American History Since 1865
K12’s American History Since 1865 program provides step-by-step guidance
in each lesson. Most lessons are designed around one or two chapters from
A History of US. Often, students read new material one day in a “read
on” activity, and reflect on and use that material the next day. This
gives the child the opportunity to digest the reading before being expected
to work with it. In other lessons, the student reads and works with the
material in the same lesson. Activities to reinforce the reading may be
either online or offline.
The Nature of the Survey
K12’s American History Since 1865 program surveys the whole of American
history. While any survey is necessarily selective, this program aims
for inclusiveness and diversity in its selections.
Students will learn not only about the lives and achievements of famous
American founders and heroes, but also about ordinary people, from the
first Americans who crossed the Bering ice bridge, to the young farm girls
who came to work in the textile mills of New England in the early nineteenth
century, to Reyniel Perez and Bang Huy Le who arrived as refugees in the
late twentieth century. Students will also explore the art, literature,
inventions, and movements that characterize American culture.
In examining the American past, students will ask “Why?” as often as
“What?” and examine strategies historians use to answer those questions.
Geography in the History Curriculum
Essential elements of geography, based on national geography standards,
deeply inform the study of history in the K12 program.
Students study major geographical themes as they apply to American history.
For example, they become aware of the relationship between geography and
economic activity as they compare the ways of life of early Native American
cultural regions, and again as they compare the economies of the Virginia
and Massachusetts colonies. They explore the push and pull factors of
migration as they see the Puritans leaving England for New England, as
they travel with pioneers across the Great Plains, and as they consider
the hardships of African Americans moving north in search of jobs and
a better life.
Many lessons ask the student to use a map or globe. K12 provides a simple
inflatable globe. Specific maps relevant to the content of particular
lessons are provided as files to be printed so that the child has the
hands-on experience of drawing and writing on the maps to facilitate learning.
These maps help students learn direction, the distance between points,
and the names and locations of places. They also help students understand
why things happen. For example, a map of the waterfall line along the
eastern seaboard of North America can help students see reasons for the
development of shipping and industry in the North and a plantation economy
in the South.
In addition to integrating geography in history lessons, the History
program includes several online geography lessons. These lessons give
the student the opportunity to practice map skills, develop spatial sense,
and broaden geographic knowledge.
Dealing with the Difficult Stories in History
The K12 History program strives to present a truthful, balanced, and
age-appropriate understanding of the human past. Sometimes that story
is inspiring. American history is filled with people and ideas that exemplify
the best an individual or a nation can be. We emphasize those stories.
But American history also holds stories of tragic mistakes and human
failure. We cannot ignore or diminish this side of history. Acknowledging
the errors of the past is a sign of strength. And, as Joy Hakim notes
in Book 1 of A History of US,
“usually this nation can, and does, correct its mistakes.”
K12 strives to present the mistakes and tragedies of history in a realistic
but age-sensitive manner. A History
of US takes this same approach. Children can understand that evil
exists without being given more detail than they are ready for, and they
retain their sense of security in the world by learning that good people
fight against evil throughout time.
Teacher Guide
Each lesson comes with a Teacher Guide. It contains information to help
you during instruction, including an overview of each lesson and step-by-step
guidance about what you need to do as the lesson proceeds. It also provides
answers to assessment questions. The Teacher Guide covers the following
items:
Unit focus:
(in the first lesson of each unit) Unit objectives:
(in the first lesson of each unit) Lesson focus:
(a brief summary of what the lesson is about) Lesson objectives:
(learning goals for the lesson) Materials:
(books or other items needed) Lesson activities:
(steps your student will take during the lesson and what you need to do) Lesson resources:
(such as links to content-related websites) Lesson assessment:
(where applicable)
Your Historical Background Knowledge
The K12 program does not assume that you
have extensive preparation in American history. We encourage you to read
A History of US with your child.
We think you will be pleased with the tone and level of detail in these
books. In the online lessons, you will find various recommended websites
that provide further background information.
Your Role During Lessons
K12’s lessons are designed so that as students progress from grade to
grade, they assume more independence in learning. By the time your student
takes this course, it is assumed that he will do much of the lesson on
his own. However, some portions of many lessons will require adult participation.
Your child may need help with vocabulary words in reading or may be asked
to discuss questions with you. You will also need to be on hand to check
student work in lesson assessments and unit assessments.
Although the text, A History of US,
is geared to upper elementary and middle school students, we encourage
you to read it yourself. We think you will find it engaging, informative,
and a good springboard for discussion with your child. Your involvement
will increase your student’s interest and reinforce his knowledge.
Each American History Since 1865 unit ends with a review and an assessment.
Unit Reviews
The History Journal provides a major piece
of the unit review. Your student should have a three-ring binder with
loose-leaf paper. Here, he will do all the written work for a unit, from
one-word answers to a multi-paragraph essay. Your student may maintain
a separate section of the journal for vocabulary words and will keep another
for profiles of significant individuals in history. He will keep in order
all the papers printed for lessons as well. The History Journal becomes
a compendium of his work. Reviewing this work is an excellent way to reinforce
learning and prepare for an assessment.
Students also use online, interactive activities
for review at the end of a unit.
Your student may be asked to complete a pull-together
task as part of a unit review. This may be a compare/contrast activity,
summarizing the major events of an era in some way, or some other task
that encourages the student to think thematically and look for change
over time in a given period.
Unit Assessments
Unit assessments are offline. You will print
the assessment for your student to complete on his or her own. Check your
student’s assessment using the answers in the Teacher Guide.
Be sure to return to the computer to enter
the results.
Semester Reviews and Assessments
To encourage long-term mastery and retention, and to help students pull
together the broad view of history, we provide reviews and assessments
at the midpoint and at the end of the course. They are similar in form
to the unit assessments.
Total lessons:
180. If you teach History five times a week, you can comfortably complete
the program within a typical school year. Lesson time:
60 minutes. Most lessons are designed around the reading of one or two
chapters in the text. Since students’ reading speed and comprehension
vary widely, you may find that your child needs more than 60 minutes to
complete some lessons. Lesson objectives and assessments focus on the
key information in each lesson.
Lessons generally include these components.
Check Your Reading
This component is designed to
reinforce the student’s new reading from the day before. This can take
several forms, including activity sheets, questions to discuss with an
adult, flash cards, charts, tables, and more. Because students read the
text independently at this age, you will want to be sure your child is
comfortable with what he read before moving on. On days when the student
reads from the text at the beginning of the lesson, the first activity
is called "Read." The student will read the assigned chapter(s)
and complete a reading activity.
Use What You Know
This is composed of one or two
reinforcing or enriching exercises. The student might take on the role
of a pioneer and write a letter to friends in the East. He might be asked
to analyze primary source materials such as photographs or paintings,
or take a virtual tour of historic sites or museums such as the Panama
Canal or the Smithsonian. Whatever the task in a particular lesson, the
goal is always to give your student the opportunity to develop and practice
historical thinking skills in the context of the lesson’s historic detail.
Read On
This component provides instructions
and pre-reading when the student is asked to read from the textbook for
the next lesson. You may find that your student does well to finish the
content of the day’s lesson and then take a break before reading for the
next day. It is assumed that the student will read independently, but
you should look at the pre-reading exercise and make sure your student
knows what is expected before he begins reading. Your student may be asked
to find definitions for key terms as he reads, to answer questions, or
to take notes for a future activity. A typical reading assignment is one
or two chapters (usually five to six pages) in A
History of US.
Assessments
An assessment occurs at the
end of every lesson. This assessment helps you gauge whether your student
has mastered the most important material from the lessons. It also allows
you to track your student’s progress through the course. In some lessons,
the assessment tests whether your student can answer specific questions,
locate places on a map, identity people, or recall events. The Teacher
Guide includes information about the type of assessment used. It also
shows correct answers to assessment items.
Lesson assessment takes place in one of three ways:
The student answers questions displayed online
at the computer. The student completes a printed assessment offline
and you enter the results at the computer. You answer questions online at the computer about
whether your student was able to complete certain tasks or answer certain
questions during the lesson.
Geography, civics and economics components
Using history as the catalyst, some lessons focus on a geography, civics,
or economics strand within the framework of national and state standards.
In these lessons, students will go outside the scope of the text, A History of US, to explore the themes
the history has introduced.
Focus on Geography, Focus on Civics, and Focus on Economics lead the
student to think about and work with these strands or themes as they flow
naturally from the history content.
Exceptions
There are occasional exceptions to the general lesson pattern. Review
lessons and assessment lessons follow a different pattern, as do some
individual lessons and writing units. The Teacher’s Guide provides clear
instructions for each lesson.
Writing in History
Writing is a key component of historical study. In Intermediate American
History, students write brief pieces in many lessons. There are also four
short units devoted entirely to the writing process. Each of these units
takes the student through the preparation and writing of a different kind
of historical essay. Students will write a report, defend a position,
support a thesis based on research, and answer an essay question from
analysis of primary source documents. The Teacher’s Guide provides clear
instructions and guidelines for assessing the student’s work.
Materials to Have on Hand
A three-ring binder to serve as the History Journal
in which your child will do writing assignments and keep activity sheets
printed from the lessons Paper, pencils, pens, a ruler, and other general
supplies
Online
Reference
Students have free access
to Grolier's America
the Beautiful, a comprehensive program about the states and
territories of the U.S. | 
