Middle School US History Semester Class Section 2 of 3 - Flexible Pay Available
Welcome to the thrilling world of US History! In this full curriculum US History class we study American history in an engaging and interactive way. This class covers the United States Revolutionary War, the Constitution & government.
Taylor Wirthlin
Average rating:
5.0
Number of reviews:(176)
What's included
20 live meetings
18 hrs 20 mins in-class hoursHomework
1 hour per week. ⭐The full curriculum class spans the entire school year from September-May. It is split into three sections, which each have two units. ⭐This class is section two which covers units 3 & 4 (see above for class schedule). Each unit includes one project and four optional enrichment activities (2 projects and 8 enrichment activities total). I provide feedback for students on all projects and enrichment activities. Each class I provide a note template that students will fill out as we move through the lesson. Information from the notes will be included in the unit final that students will take at the end of each unit to assess their learning. I also provide a coloring page each class that students can print and color during class. Each unit has one reading assignment that I ask students to complete prior to class to facilitate a class discussion.Assessment
We will have informal assessments in each class (such as class discussions, drawing a picture to display understanding, etc.) and one short quiz in each unit. At the end of each unit we will have a final multiple choice assessment that students will do on their own time. The final assessments range from 18-30 questions.Grading
Students can turn assignments in on Google Classroom for a letter grade.Class Experience
US Grade 6 - 8
This full curriculum class will be the the ultimate US history adventure! Join us on a thrilling journey from ancient America all the way to the Civil War with other middle school students from around the country. Get ready to explore perhaps the most famous rebellion of all time: The American Revolution. We'll dive into some of the most exciting times in US history including: 🔹 The Boston Tea Party when millions of dollars worth of tea was dumped into the ocean 🔹 The American's fight for individual rights 🔹 How George Washington led his troops to victory 🔹 The founding documents of the United States: The Declaration of Independence and The Constitution 🔹 And so so much more... This class will not be just a dry lecture! All the lessons are taught on Nearpod to engage students and provide them with real-time feedback on their work. Nearpod is extremely easy (and free) to access. If technology makes you stressed, have no fear! I'll provide everything you need to easily access and incorporate Nearpod into our learning. Our lessons include interactive discussions, quiz games, drawing, and many other engaging activities that will keep students on their toes and help them truly connect with the material. Students will leave this class with much more than memorized facts about US history... Students leaving this class will: ✅ Recognize credible information and distinguish bias ✅ Convey opinions through evidence-based arguments ✅ Have gratitude for the rights enjoyed in the United States ✅ Know how to take action in their communities Each class of this unit will focus on at least one of the following skills to help students achieve the above goals: 1. Source: analyzing the origin of an artifact 2. Summarize: synthesizing difficult reading passages 3. Determine Context: challenging and recognizing bias 4. Challenge Credibility: determining if a source is trustworthy 5. Argue: creating logical arguments and supporting them with evidence 6. Sequence: understanding the relationship of events ⭐ The full curriculum class spans the entire school year from September-May. It is split into three sections, which each have two units. ⭐ This class is section two which covers units 3 & 4 (see below for class schedule). ⭐ Didn't take the previous section? Not a problem! Students can join at the beginning of any section, but I require that they take my Historical Thinking Skills class to get up to speed with the other students. It is available as a FLEX class or live class. Please message me for more details. https://outschool.com/classes/historical-thinking-skills-analyzing-sources-for-teenagers-lmJmEByh?usid=tu9PLRYP&signup=true&utm_campaign=share_activity_link Following is the topics we will cover each class: ⭐SECTION 2: UNIT THREE (THE AMERICAN REVOLUTION) & UNIT FOUR (CONSTITUTION AND GOVERNMENT)⭐ Class 1: Road to Revolution - A timeline of events that led to the United States Revolution Class 2: The Boston Massacre Class 3: The Boston Tea Party Class 4: Patriots vs. Loyalists Class 5: Events Leading to the Declaration of Independence Class 6: The Declaration of Independence Class 7: Battles of the Revolutionary War Class 8: Battles of the Revolutionary War Class 9: The Revolutionary War: Behind the Scenes Class 10: END OF UNIT 3 - Review and Final Exam Class 11: UNIT 4 BEGINS - The Articles of Confederation Class 12: The Constitutional Convention & Compromises Class 13: The Constitution Class 14: Separation of Powers Class 15: Judicial Branch Class 16: Legislative Branch Class 17: Executive Branch Class 18: Election Process and the Electoral College Class 19: Bill of Rights Class 20: Review and Final Exam So, what are you waiting for? Join us on this epic journey through time and discover the incredible history of the United States like never before!
Learning Goals
Students leaving this class will:
✅ Recognize credible information and distinguish bias
✅ Convey opinions through evidence-based arguments
✅ Have gratitude for the rights enjoyed in the United States
✅ Know how to take action in their communities
Each class of this unit will focus on at least one of the following skills to help students achieve the above goals:
1. Source: analyzing the origin of an artifact
2. Summarize: synthesizing difficult reading passages
3. Determine Context: challenging and recognizing bias
4. Challenge Credibility: determining if a source is trustworthy
5. Argue: creating logical arguments and supporting them with evidence
6. Sequence: understanding the relationship of events
Other Details
Parental Guidance
Some sensitive topics that will be covered include:
UNIT 3: The Atlantic Slave Trade, the Salem Witch Trials, violent events that led to the American Revolution, battles of the American Revolution.
UNIT 4: The 3/5ths compromise.
Some of the sources that we study contain inaccurate content (for example: A Young People's History of the United States - chapter 2 claims that Native Americans were not enslaved by colonists). I will always point out these inaccuracies in class as part of our discussions. If you have concerns about a specific source, please contact me.
Supply List
Students will need to purchase the book ‘A Young People’s History of the United States’ by Howard Zinn (approximately $15). 'An Outline of US History' can be found online for free at https://archive.org/details/OutlineOfUSHistory/page/n65/mode/2up
1 file available upon enrollment
External Resources
In addition to the Outschool classroom, this class uses:
Sources
Lessons are taught on Nearpod, an interactive learning platform that allows students to engage with the content through games, art, discussions, short answer questions and more. I believe students retain information best when they are active participants in the learning process, so I incorporate student participation as much as possible. If technology makes you stressed, have no fear! I'll provide everything you need to easily access and incorporate Nearpod into our learning. Our lessons include interactive discussions, quiz games, drawing, and many other engaging activities that will keep you on your toes and help you truly connect with the material.
This class is organized on Google Classroom. Once students enroll, I provide a link to the Google Classroom where they can access the Nearpod link for each class, find notes, and turn in assignments.
My approach to US History is based on my belief that students should be taught history from multiple perspectives. Course information and reading assignments primarily come from three history textbooks: 1) ‘A Young People’s History of the United States’ by Howard Zinn which takes a more critical look at the United States leaders and decisions and 2) 'An Outline of US History' by the United States Department of State, which takes a more supportive look at the Unites States leaders and decisions. And 'Everything You Need to Ace American History In One Big Fat Notebook' by Philip Bigler, a teenage friendly US History textbook. Students will need to purchase the book ‘A Young People’s History of the United States’ by Howard Zinn (approximately $15). 'An Outline of US History' can be found online for free at https://archive.org/details/OutlineOfUSHistory/page/n65/mode/2up
Other sources include:
‘Give Me Liberty! An American History’ Volume 1 by Eric Foner
‘Voices of Freedom: A Documentary History’ Volume 1 by Eric Foner
Joined February, 2021
5.0
176reviews
Teacher expertise and credentials
North Carolina Teaching Certificate in Social Studies/History
Over the course of the year, this class will cover several sensitive topics including: the genocide of Indigenous Nations including the Aztec, Inca, Maya, and North American tribes from the Northeast Woodland, Southeast, Southwest, Plateau, California, and Northwest Coast regions by European explorers, the immoral Atlantic Slave Trade and conditions that enslaved people experienced, violent events that led to the American Revolution, and the battles of the American Revolution. This unit specifically will cover the genocide of Indigenous Nations.
I am an experienced Social Studies teacher in both Utah and North Carolina. In my training and experience teaching in the classroom I have found that the best way to approach these sensitive topics is to address them explicitly and have an open conversation with my students. We discuss the mindset of historical societies, the moral implications of their actions, how it affects us to today, and why it can be difficult to talk about these subjects at times.
I make it clear to my students that they are always welcome to meet with me individually if they are bothered by any of these discussions. I also ask them, and the parents to contact me if they are concerned with my class content or delivery. These topics can be difficult to navigate and I am always trying to improve!Reviews
Live Group Class
$32
weekly2x per week, 10 weeks
55 min
Completed by 24 learners
Live video meetings
Ages: 12-14
3-7 learners per class
