bloc of southern Democrats, that sought to maintain the status quo (9H) evaluate changes and events in the United States that have resulted from the civil rights movement, including increased participation of minorities in the political process (9I) describe how litigation such as the landmark case of Brown v. Board of Education played a role in protecting the rights of the minority during the civil rights movement (21A) analyze the effects of landmark U.S. Supreme Court decisions, including Brown v. Board of Education, and other U.S. Supreme Court decisions such as Plessy v. Ferguson (21B) discuss historical reasons why the constitution has been amended (24A) describe qualities of effective leadership
(24B) evaluate the contributions of significant political and social leaders in the United States such as Thurgood Marshall (26A) explain actions taken by people to expand economic opportunities and political rights, including those for racial, ethnic, and religious minorities as well as women, in American society (26C) explain how the contributions of people of various racial, ethnic, gender, and religious groups shape American culture Modern Era (9H) evaluate changes and events in the United States that have resulted from the civil rights movement, including increased participation of minorities in the political process (10A) describe Richard M. Nixon's leadership in the normalization of relations with China and the policy of détente (10B) describe Ronald Reagan's leadership in domestic and international policies, including Reaganomics and Peace Through Strength (10D) describe U.S. involvement in the Middle East such as support for Israel, the Camp David Accords, the Iran-Contra Affair, Marines in Lebanon, and the Iran Hostage Crisis (10E) describe the causes and key organizations and individuals of the conservative resurgence of the 1980s and 1990s, including Phyllis Schlafly, the Contract with America, the Heritage Foundation, the Moral Majority, and the National Rifle Association (11A) describe U.S. involvement in world affairs, including the end of the Cold War, the Persian Gulf War, the Balkans Crisis, 9/11, and the global War on Terror (11D) analyze the impact of third parties on presidential elections (11E) discuss the historical significance of the 2008 presidential election (12A) analyze the impact of physical and human geographic factors on the settlement of the Great Plains, the Klondike Gold Rush, the Panama Canal, the Dust Bowl, and the levee failure in New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina (14B) identify the roles of governmental entities and private citizens in managing the environment such as the establishment of the National Park System, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Endangered Species Act (17C) describe the economic impact of defense spending on the business cycle and education priorities from 1945 to the 1990s (17E) describe the dynamic relationship between U.S. international trade policies and the U.S. free enterprise system such as the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) oil embargo, the General Agreement of Tariffs and Trade (GATT), and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) (19C) describe the effects of political scandals, including Teapot Dome, Watergate, and Bill Clinton's impeachment, on the views of U.S. citizens concerning trust in the federal government and its leaders (19D) discuss the role of contemporary government legislation in the private and public sectors such as the Community Reinvestment Act of 1977, USA PATRIOT Act of 2001, and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (26D) identify the political, social, and economic contributions of women such as Frances Willard, Jane Addams, Eleanor Roosevelt, Dolores Huerta, Sonia Sotomayor, and Oprah Winfrey to American society
English Language Proficiency Standards ELPS C.1f Use accessible language and learn new and essential language in the process; ELPS C.2h Understand implicit ideas and information in increasingly complex spoken language commensurate with grade-level learning expectations; ELPS C.3h Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail as more English is acquired ELPS C.4g Demonstrate comprehension of increasingly complex English by participating in shared reading, retelling or summarizing material, responding to questions, and taking notes commensurate with content area and grade level needs ELPS C.5g Narrate, describe, and explain with increasing specificity and detail to fulfill content area writing needs as more English is acquired College and Career Readiness Standards CCRS 1.B3 Analyze causes and effects of major political, economic, and social changes in U.S. and world history. Key Concepts Key Skills History Economics, Science and Technology Politics Social Issues Geography and Culture Government and Citizenship 29(A): use a variety of both primary and secondary valid sources to acquire information and to analyze and answer historical questions 29(B): analyze information by sequencing, categorizing, identifying cause-and effect relationships, comparing and contrasting, finding the main idea, summarizing, making generalizations, making predictions, drawing inferences, and drawing conclusions 29(D): use the process of historical inquiry to research, interpret, and use multiple types of sources of evidence 29(G) identify and support with historical evidence a point of view on a social studies issue or event 29 (H) use appropriate skills to analyze and interpret social studies information such as maps, graphs, presentations, speeches, lectures, and political cartoons 30(B): use correct social studies terminology to explain historical concepts 31(B) pose and answer questions about geographic distributions and patterns shown on maps, graphs, charts, and available databases
Academic Vocabulary Suggested Vocabulary by Era. (Note: Student is not required to use all words, but should use enough to demonstrate mastery of the key ideas of the era.) Gilded Age: Immigration Populism, Gilded Age, Corruption, Social Darwinism, Industrialism, Urbanization, Union, Trust, Monopoly, Immigration, Homestead Act, Assimilation Progressive Era: Progressivism & Reform Progressivism, Muckraker, Reform, Socialism, Communism, Initiative, Referendum, Recall, Suffrage, Nativism, Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC), Progressive Party, Nationalism, Conservation, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Square Deal, Social Darwinism Rise to World Power: Expansionism & Imperialism Imperialism, Expansionism, Internationalism, Isolationism, Alfred Thayer Mahan, Yellow Journalism, Protectorate, Panama Canal, Open Door Policy, Roosevelt Corollary, Monroe Doctrine Roaring 20s: Social Issues Urbanization, Normalcy, Teapot Dome Scandal, Laissez-Faire Economics, Assembly Line, Mass Production, Nativism, 1921 Emergency Quota Act, Red Scare, Anarchist, Prohibition, 18th Amendment, Volstead Act, Organized Crime, Great Migration, Harlem Renaissance, Scopes Monkey Trial, Modernism, Traditionalism World War II: Home Front Totalitarianism, Appeasement, Neutrality Acts, Lend Lease Act, Office of War Information, Propaganda, Executive Order 9066, Korematsu v. United States, Home front, War Production Board, Rationing, War Bonds, Victory Gardens, Rosie the Riveter, Braceros, National Security, Arsenal for Democracy, Pearl Harbor, Atomic Bomb, Manhattan Project Cold War: Containment GI Bill, Baby Boom, Suburbs, Desegregation of the Military, Iron Curtain, Arms Race, Space Race, Second Red Scare, McCarthyism, House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC), Cold War, Containment, North American Treaty Organization (NATO), Warsaw Pact, United Nations, Truman Doctrine, Marshall Plan, Korean War, Vietnam, Tet Offensive, Domino Theory, Escalation, Vietnamization, Berlin Wall, Bay of Pigs, Cuban Missile Crisis, War Powers Act, Gulf of Tonkin Resolution Civil Rights: Focus on African American Impact Affirmative Action, Plessey v. Ferguson, Separate but Equal, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Brown v. Board of Education, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., Civil Rights Act of 1964, Voting Rights Act of 1965, Racism, Activism, Non-violent Protest, Segregation, Discrimination, Freedom Riders, Thurgood Marshall, Malcolm X, De Facto Segregation, Sit-in, Bus Boycott, March on Washington. Rosa Parks Adapted from Houston ISD Curriculum 2014 2015 Page 7 of 5
Modern Era Space Shuttle Program, Apollo, Munich Olympics, Iran Hostage Crisis, Spiro Agnew, Richard Nixon, Watergate Scandal, Gerald Ford, Ronald Reagan, Watergate Scandal, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, John Lennon, Row v Wade, Mt. St. Helens, Berlin Wall, Tiananmen Square, Henry Kissinger, Mao Zedong, Détente, Khmer Rouge, Ho Chi Minh Trail, Vietnamization, Pentagon Papers, Daniel Elsberg, Paris Peace Talks, Ho Chi Minh City, Saigon, Leonid Brezhnev, SALT, Arab Coalition, Yom Kippur War, OPEC, EPA, OSHA, Skylab, CREEP, Carl Bernstein, Bob Woodward, Mark Felt, Deep Throat, Special Prosecutor, 25 th Amendment, Nelson Rockefeller, House Minority Leader, Unconditional Pardon, Amnesty, Draft Dodger, Frequent Wind, Charles Manson, Iran Hostage Crisis, Mohammed Reza Pahlavi, Ayatollah Ruholla Khomeni, Menachim Begin, Anwar Sadat, Camp David Accords, James Brady, Brady Bill, Reaganomics, Voodoo Economics, Reagan Doctrine, SDI, Star Wars, War on Drugs, Just say no, Iran-Contra Affair, Contra, Mikhail Gorbachev, Sandra Day O Connor, Manuel Noriega, Racketeering, General Norman Schwartzkopf, Operation Desert Storm, Bill Clinton, H. Ross Perot, Condoleeza Rice, World Trade Center, Alfred P. Murrah Building, ISIS/ISIL, North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA), Intern, Brady Bill, Don t ask, Don t Tell, Website, Internet, Defense of Marriage Act, (DOMA), Whitewater, Osama bin Laden, Al Qaeda, Compassionate Conservative, 9-11, No Child Left Behind (NCLB), Levees, Taliban, Department of Homeland Security, Patriot Act, Guantanamo Bay, Enhanced interrogation, Affordable Care Act, Navy SEAL, Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), Children s Health Insurance Program (CHIP) Adapted from Houston ISD Curriculum 2014 2015 Page 8 of 5
Timeline Week 1: Identification of focus concept, including the major terms, ideas, as well as identification of the four eras that will be used to show change over time. Define all major vocabulary terms connected to chosen topic. Identify and research major ideas connected to chosen topic. Week 2: Research check Provide evidence (research) of a connection between focus concept chosen and four eras (cause/effect). Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of topic chosen via research notes. Week 3: Basic organization & outline Create outline that addresses format of essay in the order it will be written. Write a thesis statement that argues how the focus concept changed over time. Highlight the connections between the focus concept and four eras in the outline. Week 4: Rough draft Create a draft of the paper of sufficient length. (Three to five pages, double spaced, 12 pt. Times New Roman, not including bibliography and cover) Draft of paper shows a connection between focus concept and four eras. Note: Draft may still have several grammatical errors at this point. Week 5: Final paper/preparation for interview Write a complete and final error-free draft of paper. Create a list of at least five questions you expect to be asked during the interview. Week 6: Interview Participate in an interview by a panel of social studies teachers, demonstrating knowledge and understanding of subject matter. Instructional Considerations Student research should address the following: Historical Context: What is the origin of the focus concept? What historical events might have led to this focus concept? What was happening in the world when this focus concept first surfaced? Point of View: What are the historical pros and cons of the focus concept? What is the overall goal of the various groups tied to the focus concept? Impact: What are the long-term effects of the focus concepts? What populations are greatly impacted by this focus concept and why? How has this focus concept changed over time? Adapted from Houston ISD Curriculum 2014 2015 Page 9 of 5
Category CONSTRUCTION Points Possible 20 CONTENT Points Possible 60 INTERVIEW Points Possible 20 Total Possible Points 100 Teacher Comments: Points Awarded Criteria for Evaluation The student: (5 points each) includes all parts of the work assigned follows all directions turned in work no later than the date due submits work that is neat and professional The paper: (10 points each) includes a thesis statement that outlines the scope of the paper includes accurate facts and supporting details shows evidence of research and reading traces the topic thoughtfully through three eras and the Modern Era includes a works cited page shows evidence of abstract thinking and inferencing via a connection between eras and the focus concept The interview: (10 points each) shows the student has a thorough understanding of the chosen topic shows the student did his or her own work SCORING RUBRIC 5: All requirements completely met, representing high quality work. 4: Requirements are satisfactorily met, representing adequate work. 3: Requirements are mostly met. Some components may be incomplete, or of inadequate quality. 2: Requirements are partially met. Components may be missing, or of poor quality. 1: Requirements are minimally met. Major components are missing, or of poor quality. Students must earn at least 70 points to pass. For items where students can earn up to 10 points, multiply their rubric score by two. Adapted from Houston ISD Curriculum 2014 2015 Page 10 of 5