Southwind High School
“Raising The Standard of Excellence: One Student At A Time”
Syllabus Overview
Course: ____Honors U.S. History_________________
Teacher:
Mrs. Doss__________________
Teacher Email: [email protected] and [email protected]__
**THIS SYLLABUS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE**
Course Description
U.S. History is a survey course that examines five eras in American history from Reconstruction to the present.
The course is an extension of the 8th grade history curriculum developed by the State of Tennessee, which
examines the fire eras of American history through the Civil War. This course focuses on social, political, and
economic events that shape our nation presently and in the future.
This is an honors history class, and will be treated as such. You will be expected to complete a variety of
assignments such as essay, projects, cooperative learning activities, maps, and more. In addition to
assignments, you are expected to be reading the material and studying on your own time. You are also required
to keep a notebook and divide it into sections that I will tell you about during the first week of school.
While this is an honors class, the assignments I give you are not designed to burden you with work, but are
meant to help you learn the material and gain a better understanding of the subject matter. Some assignments
will be due in class, while others will be for homework. I fully realize that you get work in most other classes, so I
will make every effort not to overload you with large assignments that become due the next day. Plenty of time
will be given to complete such assignments. You should expect to spend an average of at least thirty minutes
on the work from my class each night, including reading and studying the material independently. Because this
is a class about history (particularly modern history) it is strongly recommended you keep up to date on world
issues through newspapers, television, or the Internet. Current issues will often be brought up in class for
discussion, and you may also have current event assignments.
Course Standards/Power Standards
Review Unit 1 – Reconstruction and its Effects
Unit 2 – Bridge of the 20th Century: 1877-1917
Unit 3 – Modern America Emerges: 1890-1920
Unit 4 – The 1920s and the Great Depression: 1919-1940
Unit 5 – World War II and Its Aftermath: 1931-1960
Unit 6 – Living With Great Turmoil: 1954-1975
Unit 7 – Passage to a New Century: 1968-present
Textbooks
The Amerians, McDougal Littell
American Spirit, Kennedy and Bailey – Volumes 1 and 11
Classroom Supplies
Loose-leaf paper, blue/black pens, #2 pencils, colored pencils, colored markers, flash drive, and one (1) box of
tissue.
Shelby County Schools offers educational and employment opportunities without regard to race, color, national origin, religion, sex, or disability.
Vocabulary Due 8/10/12, Vocabulary Quiz 8/10/12, Venn Diagram Due 8/10/12
Summer Vocabulary Assignment
Directions: For each of the following terms, state their significance to the study of U.S. History. Do not merely
give a definition: instead, contemplate why each is IMPORTANT, discover their RELEVANCE. Investigate each
using the questions: who, what, when, where, and why (utilize vocabulary ID format provided).
1. Harriet Tubman
2. Freedman’s Bureau
3. Conscription Act
4. Compromise of 1877
5. Carpetbaggers
6. Tenant Farmers
7. Solid South
8. 15th Amendment
9. Panic of 1873
10. Republican Party
11. Lincoln-Douglas Debates
12. Dred Scott v. Sanford
13. Emancipation Proclamation
14. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
15. 54th Massachusetts
16. Andersonville
17. Election of 1860
18. Writ of Habeas Corpus
19. Copperheads
20. LeCompton Constitution
21. Radical Republicans
22. Tenure of Office Act
23. Black Codes
24. Jim Crow Laws
25. 13th Amendment
26. Civil Rights Act of 1866
27. Kansas-Nebraska Act
28. Sumner-Brooks Incident
29. Free Soil Party
30. Harper’s Ferry
31. George McClellan
32. Monitor v. Merrimac
33. Thaddeus Stevens
34. Scalawags
35. Sharecroppers
36. The Whiskey Ring
37. 14th Amendment
38. Wade-Davis Bill
39. Bleeding Kansas
40. Freeport Doctrine
41. Compromise of 1850
42. Election of 1864
43. Appomattox Court House
44. Nat Turner’s Rebellion
45. Clara Barton
46. Uncle Tom’s Cabin
47. Gettysburg Address
48. Anaconda Plan
SAMPLE DEFINITIONS
__1__ ID Harriet Tubman__
Who, What, When, Where:
Born a slave in Maryland (1820).
1849 fled to safety. Made 1st trip
back to the south to free family
in 1850. Known as the “moses” of the
Underground Railroad
Historical Significance:
The greatest “conductor” on the
Underground Railroad freeing more
than 300 people.
__2__ ID: Freedman’s Bureau__
Who, What, When, Where:
A federal agency set up to help former
Slaves after the Civil War in 1865.
Established by Congress to provide food,
Clothing, hospitals, legal protection, and
Education.
Historical Significance:
Education was the most significant contribution.
$6 million went toward public schools, and
creation of Atlanta, Fisk, and Howard
Universities.
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
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Name: ______________Vocabulary Chapter Title ____________ Chapter # ___
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
____ ID: ________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
Historical Significance:
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
____ ID: ________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
Historical Significance:
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
____ ID: ________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
Historical Significance:
____ ID: __________________
Who, What, When, Where:
____ ID: ________________
Who, What, When, Where:
Historical Significance:
Historical Significance:
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Three Plans for Reconstruction: Lincoln’s, Johnson’s, and the Radical Republicans’
Name ______________________________
Date ___________________________
Class __________________________
Block / Period ___________________
Topic / Concept: ___________________________________________________________________
3-Way Venn Diagram
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