Standards

Enduring Understandings - important ideas that students should carry with them years beyond the instruction received this year.

• Chronology organizes history and increases understanding of historical relationships.
• Societies are diverse and change over time.
• Evaluate the impact of economic, scientific, and technological developments on human interactions.
• Political power has been used throughout history.
• Maps are used to acquire information about people, places and environments
• Use physical and human characteristics to define regions important in human history

Essential Questions - most important “big picture” questions students should be able to answer after completing learning activities.

• What were the causes of the Great Depression?
• How did the Great Depression change the role of the federal government?
• How did geographic physical and human characteristics define the Dust Bowl?
• What were the causes of America's participation in WWII?
• Why were Japanese-Americans confined to internment camps?
• How was the war in the Pacific Theater influenced by geography?
• What role did the U.S. military play in the outcome of the European Theater?
• How did the U.S. war effort impact the economy and society?
• What was the sequence of events that perpetuated the Cold War?
• How did the Cold War promote the development of nuclear weapons and space technology, as well as impact society?
• How and why were the systems of alliances formed after WWII?
• What U.S. policies were established during the Cold War?
• What characteristics defined the world political regions that developed after WWII?

Standards and Benchmarks
Standard H1: Students understand the chronological organization of history and know how to organize events and people into major ears to identify and explain historical relationships.
Benchmark B: Students use chronology to organize historical events and people.
Benchmark C: Students use chronology to examine and explain historical relationships.
Standard H3: Students understand that societies are diverse and change over time.
Benchmark A: Students know how various societies were affected by contracts and exchanges among diverse peoples.
Benchmark B: Students understand the history of social organization in various societies.     
Standard H4: Students understand how science, technology and economic activity have developed, changed affected societies throughout history.
Benchmark A: Students understand the impact of scientific and technological developments on individuals and societies. Benchmark B: Students understand how economic factors influenced historical events.
Standard H5: Students understand political institutions and theories that developed and changed over time.
Benchmark A: Students understand how democratic ideas and institutions in the United States have developed, changed, and/or maintained.
Benchmark C: Students know how political power has been acquired, maintained, used, and/or lost throughout history.
Benchmark D: Students know the history of relationships among different political powers and the development of international relations.
Standard G1: Students know how to use and construct maps, globes, and other geographic tools to locate and derive information about people, places, and environments.
Benchmark A: Students know how to ups maps, globes, and other geographic tools to acquire, process, and report information from a spatial perspective.
Standard G2: Students know how the physical and human characteristics of places, and use this knowledge to define and study regions and their patterns of change.
Benchmark A: Students know the physical and human characteristics of places.

District 11 Diamond Units/Lessons Overview - includes information about the purpose, goals and structure of these sample instructional units:

Unit 8: The Great Depression
Unit 9:  World War II
Unit 10: Cold War

Parent Resources

As your high school student explores the content in this class, it will open up opportunities to share and discuss your political beliefs, opinions, and personal experiences. Student  will be guided to a deeper understanding of history by identifying the underlying philosophies and beliefs that led to historic events. Notice the Enduring Understandings and Essential Questions listed for each unit. They provide opportunities for discussion with your young adult.