Course Syllabus

21st Century America in the World

In this course we will explore America in the 21st century: American history, but also with a special focus on the US’ setting in the world. We will study key political, economic and social events and processes in the country and world we live in. The course will be structured by themes built around key topics such as 9/11 and its impact, environmental topics, presidential elections, issues of race and gender, the Constitution, technological change, recent wars, etc. The primary student outcome of the course will be for students to develop their ability to learn about US and world events and to communicate persuasive opinions about those events. With only a quarter century to study, we can dig deep, and students will have the opportunity to do individualized learning about events and topics that are meaningful to them. The course can either be taken at the honors level or the standard level, with major activities and assessments structured at different levels of challenge to meet various student needs.

There are four units in 21st Century plus a research project that will be ongoing through the last quarter of the course.

Unit I: Demographics

Unit II: Government

Unit III: Economics

Unit IV: Foreign Policy

Unit V: Research Project

Course Objectives / Student Outcomes. Students will: 

  • be able to read authentic historical, journalistic and academic writing, recognizing and processing important information and also critically reflecting on the opinions expressed (explicitly or not) in that writing.
  • be able to critically evaluate primary documents and historical data and information to decide when and how those sources and information are reliable and useful to the development of their own historical analysis.
  • be able to write social science arguments in short essays, defending opinions and judgments about historical and current issues using a depth of supporting information and careful analytical thinking.
  • develop an understanding of the big themes and debates of US history in the 21st
  • develop independent research skills in preparation for college-level research and writing.

Grading Policies

  • Homework (10% of the course grade) is graded complete or not complete; it is not really "graded." These daily readings or worksheets form the basis of class learning.
  • Graded Assessments (90% of the course grade) altogether count 90% of the grade. Individual assignments will be weighted to count more or less depending on what they are. Assignments in these categories include writing assignments, quizzes and tests. There will probably be something like one graded assessment every week of the course. There will usually be some sort of test at the end of each unit.
  • Late policies on Homework: daily homework should not be done late; it is necessary to do homework in order for class activities to be the most fruitful. Occasionally, students will be allowed to do these assignments late because of their personal needs without penalty.
  • Late policies on Graded Assessments: students may have one "free late" per quarter on graded assessments (generally not including quizzes and tests). A free late allows a student to turn in their work one class day late on an assignment no questions asked and no penalty. Any assignment turned in late otherwise loses 10% per class day late.
  • The research project will count as the culminating assessment for this course.

Notes:

  • Assignments in Canvas will have the default due time of 11:59 pm. Ignore that. Assignments are due at the beginning of the class.
  • Writing assignments and other graded assessments (not quizzes & tests) can be redone for an improved grade (promptly, not at the end of the marking period).