Flex Class: The FBI and 20th Century American History

This class explores the FBI’s history in conjunction with other historical events. The progress and development of the FBI as a major law enforcement agency directly correlates with the progress and development of the United States in the 20th Century.  This class will focus on this relationship as a way to learn about major events in 20th Century American History.  

This is a Flex Course that uses Nearpod for the presentation of videos and primary sources.  In order to encourage interaction, students are provided opportunities to interact with the teacher and other students with discussion boards.  The discussions will be based on the review of primary sources.  Students will not only provide their own response but also be able to comment on other students' replies. Discussions will be respectful and productive so that it will encourage further critical analysis of the weekly topic.  Students of  ill also be provided a list of books for further reading.  Students may share an optional book review.  

During this course, we use a variety of sources that offer different points of views.  These sources include historical documents from the FBI's archives.  We will also look at other primary and secondary sources that provide the point of view from those who were personally affected by the topic of discussion, both good and bad.  For example, in Lesson 5 we will listen to testimonials of people who were at the 16th Street Baptist Church and how they were impacted.  We will also look at the declassified FBI files related to J. Edgar Hoover's surveillance of Civil Right leaders.  

This course's preliminary itinerary is as follows:
Week 1: 1908-1920, We will define the Gilded Age and the Progressive Era and the Constitutional Amendments that created a need for 
 the Bureau of Investigation
Week 2: 1920's, We will discuss the Osage Murders, one of the BOI's first big cases.  
Week 3: 1930's, We will discuss the Depression Era, Gangsters and the creation of the Identification Division and Laboratory Division.
Week 4: 1940's, We will discuss World War II and the Beginning of the Cold War, along with the FBI's new role in Counterintelligence.
Week 5: 1950's - 1960's, We will discuss The Civil Rights Movement and the 16th Street Baptist Church Bombing.  Also we will discuss J Edgars surveillance of prominent Civil Rights leaders.  
Week 6: 1970s, We will discuss the modernization of the FBI after J. Edgar Hoover's death along with the Behavior Analysis Unit and serial killers.
Week 7: 1980s, We will discuss how new technology helped solve and create crime. and the end of the Cold War.  
Week 8: 1990s, We will discuss Globalization along with Domestic and International Terrorism.