I am currently wrapping up the TEKS & content in my on-level U.S. History classes - students will take the state STAAR exam next week. Although I have felt that we were rushed for time (the "no school" ice week in February did not help our schedule), I have constantly reviewed the content as well as given many End-Of-Course Exam resources to my students. I strongly believe that my U.S. History students are fully prepared to ace this state exam! I am happy to report that we made it to the historic 2008 presidential election - we covered a lot of content between the end of the Civil War in 1865 and 2008. Below, you will find some of the assignments I created for the final unit of our course (Modern Era) to familiarize my students with the United States' changing role in global affairs at the end of the Cold War and into the new century - teachers, please feel free to use my resources to help you while planning lessons:
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| Our last unit in the on-level U.S. History course surveys the modern presidents, including Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford, Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, George H.W. Bush, Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama...the state curriculum has yet to reach Donald Trump nor Joe Biden. (History) |
UGTP Nixon/Ford Questions - students answer the questions while watching the Nixon/Ford segment of Ultimate Guide to the Presidents, episode 8. Video is one of the best teaching tools to streamline content!
UGTP Carter/Reagan Questions - up next... students answer the questions while watching the Carter/Reagan segment of Ultimate Guide to the Presidents, episode 8.
UGTP Modern Presidents Questions - students answer the questions while watching the final segment of Ultimate Guide to the Presidents, episode 8 (surveying the presidencies of Bush Sr., Clinton, Bush Jr., and Obama - essential question: how has the Office of the Presidency changed since the days of Lincoln?).
Carter/Reagan Cartoon Analysis - students closely examine political cartoons of the Carter/Reagan Era and survey the political climate that existed in the nation at the end of the Cold War. Again, I consider political cartoons as useful primary source tools for students to study in order to grasp an understanding of what life was like from a particular era.
CounterCulture/Vietnam Geography Worksheet - in this assignment, students briefly learn about the 1960s and 1970s CounterCulture Movement (aka the Hippies) and the geography of Southeast Asia (the latter part of the worksheet encourages students to acquire new geography skills, which in turn later helps them visualize the conflict in Vietnam and South China Sea).
Examining Watergate Worksheet - this is a reading comprehension assignment, where students read a synopsis of the infamous Watergate Scandal before answering several questions. Students also become familiar with Nixon's response, and ultimately consider how the Watergate Scandal led to public distrust of the Office of the Presidency.
1960s/1970s STAAR Practice - this is a warm-up activity where students may become familiar with STAAR questions and test their knowledge on American politics during the 1960s/1970s.
Vietnam War Review - also, this is a warm-up activity where students have the opportunity to further master content from the Vietnam War Era. I enjoy letting the kids loose for 10-15 minutes and allow them to have those highly-productive conversations before discussing answers/test-taking strategies as a class.
Carter/Reagan Review - a warm-up activity focusing on the presidencies of Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan. I love content reviews with my students!
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