United States History 

The Highlands School Irving

Students understand a culture’s creation and evolution as the result of various communal responses to the essential human questions: “Who are we?”, “What is our destiny?” and “What should we be and do with our lives?” to better understand their culture’s response to those same questions.Students determine how culture and beliefs influence the interaction of people in order to engage respectfully with those who have Christian and non-Christian worldviews.Students recognize that historical events and patterns are caused by individuals in order to be motivated to take on leadership roles and effect change for the better in their own communities.Grade Level Benchmarks:Students recognize the effects of ideas proposed by individuals on the political and social decisions made by a nation.Students identify the historical events and beliefs that have influenced the American culture’s foundation.Students understand that political decisions are a reflection of a society’s culture pertaining to American History. Learning Outcomes (District): Students analyze the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution and the newly created government to better understand their own culture's response to the questions "Who are we?", "What is our destiny?", and "What should we be and do with our lives?"Students will justify the Bill of Rights, and examine its continuing significance to the United States in order to engage respectfully with those who have Christian and non-Christian worldviews.Students will compare the development of each branch of the government to appreciate the influence of individual people on a community's identity.Students analyze the development of the first American party system and judge its use in order to engage respectfully with those who have Christian and non-Christian worldviews.Students determine the effects of the Louisiana Purchase and the Monroe Doctrine in order to understand the way the economy has driven historical events over time and has influenced the development of cultures.Students analyze the importance of the War of 1812 with emphasis on its impact on American foreign policy to observe models for creating ways to solve problems in the world.Students evaluate the federal and state Native American policies and the strategies for survival adopted by Native Americans to develop an awareness of multiple viewpoints and have empathy for the human experience while remaining capable of and focused on discerning the truth.Students investigate the ideology behind Manifest Destiny, the nation's expansion into the Northwest, and the Mexican-American War to develop an awareness of multiple viewpoints and have empathy for the human experience while remaining capable of and focused on discerning the truth.Students explain how the factory system and the transportation and market revolutions shaped regional patterns of economic development in order to understand the way the economy has driven historical events over time and has influenced the development of cultures.Students describe how antebellum immigration influenced American society in order to engage respectfully with those who have Christian and non-Christian worldviews.Students analyze the growth of slavery after 1800 and the different experiences of African Americans under slavery to develop an awareness of multiple viewpoints and have empathy for the human experience while remaining capable of and focused on discerning the truth.Geography and the Environment: Geographic and environmental factors, including competition over and debates about natural resources, shape the development of America and foster regional diversity.The development of America impacts the environment and reshapes geography, which leads to debates about environmental and geographic issues.Work, Exchange, and Technology: The interplay between markets, private enterprise, labor, technology, and government policy shape the American economy. In turn, economic activity shapes society and government policy and drives technological innovation.America in the World: Diplomatic, economic, cultural, and military interactions between empires, nations, and peoples shape the development of America and America’s increasingly important role in the world.Social Structures: Social categories, roles, and practices are created, maintained, challenged, and transformed throughout American history, shaping government policy, economic systems, culture, and the lives of citizens.American and Regional Culture: Creative expression, demographic change, philosophy, religious beliefs, scientific ideas, social mores, and technology shape national, regional, and group cultures in America, and these varying cultures often play a role in shaping government policy and developing economic systems.Politics and Power: Debates fostered by social and political groups about the role of government in American social, political, and economic life shape government policy, institutions, political parties, and the rights of citizens.