The Social Studies Academic Content Standards revision contains syllabi for six high school social studies courses: American History, Modern World History, American Government, Economics and Financial Literacy, Contemporary World Issues and World Geography. Each contains a course and broad topics which are further clarified with content statements. Grade levels are not specified for any of the courses.

The syllabi, adopted by the State Board of Education in 2010, are available for districts to use as they plan course offerings. Three units of social studies credit are required for graduation from high school, including a half unit of credit in American History and a half unit of credit in American Government. No decision has been made yet about connecting specific courses to end-of-course exams. The inclusion of particular courses in the standards is not meant to require that all of these courses be offered or limit the choice of courses which districts may offer in their social studies programs.

American History

Theme: This course examines the history of the United States of America from 1877 to the present. The federal republic has withstood challenges to its national security and expanded the rights and roles of its citizens. The episodes of its past have shaped the nature of the country today and prepared it to attend to the challenges of tomorrow. Understanding how these events came to pass and their meaning for today’s citizens is the purpose of this course. The concepts of historical thinking introduced in earlier grades continue to build with students locating and analyzing primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives to draw conclusions.

• Topic: Historical Thinking and Skills

  Students apply skills by utilizing a variety of resources to construct theses and support or refute contentions made by others. Alternative explanations of historical events are analyzed and questions of historical inevitability are explored.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Historical events provide opportunities to examine alternative courses of action..
  • 2. The use of primary and secondary sources of information includes an examination of the credibility of each source.
  • 3. Historians develop theses and use evidence to support or refute positions.
  • 4. Historians analyze cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events,
    including multiple causation and long- and short-term causal relations.

• Topic: Industrialization and Progressivism (1877-1920)

  Ignited by post-Civil War demand and fueled by technological advancements, large-scale industrialization began in the United States during the late 1800s. Growing industries enticed foreign immigration, fostered urbanization, gave rise to the American labor movement and developed the infrastructure that facilitated the settling of the West. A period of progressive reform emerged in response to political corruption and practices of big business.

  Content Statements

  • 5. The rise of corporations, heavy industry, mechanized farming and technological innovations transformed the American economy from an agrarian to an increasingly urban industrial society.
  • 6. The rise of industrialization led to a rapidly expanding workforce. Labor organizations grew amidst unregulated working conditions, laissez-faire policies toward big business, and violence toward supporters of organized labor.
  • 7. Immigration, internal migration and urbanization transformed American life.
  • 8. Following Reconstruction, old political and social structures reemerged and racial discrimination was institutionalized.
  • 9. The Progressive era was an effort to address the ills of American society stemming from industrial capitalism, urbanization and political corruption.

• Topic: Foreign Affairs from Imperialism to Post-World War I (1898-1930)

  The industrial and territorial growth of the United States fostered expansion overseas. Greater involvement in the world set the stage for American participation in World War I and attempts to preserve post-war peace.

  Content Statements

  • 10. As a result of overseas expansion, the Spanish-American War and World War I, the United States emerged as a world power.
  • 11. After WWI, the United States pursued efforts to maintain peace in the world. However, as a result of the national debate over the Versailles Treaty ratification and the League of Nations, the United States moved away from the role of world peacekeeper and limited its involvement in international affairs.

• Topic: Prosperity, Depression and the New Deal (1919-1941)

  The post-World War I period was characterized by economic, social and political turmoil. Post- war prosperity brought about changes to American popular culture. However, economic disruptions growing out the war years led to worldwide depression. The United States attempted to deal with the Great Depression through economic programs created by the federal government.

  Content Statements

  • 12. Racial intolerance, anti-immigrant attitudes and the Red Scare contributed to social unrest after World War I.
  • 13. An improved standard of living for many, combined with technological innovations in communication, transportation and industry, resulted in social and cultural changes and tensions.
  • 14. Movements such as the Harlem Renaissance, African-American migration, women’s suffrage and Prohibition all contributed to social change.
  • 15. The Great Depression was caused, in part, by the federal government’s monetary policies, stock market speculation, and increasing consumer debt. The role of the federal government expanded as a result of the Great Depression.

• Topic: From Isolation to World War (1930-1945)

  The isolationist approach to foreign policy meant U.S. leadership in world affairs diminished after World War I. Overseas, certain nations saw the growth of tyrannical governments which reasserted their power through aggression and created conditions leading to the Second World War. After Pearl Harbor, the United States entered World War II, which changed the country’s focus from isolationism to international involvement.

  Content Statements

  • 16. During the 1930s, the U.S. government attempted to distance the country from earlier interventionist policies in the Western Hemisphere as well as retain an isolationist approach to events in Europe and Asia until the beginning of WWII.
  • 17. The United States mobilization of its economic and military resources during World War II brought significant changes to American society.
  • 18. Use of atomic weapons changed the nature of war, altered the balance of power and began the nuclear age.

• Topic: The Cold War (1945-1991)

  The United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (U.S.S.R.) emerged as the two strongest powers in international affairs. Ideologically opposed, they challenged one another in a series of confrontations known as the Cold War. The costs of this prolonged contest weakened the U.S.S.R. so that it collapsed due to internal upheavals as well as American pressure. The Cold War had social and political implications in the United States.

  Content Statements

  • 19. The United States followed a policy of containment during the Cold War in response to the spread of communism.
  • 20. The Second Red Scare and McCarthyism reflected Cold War fears in American society.
  • 21. The Cold War and conflicts in Korea and Vietnam influenced domestic and international politics.
  • 22. The collapse of communist governments in Eastern Europe and the U.S.S.R. brought an end to the Cold War.

• Topic: Social Transformations in the United States (1945-1994)

  A period of post-war prosperity allowed the United States to undergo fundamental social change. Adding to this change was an emphasis on scientific inquiry, the shift from an industrial to a technological/service economy, the impact of mass media, the phenomenon of suburban and Sun Belt migrations, the increase in immigration and the expansion of civil rights.

  Content Statements

  • 23. Following World War II, the United States experienced a struggle for racial and gender equality and the extension of civil rights.
  • 24. The postwar economic boom, greatly affected by advances in science, produced epic changes in American life.
  • 25. The continuing population flow from cities to suburbs, the internal migrations from the Rust Belt to the Sun Belt, and the increase in immigration resulting from passage of the 1965 Immigration Act have had social and political effects.
  • 26. Political debates focused on the extent of the role of government in the economy, environmental protection, social welfare and national security.

• Topic: United States and the Post-Cold War World (1991 to Present)

  The United States emerged from the Cold War as a dominant leader in world affairs amidst a globalized economy, political terrorism and the proliferation of nuclear weapons.

  Content Statements

  • 27. Improved global communications, international trade, transnational business organizations, overseas competition and the shift from manufacturing to service industries have impacted the American economy.
  • 28. The United States faced new political, national security and economic challenges in the post-Cold War world and following the attacks on September 11, 2001.

American Government

Theme: How the American people govern themselves at national, state and local levels of government is the basis for this course. Students can impact issues addressed by local governments through service learning and senior projects.

• Topic: Civic Involvement

  Students can engage societal problems and participate in opportunities to contribute to the common good through governmental and nongovernmental channels.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Opportunities for civic engagement with the structures of government are made possible through political and public policy processes.
  • 2. Political parties, interest groups and the media provide opportunities for civic involvement through various means.

• Topic: Civic Participation and Skills

  Democratic government is enhanced when individuals exercise the skills to effectively participate in civic affairs.

  Content Statements

  • 3. Issues can be analyzed through the critical use of information from public records, surveys, research data and policy positions of advocacy groups.
  • 4. The processes of persuasion, compromise, consensus building and negotiation contribute to the resolution of conflicts and differences.

• Topic: Basic Principles of the U.S. Constitution

  Principles related to representative democracy are reflected in the articles and amendments of the U.S. Constitution and provide structure for the government of the United States.

  Content Statements

  • 5. As the supreme law of the land, the U.S. Constitution incorporates basic principles which help define the government of the United States as a federal republic including its structure, powers and relationship with the governed.
  • 6. Constitutional government in the United States has changed over time as a result of amendments to the U.S. Constitution, Supreme Court decisions, legislation and informal practices.

• Topic: Structure and Functions of the Federal Government

  Three branches compose the basic structure of the federal government. Public policy is created through the making of laws, the execution of the laws and the adjudication of disputes under the laws.

  Content Statements

  • 7. Law and public policy are created and implemented by three branches of government; each functions with its own set of powers and responsibilities.
  • 8. The political process creates a dynamic interaction among the three branches of government in addressing current issues.

• Topic: Role of the People

  The government of the United States protects the freedoms of its people and provides opportunities for citizens to participate in the political process.

  Content Statements

  • 9. In the United States, people have rights which protect them from undue governmental interference. Rights carry responsibilities which help define how people use their rights and which require respect for the rights of others.
  • 10. Historically, the United States has struggled with majority rule and the extension of minority rights. As a result of this struggle, the government has increasingly extended civil rights to marginalized groups and broadened opportunities for participation.

• Topic: Ohio’s State and Local Governments

  The State of Ohio acts within the framework of the U.S. Constitution and extends powers and functions to local governments.

  Content Statements

  • 11. As a framework for the state, the Ohio Constitution complements the federal structure of government in the United States.
  • 12. Individuals in Ohio have a responsibility to assist state and local governments as they address relevant and often controversial problems that directly affect their communities.

• Topic: Public Policy

  Federal, state and local governments address problems and issues by making decisions, creating laws, enforcing regulations and taking action.

  Content Statements

  • 13. A variety of entities within the three branches of government, at all levels, address public policy issues which arise in domestic and international affairs.
  • 14. Individuals and organizations play a role within federal, state and local governments in helping to determine public (domestic and foreign) policy.

• Topic: Government and the Economy

  The actions of government play a major role in the flow of economic activity. Governments consume and produce goods and services. Fiscal and monetary policies, as well as economic regulations, provide the means for government intervention in the economy.

  Content Statements

  • 15. The federal government uses spending and tax policy to maintain economic stability and foster economic growth. Regulatory actions carry economic costs and benefits.
  • 16. The Federal Reserve System uses monetary tools to regulate the nation’s money supply and moderate the effects of expansion and contraction in the economy.

Modern World History

Theme: This course examines world events from 1600 to the present. It explores the impact of the democratic and industrial revolutions, the forces that led to world domination by European powers, the wars that changed empires, the ideas that led to independence movements and the effects of global interdependence. The concepts of historical thinking introduced in earlier grades continue to build with students locating and analyzing primary and secondary sources from multiple perspectives to draw conclusions.

• Topic: Historical Thinking and Skills

  Students apply skills by utilizing a variety of resources to construct theses and support or refute contentions made by others. Alternative explanations of historical events are analyzed and questions of historical inevitability are explored.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Historical events provide opportunities to examine alternative courses of action.
  • 2. The use of primary and secondary sources of information includes an examination of the credibility of each source.
  • 3. Historians develop theses and use evidence to support or refute positions.
  • 4. Historians analyze cause, effect, sequence, and correlation in historical events, including multiple causation and long- and short-term causal relations.

• Topic: Age of Enlightenment (1600-1800)

  The Age of Enlightenment developed from the Scientific Revolution of the 16th and 17th centuries. A new focus on reasoning was used to understand social, political and economic institutions.

  Content Statements

  • 5. The Scientific Revolution impacted religious, political, and cultural institutions by challenging how people viewed the world.
  • 6. Enlightenment thinkers applied reason to discover natural laws guiding human nature in social, political and economic systems and institutions.
  • 7. Enlightenment ideas challenged practices related to religious authority, absolute rule and mercantilism.

• Topic: Age of Revolutions (1750-1914)

  The Age of Revolutions was a period of two world-encompassing and interrelated developments: the democratic revolution and the industrial revolution. Both had political, economic and social consequences on a global scale.

  Content Statements

  • 8. Enlightenment ideas on the relationship of the individual and the government influenced the American Revolution, French Revolution and Latin American wars for independence.
  • 9. Industrialization had social, political and economic effects on Western Europe and the world.

• Topic: Imperialism (1800-1914)

  The industrialized nations embarked upon a competition for overseas empires that had profound implications for the entire world. This “new imperialism” focused on the underdeveloped world and led to the domination and exploitation of Asia, Africa and Latin America.

  Content Statements

  • 10. Imperial expansion had political, economic and social roots.
  • 11. Imperialism involved land acquisition, extraction of raw materials, spread of Western
    values and direct political control.
  • 12. The consequences of imperialism were viewed differently by the colonizers and the
    colonized.

• Topic: Achievements and Crises (1900-1945)

  The first half of the 20th century was one of rapid technological advances. It was a period when the tensions between industrialized nations resulted in World War I and set the stage for World War II. While World War II transformed the balance of world power, it was the most destructive and costly war in terms of human casualties and material resources expended.

  Content Statements

  • 13. Advances in technology, communication and transportation improved lives, but also had negative consequences.
  • 14. The causes of World War I included militarism, imperialism, nationalism and alliances.
  • 15. The consequences of World War I and the worldwide depression set the stage for the Russian Revolution, the rise of totalitarianism, aggressive Axis expansion and the policy of appeasement which in turn led to World War II.
  • 16. Oppression and discrimination resulted in the Armenian Genocide during World War I and the Holocaust, the state-sponsored mass murder of Jews and other groups, during World War II.
  • 17. World War II devastated most of Europe and Asia, led to the occupation of Eastern Europe and Japan, and began the atomic age.

• Topic: The Cold War (1945-1991)

  Conflicting political and economic ideologies after World War II resulted in the Cold War. The Cold War overlapped with the era of decolonization and national liberation.

  Content Statements

  • 18. The United States and the Soviet Union became superpowers and competed for global influence.
  • 19. Treaties and agreements at the end of World War II changed national boundaries and created multinational organizations.
  • 20. Religious diversity, the end of colonial rule and rising nationalism have led to regional conflicts in the Middle East.
  • 21. Postwar global politics led to the rise of nationalist movements in Africa and Southeast Asia.
  • 22. Political and social struggles have resulted in expanded rights and freedoms for women and indigenous peoples.

• Topic: Globalization (1991-Present)

  The global balance of power shifted with the end of the Cold War. Wars, territorial disputes, ethnic and cultural conflicts, acts of terrorism, advances in technology, expansion of human rights, and changes in the global economy present new challenges.

  Content Statements

  • 23. The break-up of the Soviet Union ended the Cold War and created challenges for its former allies, the former Soviet republics, Europe, the United States and the non- aligned world.
  • 24. Regional and ethnic conflicts in the post-Cold War era have resulted in acts of terrorism, genocide and ethnic cleansing.
  • 25. Political and cultural groups have struggled to achieve self-governance and self- determination.
  • 26. Emerging economic powers and improvements in technology have created a more interdependent global economy.
  • 27. Proliferation of nuclear weapons has created a challenge to world peace.
  • 28. The rapid increase of global population, coupled with an increase in life expectancy
    and mass migrations have created societal and governmental challenges.
  • 29. Environmental concerns, impacted by population growth and heightened by international competition for the world’s energy supplies, have resulted in a new environmental consciousness and a movement for the sustainability of the world’s resources.

Economics and Financial Literacy

Theme: This course explores the fundamentals that guide individuals and nations as they make choices about how to use limited resources to satisfy their wants. More specifically, it examines the ability of individuals to use knowledge and skills to manage limited financial resources effectively for a lifetime of financial security.

• Topic: Economic Decision Making and Skills

  Economic decision making relies on the analysis of data. Economists use data to explain trends and decide among economic alternatives. Individuals use data to determine the condition of their finances and to make savings and investment decisions.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Economists analyze multiple sources of data to predict trends, make inferences and arrive at conclusions.
  • 2. Reading financial reports (bank statements, stock market reports, mutual fund statements) enables individuals to make and analyze decisions about personal finances.

• Topic: Fundamentals of Economics

  Productive resources are limited and allocated in a variety of different ways. An efficient way to allocate productive resources is through markets.

  Content Statements

  • 3. People cannot have all the goods and services they want and, as a result, must choose some things and give up others.
  • 4. Different economic systems (traditional, market, command, and mixed) utilize different methods to allocate limited resources.
  • 5. Markets exist when consumers and producers interact. When supply or demand changes, market prices adjust. Those adjustments send signals and provide incentives to consumers and producers to change their own decisions.
  • 6. Competition among sellers lowers costs and prices, and encourages producers to produce more of what consumers are willing and able to buy. Competition among buyers increases prices and allocates goods and services to those people who are willing and able to pay the most for them.

• Topic: Government and the Economy

  The health of a nation’s economy is influenced by governmental policy. Fiscal policy can be used to spur economic growth. Monetary policy can be used to moderate fluctuations in the business cycle.

  Content Statements

  • 7. A nation’s overall level of economic well-being is determined by the interaction of spending and production decisions made by all households, firms, government agencies and others in the economy. Economic well-being can be assessed by analyzing economic indicators gathered by the government.
  • 8. Economic policy decisions made by governments result in both intended and unintended consequences.

• Topic: Global Economy

  Global issues and events influence economic activities.

  Content Statements

  • 9. When regions and nations use comparative advantage to produce at the lowest cost and then trade with others, production, consumption and interdependence increase.
  • 10. Government actions, such as tariffs, quotas, subsidies, trade agreements and membership in multinational economic organizations, significantly impact international trade.

• Topic: Working and Earning

  Employment provides a means of creating personal income.

  Content Statements

  • 11. Income is determined by many factors including individual skills and abilities, work ethic and market conditions.
  • 12. Employee earning statements include information about gross wages, benefits, taxes and other deductions.

• Topic: Financial Responsibility and Money Management

  Responsible personal finance decisions are based upon reliable information and used to reach personal goals.

  Content Statements

  • 13. Financial decision-making involves considering alternatives by examining costs and benefits.
  • 14. A personal financial plan includes financial goals and a budget, including spending on goods and services, savings and investments, insurance and philanthropy.
  • 15. Different payment methods have advantages and disadvantages.

• Topic: Saving and Investing

  Saving and investing strategies help individuals achieve personal financial goals.

  Content Statements

  • 16. Saving and investing help to build wealth.
  • 17. Savings can serve as a buffer against economic hardship.
  • 18. Different costs and benefits are associated with saving and investing alternatives.
  • 19. Banks, brokerages and insurance companies provide access to investments such as certificates of deposit, stocks, bonds and mutual funds.

• Topic: Credit and Debt

  Credit and debt can be used to achieve personal financial goals.

  Content Statements

  • 20. There are costs and benefits associated with various sources of credit available from different types of financial institutions.
  • 21. Credit and debt can be managed to maintain credit worthiness.
  • 22. Consumer protection laws provide financial safeguards.

• Topic: Risk Management

  There are various strategies to help protect personal assets and wealth.

  Content Statements

  • 23. Property and liability insurance protect against risks associated with use of property.
  • 24. Health, disability and life insurance protect against risks associated with increased expenses and loss of income.
  • 25. Steps can be taken to safeguard one’s personal financial information and reduce the risk of loss.

Contemporary World Issues

The dynamics of global interactions among nations and regions present issues that affect all humanity. These dynamics include: competing beliefs and goals; methods of engagement; and conflict and cooperation. Contemporary issues have political, economic, social, historic and geographic components. Approaches to addressing global and regional issues reflect historical influences and multiple perspectives. Students can impact global issues through service learning and senior projects.

• Topic: Global Connections

  The 21st century is characterized by changing circumstances as new economies emerge and new technologies change the way people interact. Issues related to health, economics, security and the environment are universal.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Trade, alliances, treaties and international organizations contribute to the increasing interconnectedness of nations and peoples in the 21st century.
  • 2. Advances in communications technology have profound effects on the ability of governments, interest groups, individuals and the media to share information across national and cultural borders.

• Topic: Civic Participation and Skills

  Individuals and groups have the capacity to engage with others to impact global issues.

  Content Statements

  • 3. Individuals can evaluate media messages that are constructed using particular tools, characteristics and conventions for unique purposes. Different communication methods affect how people define and act on issues.
  • 4. Individuals can assess how effective communicators address diverse audiences.
  • 5. Individuals can identify, assess and evaluate world events, engage in deliberative civil debate and influence public processes to address global issues.
  • 6. Effective civic participation involves identifying problems or dilemmas, proposing appropriate solutions, formulating action plans, and assessing the positive and negative results of actions taken.
  • 7. Individuals can participate through non-governmental organizations to help address humanitarian needs.

• Topic: Civil and Human Rights

  There are challenges to civil rights and human rights throughout the world. Politics, economics and culture can all influence perceptions of civil and human rights.

  • 8. Beliefs about civil and human rights vary among social and governmental systems.
  • 9. Nations and international organizations pursue their own interests on issues related to civil and human rights, resulting in both conflict and cooperation particularly as it relates to injustices against minority groups.
  • 10. Modern instances of genocide and ethnic cleansing present individual, organizational and national issues related to the responsibilities of participants and non-participants.

• Topic: Sustainability

  An increasingly global society is faced with the interdependency of ecological, social and economic systems. The functioning of these systems determines the sustainability of natural and human communities at local, regional, national and global levels.

  Content Statements

  • 11. Decisions about human activities made by individuals and societies have implications for both current and future generations, including intended and unintended consequences.
  • 12. Sustainability issues are interpreted and treated differently by people viewing them from various political, economic and cultural perspectives.
  • 13. International associations and nongovernmental organizations offer means of collaboration to address sustainability issues on local, national and international levels.

• Topic: Technology

  Technological advances present issues related to costs, distribution of benefits, ethical considerations, and intended and unintended consequences.

  Content Statements

  • 14. The development and use of technology influences economic, political, ethical and social issues.
  • 15. Technologies inevitably involve trade-offs between costs and benefits. Decisions about the use of products and systems can result in intended and unintended consequences.

• Topic: National Security and International Diplomacy

  The political, economic and social goals of nations, international associations and nongovernmental organizations may be incompatible with each other and lead to conflicts.

  Content Statements

  • 16. Nations seek to ensure the security of their geographic territories, political institutions, economic systems and ways of life. Maintaining security has political, social and economic costs.
  • 17. Economic, political and social differences between global entities can lead to conflict unless mitigated through diplomacy or cooperative efforts.
  • 18. Individuals and organizations work within, or outside of, established systems of power, authority and governance to influence their own security and the security of others.

• Topic: The Global Economy

  The global economy is an international marketplace fueled by competition, trade and integration.

  • 19. The global economy creates advantages and disadvantages for different segments of the world’s population.
  • 20. Trade agreements, multinational organizations, embargoes and protectionism impact markets.
  • 21. The distribution of wealth and economic power among countries changes over time.
  • 22. The global economy creates interdependence so that economic circumstances in one country impact events in other countries.

World Geography

Theme: This course builds on students’ understanding of geography and spatial thinking. Contemporary issues are explored through the lens of geography. In addition to understanding where physical and cultural features are located and why those features are located as they are, students examine the implications of these spatial arrangements.

• Topic: Spatial Thinking and Skills

  The ability to use geographic tools to locate data spatially enables people to gain a better understanding of contemporary issues. Investigations of spatial information provide guidance in solving global problems.

  Content Statements

  • 1. Properties and functions of geographic representations (e.g., maps, globes, graphs, diagrams, Internet-based mapping applications, geographic information systems, global positioning systems, remote sensing, and geographic visualizations) affect how they can be used to represent, analyze and interpret geographic patterns and processes.
  • 2. Geographic representations and geospatial technologies are used to investigate, analyze and communicate the results of geographic problem solving.

• Topic: Environment and Society

  Humans adapt to and modify the environment and shape the landscape through their interaction with the land. This has both positive and negative effects on the environment.

  Content Statements

  • 3. Human modifications of the physical environment in one place often lead to changes in other places (e.g., construction of a dam provides downstream flood control, construction of a city by-pass reduces commercial activity in the city center, implementation of dry farming techniques in a region leads to new transportation links and hubs).
  • 4. Human societies use a variety of strategies to adapt to the opportunities and constraints presented by the physical environment (e.g., farming in flood plains and terraced farming, building hydroelectric plants by waterfalls and constructing hydroelectric dams, using solar panels as heat source and using extra insulation to retain heat).
  • 5. Physical processes influence the formation and distribution of renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources (e.g., tectonic activity plays a role in the formation and location of fossil fuels, erosion plays a role in the formation of sedimentary rocks, rainfall patterns affect regional drainage patterns).
  • 6. There are costs and benefits of using renewable, nonrenewable, and flow resources (e.g., availability, sustainability, environmental impact, expense).
  • 7. Human interaction with the environment is affected by cultural characteristics (e.g., plowing with oxen or with tractors, development of water resources for industry or recreation, resource conservation or development).

• Topic: Movement

  People interact with other people, places, and things every day of their lives. They travel from one place to another; they communicate with each other; and they rely upon products, information, and ideas that come from beyond their immediate environment.

  Content Statements

  • 8. Physical, cultural, economic, and political factors contribute to human migrations (e.g., drought, religious conflicts, job opportunities, immigration laws).
  • 9. Human migrations impact physical and human systems (e.g., stress on food supplies in refugee camps, removal of natural obstacles to movement, harvest productivity and migrant labor, calls for an official language in countries with high immigration, reduction in city tax revenues due to urban emigration).
  • 10. Activities and patterns of trade and communication create interdependence among countries in different regions (e.g., seed corn grown in Iowa and planted in South America, high-definition televisions manufactured in Japan and viewed in the United States, news outlets from many countries available around the world via the Internet, instant access to data affects stock markets in different countries).

• Topic: Region

  A region is an area on the earth’s surface that is defined by certain unifying characteristics which give it a measure of homogeneity and distinguish it from surrounding areas. The unifying characteristics may be physical or cultural. Regions change over time.

  Content Statements

  • 11. Criteria are used to organize regions and as the criteria change, the identified regions change (e.g., types of economic activities, ethnic groups, natural vegetation).
  • 12. The characteristics of regions change over time and there are consequences related to those changes (e.g., industrial belt to rust belt, pristine locations to tourist attractions, colony to independent state).
  • 13. There are interconnections within and among physical and human regions (e.g., river systems, transportation linkages, common currency).
  • 14. Regions are used as a basis to analyze global geographic issues (e.g., desertification, political disputes, economic unions).

• Topic: Human Settlement

  People live in settlements which vary in size, composition, location, arrangement, and function. These settlements are the focus of most aspects of human life including economic activities, transportation systems, governance, communications and culture. Human settlements differ between regions, places and over time.

  Content Statements

  • 15. Patterns of settlement change over time in terms of functions, sizes, and spatial patterns (e.g., a canal town becomes an industrial city, a rural area becomes a transportation hub, cities merge into a megalopolis).
  • 16. Urbanization provides opportunities and challenges for physical and human systems in cities and their surrounding regions (e.g., development of suburbs, loss of habitat, central markets, squatter settlements on city outskirts, regional specialization in services or products, creation of ethnic enclaves).

• Topic: Globalization

  The modern world is said to be “shrinking” or “flattening” through the processes of globalization. The scale and speed of global interactions continue to increase in fields such as technology, markets, information sharing and telecommunication. Globalization has impacted human-environmental interactions, has affected the movement of people, products and ideas, and has implications for what constitutes a region and connections among existing regions.

  Content Statements

  • 17. Globalization has shaped new cultural, economic, and political ideas and entities (e.g., universal human rights, European Union, terrorist networks).
  • 18. Globalization has cultural, economic, physical and political consequences (e.g., Internet access increases availability of information, outsourcing leads to regional unemployment, development of infrastructure impacts local ecosystems and economies, computer hacking into sensitive data bases leads to insecurity).
  • 19. Global trade and communication systems reduce the effect of time on the distribution of goods, services, and information (e.g., reliance on local foods versus global trade in perishable foods, online brokering versus personal brokers, Internet access versus library access).

AL.11 Standard: United States History II—Industrial Revolution to the Present

This course builds upon the foundation of knowledge and skills gained in the Grade 9 and 10 United States history curriculum by providing a study of the modern history of the United States that expands students’ understanding of the principles of American society.

11.1

• 11.1.1. Students will:

  Explain the transition of the United States from an agrarian society to an industrial nation prior to World War I. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.1.2 Students will practice:

  • Describing the impact of Manifest Destiny on the economic and technological development of the post-Civil War West, including mining, the cattle industry, and the transcontinental railroad
  • Identifying the changing role of the American farmer, including the establishment of the Grange movement and the Populist Party and agrarian rebellion over currency issues
  • Evaluating the Dawes Act for its effect on tribal identity, land ownership, and assimilation of American Indians between Reconstruction and World War I
  • Comparing population percentages, motives, and settlement patterns of immigrants from Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America, including the Chinese Immigration Act regarding immigration quota
  • Interpreting the impact of change from workshop to factory on workers’ lives, including the New Industrial Age from 1870 to 1900, the American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO), the Industrial Workers of the World (IWW), the Pullman Strike, the Haymarket Square Riot, and the impact of John D. Rockefeller, Andrew Carnegie, Samuel Gompers, Eugene V. Debs, A. Philip Randolph, and Thomas Alva Edison

11.2

• 11.2.1 Students will:

  Evaluate social and political origins, accomplishments, and limitations of Progressivism. (Economics, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.2.2 Students will practice:

  • Explaining the impact of the Populist Movement on the role of the federal government in American society
  • Assessing the impact of muckrakers on public opinion during the Progressive movement, including Upton Sinclair, Jacob A. Riis, and Ida M. Tarbell
  • Explaining national legislation affecting the Progressive movement, including the Sherman Antitrust Act and the Clayton Antitrust Act
  • Determining the influence of the Niagara Movement, the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), Booker T. Washington, W. E. B. Du Bois, Marcus Garvey, and Carter G. Woodson on the Progressive Era
  • Assessing the significance of the public education movement initiated by Horace Mann
  • Comparing the presidential leadership of Theodore Roosevelt, William Howard Taft, and Woodrow Wilson in obtaining passage of measures regarding trust-busting, the Hepburn Act, the Pure Food and Drug Act, the Federal Trade Commission, the Federal Reserve Act, and conservation

11.3

• 11.3.1 Students will:

  Explain the United States’ changing role in the early twentieth century as a world power. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.3.2 Students will practice:

  • Describing causes of the Spanish-American War, including yellow journalism, the sinking of the Battleship USS Maine, and economic interests in Cuba
  • Identifying the role of the Rough Riders on the iconic status of
    President Theodore Roosevelt
  • Describing consequences of the Spanish-American War, including the
    Treaty of Paris of 1898, insurgency in the Philippines, and territorial expansion in the Pacific and Caribbean
  • Analyzing the involvement of the United States in the Hawaiian Islands
    for economic and imperialistic interests
  • Appraising Alabama’s contributions to the United States between
    Reconstruction and World War I, including those of William Crawford Gorgas, Joseph Wheeler, and John Tyler Morgan
  • Evaluating the role of the Open Door policy and the Roosevelt Corollary
    on America’s expanding economic and geographic interests
  • Comparing the executive leadership represented by William Howard Taft’s Dollar Diplomacy, Theodore Roosevelt’s Big Stick Diplomacy, and Woodrow Wilson’s Moral Diplomacy

11.4

• 11.4.1 Students will:

  Describe causes, events, and the impact of military involvement of the United States in World War I, including mobilization and economic and political changes. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.4.2 Students will practice:

  • Identifying the role of militarism, alliances, imperialism, and nationalism in World War I
  • Explaining controversies over the Treaty of Versailles of 1919, Woodrow Wilson’s Fourteen Points, and the League of Nations
  • Explaining how the Treaty of Versailles led to worsening economic and political conditions in Europe, which provided opportunities for the rise of fascist states in Germany, Italy, and Spain
  • Comparing short- and long-term effects of changing boundaries in pre- and post-World War I in Europe and the Middle East, leading to the creation of new countries

11.5

• 11.5.1 Students will:

  Evaluate the impact of social changes and the influence of key figures in the United States from World War I through the 1920s, including Prohibition, the passage of the Nineteenth Amendment, the Scopes Trial, limits on immigration, Ku Klux Klan activities, the Red Scare, Susan B. Anthony, Margaret Sanger, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, the Harlem Renaissance, the Great Migration, W. C. Handy, the Jazz Age, and Zelda Fitzgerald. (Economics, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.5.2 Students will practice:

  • Analyzing radio, movies, newspapers, and popular magazines for their impact on the creation of mass culture
  • Analyzing works of major American artists and writers, including F. Scott Fitzgerald, Ernest Hemingway, Langston Hughes, and H. L. Mencken, to characterize the era of the 1920s
  • Determining the relationship between technological innovations and the creation of increased leisure time

11.6

• 11.6.1 Students will:

  Describe social and economic conditions from the 1920s through the Great Depression regarding factors leading to a deepening crisis, including the collapse of the farming economy and the stock market crash of 1929. (Economics, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.6.2 Students will practice:

  • Assessing effects of overproduction, stock market speculation, and restrictive monetary policies on the pending economic crisis
  • Describing the impact of the Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act on the global economy and the resulting worldwide depression
  • Identifying notable authors of the 1920s, including John Steinbeck, William Faulkner, and Zora Neale Hurston
  • Analyzing the Great Depression for its impact on the American family

11.7

• 11.7.1 Students will:

  Explain strengths and weaknesses of the New Deal in managing problems of the Great Depression through relief, recovery, and reform programs, including the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC), and the Social Security Act.(Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.7.2 Students will practice:

  • Analyzing conditions created by the Dust Bowl for their impact on migration patterns during the Great Depression

11.8

• 11.8.1. Students will:

  Summarize events leading to World War II, including the militarization of the Rhineland, Germany’s seizure of Austria and Czechoslovakia, Japan’s invasion of China, and the Rape of Nanjing. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.8.2 Students will practice:

  • Analyzing the impact of fascism, Nazism, and communism on growing conflicts in Europe
  • Explaining the isolationist debate as it evolved from the 1920s to the bombing of Pearl Harbor and the subsequent change in United States’ foreign policy
  • Identifying roles of significant World War II leaders

  • Grade Level Example:

    Franklin D. Roosevelt, Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, George S. Patton, Sir Winston Churchill, Bernard Montgomery, Joseph Stalin, Benito Mussolini, Emperor Hirohito, Hedeki Tōjō, Erwin Rommel, Adolf Hitler

  • Evaluating the impact of the Munich Pact and the failed British policy of appeasement resulting in the invasion of Poland

11.9

• 11.9.1. Students will:

  Describe the significance of major battles, events, and consequences of World War II campaigns, including North Africa, Midway, Normandy, Okinawa, the Battle of the Bulge, Iwo Jima, and Yalta and Potsdam Conferences. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.9.2 Students will practice:

  • Locating on a map or globe the major battles of World War II and the extent of the Allied and Axis territorial expansion
  • Describing military strategies of World War II, including blitzkrieg, island-hopping, and amphibious landings
  • Explaining reasons for and results of dropping atomic bombs on Japan
  • Explaining events and consequences of war crimes committed during World War II, including the Holocaust, the Bataan Death March, the Nuremberg Trials, the post-war Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and the Genocide Convention

11.10

• 11.10.1. Students will:

  Describe the impact of World War II on the lives of American citizens, including wartime economic measures, population shifts, growth in the middle class, growth of industrialization, advancements in science and technology, increased wealth in the African American community, racial and ethnic tensions, the G. I. Bill of Rights of 1944, and desegregation of the military. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.10.2 Students will practice:

  • Describing Alabama’s participation in World War II, including the role of the Tuskegee Airmen, the Aliceville Prisoner of War (POW) camp, growth of the Port of Mobile, production of Birmingham steel, and the establishment of military bases

11.11

• 11.11.1. Students will:

  Describe the international role of the United States from 1945 through 1960 relative to the Truman Doctrine, the Marshall Plan, the Berlin Blockade, and the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO). (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.11.2 Students will practice:

  • Describing Cold War policies and issues, the domino theory, McCarthyism, and their consequences, including the institution of loyalty oaths under Harry S. Truman, the Alger Hiss case, the House Un-American Activities Committee, and the execution of Julius and Ethel Rosenberg
  • Locating areas of conflict during the Cold War from 1945 to 1960, including East and West Germany, Hungary, Poland, Cuba, Korea, and China

11.12

• 11.12.1 Students will:

  Describe major initiatives of the John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson Administrations. (Economics, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.12.2 Students will practice:

  • Describing Alabama’s role in the space program under the New Frontier
  • Describing major foreign events and issues of the John F. Kennedy Administration, including construction of the Berlin Wall, the Bay of Pigs invasion, and the Cuban missile crisis

11.13

• 11.13.1 Students will:

  Trace the course of the involvement of the United States in Vietnam from the 1950s to 1975, including the Battle of Dien Bien Phu, the Gulf of Tonkin Resolution, the Tet Offensive, destabilization of Laos, secret bombings of Cambodia, and the fall of Saigon. (Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 11.13.2 Students will practice:

  • Locating on a map or globe the divisions of Vietnam, the Ho Chi Minh Trail, and major battle sites
  • Describing the creation of North and South Vietnam

10.14

• 10.14.1 Students will:

  Trace events of the modern Civil Rights Movement from post-World War II to 1970 that resulted in social and economic changes, including the Montgomery Bus Boycott, the desegregation of Little Rock Central High School, the March on Washington, Freedom Rides, the Sixteenth Street Baptist Church bombing, and the Selma-to-Montgomery March. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

• 10.14.2 Students will practice:

  • Tracing the federal government’s involvement in the modern Civil Rights Movement, including the abolition of the poll tax, the nationalization of state militias, Brown versus Board of Education in 1954, the Civil Rights Acts of 1957 and 1964, and the Voting Rights Act of 1965
  • Explaining contributions of individuals and groups to the modern Civil Rights Movement, including Martin Luther King, Jr., James Meredith, Medgar Evers, Thurgood Marshall, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC), the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE), the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), and the civil rights foot soldiers
  • Appraising contributions of persons and events in Alabama that influenced the modern Civil Rights Movement, including Rosa Parks, Autherine Lucy, John Patterson, George C. Wallace, Vivian Malone Jones, Fred Shuttlesworth, the Children’s March, and key local persons and events
  • Describing the development of a Black Power movement, including the change in focus of the SNCC, the rise of Malcolm X, and Stokely Carmichael and the Black Panther movement
  • Describing the economic impact of African-American entrepreneurs on the modern Civil Rights Movement, including S. B. Fuller and A. G. Gaston

11.15

• 11.15. Students will:

  Describe changing social and cultural conditions in the United States during the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. (Geography, History, Civics and Government)

11.16

• 11.16. Students will:

  Describe significant foreign and domestic issues of presidential administrations from Richard M. Nixon to the present. (Economics, Geography, History, Civics and Government)

  • Grade Level Example:

    Nixon’s policy of détente; Cambodia; Watergate scandal; pardon of Nixon; Iranian hostage situation; Reaganomics; Libyan crisis; end of the Cold War; Persian Gulf War; impeachment trial of William ―Bill‖ Clinton; terrorist attack of September 11, 2001; Operation Iraqi Freedom; war in Afghanistan; election of the first African-American president, Barack Obama