Twentieth Century America
(1945-2000)

Text:

Moss, George Donelson.  Moving On: The American People Since 1945, 3/e.  Upper Saddle River, New Jersey: Prentice-Hall, 2005.

Course Description:
This course is designed to offer an in-depth look at modern American history from 1945 to the present. It offers a concentrated study of the political, economic and military events of the last half century, as well as the social and cultural history that has shaped our lives. The course will demand of the student extensive outside reading and a research project. This course was designed for students who have a great deal of interest in American history, and is intended to better prepare students to continue the study of American history at the college level.
Prerequisite: American History or American History (Honors)

Course Outline:

The 1940s (2 weeks)
Chapter 1        The American People in 1945
Chapter 2        The Rise of the Cold War
Chapter 3        Postwar America 

The 1950s (2 weeks)
Chapter 4        The American People at Mid-Century
Chapter 5        The Politics of Consensus 

The 1960s (3 weeks)
Chapter 6        New Frontiers
Chapter 7        Great Society and Vietnam
Chapter 8        Rebellion and Reaction 

The 1970s (3 weeks)
Chapter 9        Calming Down
Chapter 10      Détente, China, and Vietnam
Chapter 11      Era of Limits
Chapter 12      The American People in the 1970s 

The 1980s (2 weeks)
Chapter 13      America Revived 

The 1990s (2 weeks)
Chapter 14      Going Global 

2000-2004 (1 week)
Chapter 15      The New Millennium

Class Activities and Assignments:

• Lectures – this will involve note-taking, class discussion and in-class work. Videos, PowerPoint Presentations, Simulations, and group activities may also be incorporated into lectures. You are responsible for all information presented.
• Quizzes – Quizzes will be given on a regular basis and may be unannounced.
• Exams – You will be tested over each chapter covered. Due to content and length of time spent on each chapter, some chapters may be tested together.
• Projects – There will be a number of individual and group projects throughout the semester.

(All assignments should be kept up to date on the AHS website, www.allemanhighschool.org. In addition, please feel free to email me at nateskahill@hotmail.com if you have any questions.)

 

Grading Procedure:

Your grade should never be a mystery. With every quiz, exam, or project, you will be given a number correct out of a total number of points possible. If you keep track of your points as you go, you will always know your grade. I do not give grades, you earn them. Extra Credit is not an option available for this course. To assign letter grades, I will use the school’s grading scale as follows:

A+ = 99-100
A   = 95-98
A-  = 93-94
B+ = 91-92
B   = 87-90
B-  = 85-86
C+ = 83-84
C   = 79-82
C-  = 77-78
D+ = 75-76
D   = 72-74
D-  = 70-71
F    = 0-69