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US History: The American Journey: Building a Nation: (1783-1859)

Step back in time to the birth of a nation in our exciting US History 12-week class, exploring the transformative years from 1783 to 1859! From the Revolutionary War to the US Constitution, ignite your child's passion for America's history.
Tanya Renee Brewington, MBA
Average rating:
4.9
Number of reviews:
(245)
Class

What's included

12 pre-recorded lessons
12 weeks
of teacher support
1 year access
to the content
Homework
4+ hours per week. The students will create a summary paragraph after each lesson about what they learned. The students will be creating their own timeline throughout the course. After each class, the student will create that week's topic to be added to their final project. For example, the week we learn about “US Constitution” the students will create this on their final project through whatever art supplies or other types of supplies they have on hand. All weekly homework will be assessed within one week of the conclusion of the course.
Projects
7 or more throughout the class
Assessment
The students will be assessed through their weekly summary writings. Sentence structure, spelling, and grammar will, also, be assessed. The final assessment will be assessed through the final project, the timeline.
Letter Grade
Grades will be provided upon request. With that being said, after completing the coursework each week, please submit them to me. In turn, I will post the answers in the classroom for the student to review and self-reflect.

Class Experience

US Grade 6 - 9
Beginner - Advanced Level
In this 12-week intensive project-based class, students will learn the US history from 1775-1859. This is Part 3 of a series on US history. The series do not have to be completed in order; however, completing the series in order can be very beneficial to the students and the comprehension retention of what occurred and when. 

Some of the projects include, but I not limited to:
      *  FlipBook Project for summary writing
      * Creating a Campaign Poster
      * Packing for a Wagon Trail Expedition
      * A Day in the Life journal writing
      * Persuasive Essay on the Articles of Confederation
      * Design Your Own Government System
      * Debate the constitutionality of the Alien and Sedition Acts
      * And More...

Students will write a summary paragraph after class about what they learned in class. This course is designed to learn some key facts about the birth of a new nation in US history. After class, each student will write a minimum of a five-sentence paragraph about the day's topic. This will help the students to practice their summary writing.

Students will read one non-fiction and one fiction book throughout the course. Students will have a list of books to choose from. At the end of the class, students will write a summary report on their chosen books. Here is the list of books to choose from:

Non-fiction Books:

"A Young People's History of the United States: Columbus to the War on Terror" by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff
Description: This adaptation of Zinn's classic work covers American history from a people's perspective, including the post-Revolutionary period. It's written in an engaging style suitable for middle school students. 

"The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities" by Janis Herbert
Description: While primarily focused on the Revolution, this book extends into the early years of the new nation, providing hands-on activities to help students understand the period from 1783-1800. 

"George Washington's World" by Genevieve Foster
Description: This book provides a comprehensive look at the world during George Washington's lifetime, including his presidency from 1789-1797, offering students a global context for early American history. 

"If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution" by Kay Moore
Description: Part of the popular "If You Lived" series, this book extends beyond the Revolution to discuss life in the early years of the United States, making history relatable for middle school readers. 

"The Constitution for Kids: A Fun, Easy Understanding of the Foundation of Our Government" by Janelle Swanson
Description: This book explains the creation and implementation of the US Constitution in kid-friendly language, covering a crucial aspect of the 1783-1800 period. 

Now, let's move on to fiction books that relate to this period in US History:

Fiction Books:

"Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Description: Set in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, this historical fiction novel provides a vivid portrayal of life in the early United States.

"The Astonishing Color of After" by Emily X.R. Pan
Description: While primarily set in modern times, this novel includes flashbacks to 18th-century Taiwan and America, offering a unique perspective on early US history.

"Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes
Description: Although primarily set during the Revolutionary War, the novel's epilogue extends into the early years of the new nation, making it relevant to the 1783-1800 period. 

"The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Description: Set in colonial Connecticut, this novel provides insight into the societal norms and tensions that would shape the early United States.

"Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Description: The first book in the Seeds of America trilogy, "Chains" is set during the Revolutionary War but provides a foundation for understanding the early years of the United States, especially from the perspective of enslaved people. 

In addition, the students will be creating their own timeline throughout the course. After each class, the student will create that week's topic to be added to their final FlipBook project. For example, the week we learn about “US Constitution” the students will create this on their final project through whatever art supplies or other types of supplies they have on hand. 

During our 12th week, all students will present their final projects under the assignment tab or, at the very least, within one week of the conclusion of the class and will receive a certificate of completion after the final project has been turned in.

Possible external sources could include Nearpod for lesson content, unlisted YouTube videos from the teacher, Flipgrid for interactive video assignments, Blooket for quizzes, Activity Learn for assignments, etc. Students are not required to have accounts. They will be provided links and then we'll complete the tasks. These tasks are for the lesson, comprehension, and interaction. 

We will use different methods of interaction between the student and the teachers. These methods will include the classroom, Nearpod, Google Docs, and other relatable resources that would be beneficial each week. For example, students will be able to upload their weekly writing with Google Docs and the teacher can help with revisions, ideas, grammar, spelling, comments, etc. Another example would be using Nearpod where students can complete polls, quizzes, and slides to interact with the teacher.
Learning Goals
Historical Knowledge and Chronology:
      *Identify and explain key events, figures, and developments in U.S. history from 1773 
        to 1800.
      *Demonstrate understanding of the chronological sequence of major historical events
Cause and Effect Analysis:
     *Analyze the causes and consequences of significant historical events 
     *Evaluate the long-term impacts of key policies
learning goal

Syllabus

Curriculum
Follows Teacher-Created Curriculum
Standards
Aligned with National Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (NCSS)
12 Lessons
over 12 Weeks
Lesson 1:
The End of the Revolutionary War and Its Aftermath
 Discover how America said "See ya!" to British rule and took its first baby steps as a brand-new nation. You'll become a historical news reporter, breaking the story of independence! 
5 assignments
Lesson 2:
The Articles of Confederation
 Explore America's first attempt at government - spoiler alert: it didn't go great! You'll debate whether this political "oopsie" should stay or go. 
5 assignments
Lesson 3:
The Constitutional Convention
 Meet the Founding Fathers and see how they cooked up the Constitution in the ultimate political potluck. You'll get to play government chef and whip up your own recipe for running a country! 
5 assignments
Lesson 4:
The Constitution and Bill of Rights
 Dive into the rulebook of America and the top 10 amendments that made it even better. You'll become a Constitution hype-person, creating a list that would make even James Madison say "Wow!" 
5 assignments

Other Details

Parental Guidance
This class can and will involve topics of land thefts, assaults, genocide, killings, and wars. This class is not meant to be scary, but to be a true account of American history. There will be stories about people who have died. There will be stories about people who have been killed. There will be stories about the people doing the killing. There are stories where people are assaulted, sometimes sexually. This class may not be for every student.
Supply List
A notebook or binder and paper, along with minimal art supplies.

Students will read one non-fiction and one fiction book throughout the course. Students will have a list of books to choose from. At the end of the class, students will write a summary report on their chosen books. Here is the list of books to choose from:

Non-fiction Books:

"A Young People's History of the United States: Columbus to the War on Terror" by Howard Zinn and Rebecca Stefoff
Description: This adaptation of Zinn's classic work covers American history from a people's perspective, including the post-Revolutionary period. It's written in an engaging style suitable for middle school students. 

"The American Revolution for Kids: A History with 21 Activities" by Janis Herbert
Description: While primarily focused on the Revolution, this book extends into the early years of the new nation, providing hands-on activities to help students understand the period from 1783-1800. 

"George Washington's World" by Genevieve Foster
Description: This book provides a comprehensive look at the world during George Washington's lifetime, including his presidency from 1789-1797, offering students a global context for early American history. 

"If You Lived at the Time of the American Revolution" by Kay Moore
Description: Part of the popular "If You Lived" series, this book extends beyond the Revolution to discuss life in the early years of the United States, making history relatable for middle school readers. 

"The Constitution for Kids: A Fun, Easy Understanding of the Foundation of Our Government" by Janelle Swanson
Description: This book explains the creation and implementation of the US Constitution in kid-friendly language, covering a crucial aspect of the 1783-1800 period. 

Now, let's move on to fiction books that relate to this period in US History:

Fiction Books:

"Fever 1793" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Description: Set in Philadelphia during the yellow fever epidemic of 1793, this historical fiction novel provides a vivid portrayal of life in the early United States.

"The Astonishing Color of After" by Emily X.R. Pan
Description: While primarily set in modern times, this novel includes flashbacks to 18th-century Taiwan and America, offering a unique perspective on early US history.

"Johnny Tremain" by Esther Forbes
Description: Although primarily set during the Revolutionary War, the novel's epilogue extends into the early years of the new nation, making it relevant to the 1783-1800 period. 

"The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Description: Set in colonial Connecticut, this novel provides insight into the societal norms and tensions that would shape the early United States.

"Chains" by Laurie Halse Anderson
Description: The first book in the Seeds of America trilogy, "Chains" is set during the Revolutionary War but provides a foundation for understanding the early years of the United States, especially from the perspective of enslaved people.
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Joined April, 2020
4.9
245reviews
Profile
Teacher expertise and credentials
Master's Degree from Western Governor's University
Bachelor's Degree in Education from Central Methodist university
Through a partnership and collaboration with the Missouri Department of Elementary and Secondary Education and as an administrative teacher of public educational programs for more than ten years, I have taught English and social studies classes, among other subjects, to middle and high school students. Our curriculum met the Missouri Learning Standards and prepared high school students for college. 

In addition, I have received over:

* 75 hours of professional development, specifically in English language arts writing courses
* 50 hours of professional development, specifically in history
* 12 hours of professional development teaching facts about people without personal viewpoints 
* 75 hours of professional development in diversity from all over the world and how to teach diversity 

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Self-Paced Course
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$28

weekly or $335 for all content
12 pre-recorded lessons
12 weeks of teacher support
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1 year of access to the content

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Ages: 11-15

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