HIS Social Studies (American History)
Children are a heritage from the Lord. .......Psalm 127:3
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Instructional Philosophy:
Basic to our study of American History: Pathways to the Present is the conviction that
God is the Creator of the Universe and the Controller of History. He has given the
earth to man for a home. God is also behind the forces that lead to the rise and fall
of nations. The Christian Perspective is the Key to proper understanding of American
history, for it enables us to see God’s purpose and plan in the formation of a nation
built on certain absolutes and principles. We see the Sovereign hand of God in history
and Geography as well as the consequences of man’s choices. The Providence of God has
guided history and Geography for His glory. Yet each person is free to choose whether
to obey God and be used by Him, or to disobey and suffer the consequences. Thus we
illustrate the truth of Proverbs 14:34: “Righteousness exalteth a nation: but sin is
a reproach to any people.” And Proverbs 21:1: “The King’s heart is in the hand of the
Lord… He turneth it whithersoever he will.” Because man’s actions are the product of
his thoughts (Prov. 23:7) we emphasize the important concepts and ideas in history as
well as people and events. The program is closed with confidence in the future because
God is in sovereign control of the world and His will shall be done. The World’s hope
rests solely upon the Lord Jesus Christ.
Instructional Goals:
11th Grade History Program includes the study of American history from a Christian
Perspective. This course begins by looking at the foundational colonial period and
traces the history of America into the 20th Century.
The course will require students to engage in historical thinking.
This involves in raising questions, and going beyond the textbook to explore the
historical record for themselves. Students will analyze primary source documents like
the Declaration of Independence and trace the philosophical presuppositions—both
biblical and secular—on which America constructed its constitution and developed as a
nation. Students will critically read historical narratives, examining various points
of view in each era (i.e., British vs. Patriot analysis of the Revolutionary War;
Native American perspectives of the Westward expansion; Union and Confederate
perspectives on the causes of the Civil War). The five themes of geography
(location, place, regions, movement, and human-environment interaction) are woven
throughout the study of American history.
Resources:
Texts:
America: Pathways to the Present (Student Edition) Prentice Hall 2003
America: Pathways to the Present (Teacher Edition) Prentice Hall 2003
Supplementary Textbook & Resources:
Resource Pro CD-Rom: America: Pathways to the Present Prentice Hall 2003
Scope and Sequence:
Origins of a New Society to 1754
1. The Atlantic World, to 1600
2. European Colonization of the Americas, 1492-1752
3. Growth of the American Colonies, 1689-1754
Balancing Liberty and Order, 1753-1820
1. The Road to Independence, 1753-1783
2. The Constitution of the United States, 1776-1800
3. The Origins of American Politics, 1789-1820
An Emerging New Nation, 1783-1855
1. Life in the New Nation, 1783-1850
2. The Growth of a National Economy, 1790-1850
3. Religion and Reform, 1815-1855
Division and Uneasy Reunion, 1846-1877
1. The Coming of the Civil War, 1846-1861
2. The Civil War, 1861-1865
3. Reconstruction, 1865-1877
Expansion: Rewards and Costs, 1850-1915
1. The Expansion of American Industry, 1850-1900
2. Looking to the West, 1860-1900
3. Politics, Immigration, and Urban Life, 1870-1915
4. Life at the Turn of the Twentieth Century, 1870-1915
The United States on the Brink of Change, 1890-1920
1. Becoming a World Power, 1890-1915
2. The Progressive Reform Era, 1890-1920
3. The World War 1 Era, 1914-1920
Boom Times to Hard Times, 1920-1941
1. Postwar Social Change, 1920-1929
2. Politics and Prosperity, 1920-1929
3. Crash and Depression, 1929-1933
4. The New Deal, 1933-1941
Hot and Cold War, 1931-1960
1. World War II: The Road to War, 1931-1941
2. World War II: Americans at War, 1941-1945
3. The Cold War, 1945-1960
4. The Postwar Years at Home, 1945-1960
A Period of Turmoil and Change, 1950-1975
1. The Civil Rights Movement, 1950-1968
2. The Kennedy and Johnson Years, 1961-1969
3. An Era of Activism, 1960-1975
4. The Vietnam War, 1954-1975
Continuity and Change, 1969 to the Present
1. Nixon, Ford, and Carter, 1969-1981
2. The Conservative Revolution, 1980-1992
3. Entering a New Era, 1992 to the Present
Instructional Objectives:
The students will continue to:
1. Increase their understanding of man, the world, and God and apply Biblical principles in their evaluation of world events.
2. Realize that the Providence of God has guided history and geography for his Glory.
3. Understand the blessings of righteousness as well as the curse of sin, making history and geography classes an ideal opportunity for character training.
4. Analyze the history of slavery in America and trace its development from emancipation to the Civil Rights movement in the 20th Century.
5. Examine the various causes for the colonizing the New World, particularly examining the various Christian groups seeking the freedom to worship God and create a society built on biblical principles.
6. Understand the conflicts of interacting with Native American cultures, and the influences of those interactions on the formation of the new nation.
7. Trace the influences of the Christian worldview on the formation of the Constitution and the political system of checks and balances.
8. Examine how the geography of America impacted settlement and expansion.
9. Evaluate the issues leading up to the Civil War.
10. Exercise their reasoning abilities by discussing important concepts and giving reasons for their beliefs on all levels of learning – knowledge, comprehension, application, analysis, synthesis, and evaluation.
11. Analyze current events and form good, intelligent opinions.