Unit 7: Imperialism, Spanish-American War, and World War I
Chapters:
17, 19
Essential Questions
1) What role should America play in world affairs? Can the world be made safe for democracy?
2) What are the positive and negative effects of imperialism?
3) How can a nation balance domestic concerns with international challenges?
Imperialism/New
Foreign Policy
The Spanish American
War
The Road to War
America at War: World
War I
Global Peacemaker
Concepts
Imperialism
Nationalism
Annex
Racism
Concepts
Yellow journalism
Platt Amendment
Spheres of Influence
Open Door Policy
Topics
-Spanish American War:
Causes and Effects
-Impact of Yellow Journalism
-Significance of the De Lome
Letter and USS Maine
-Theodore Roosevelt and the
Rough Riders: Role in the War
-Why the War is Referred to
as “A Splendid Little War”
-Treaty of Paris: Provisions
-U.S. Involvement in Cuba,
Philippines, Hawaii, and
Puerto Rico
-Open Door Policy:
Justification
Concepts
Selective Service Act
AEF
Armistice
Liberty Bonds
Price controls
Rationing
Sedition
Concepts
Self-determination
Fourteen Points
League of Nations
Reparations
Versailles Treaty
Topics
-Imperialism: Causes and
Effects
-Arguments For and Against
United States Imperialism
-Building of the Panama
Canal: Why and the
Conditions
-“Big Stick Diplomacy”
-Dollar Diplomacy
-Moral Diplomacy
Concepts
Mobilization
Central Powers
Allies
Stalemate
Propaganda
U-boat
Autocrat
Topics
-Long Term Causes of World
War I: Imperialism,
Militarism, Nationalism,
Alliance System
-Immediate Cause of WWI:
Assassination of Archduke
Ferdinand
-Alliance System: Chain of
Events
-Modern Warfare: New
Technology
-Early American Neutrality:
Causes and Effects
-The Sinking of the Lusitania
-The Zimmerman Note
Topics
-Preparing for War:
Mobilizing Forces and
Production
-Experiences of Troops in
Europe
-Trench Warfare
-Impact of U.S. Troops on the
War in Europe
-Financing the War/Managing
the Economy
-Methods of Enforcing Loyalty
on the Homefront
-Results of the War
People
Theodore Roosevelt
William Howard Taft
Woodrow Wilson
People
Theodore Roosevelt
William McKinley
People
Archduke Ferdinand
Gavrilo Princip
Topics
-Wilson’s Fourteen Points:
Provisions
-The Big Four: Italy, Great
Britain, United States, France
-League of Nations: Purpose
-Redrawing the Map of
Europe
-German Reparations and the
War Guilt Clause: Link to
World War II
-Controversy over the League
of Nations in the United
States
People
Woodrow Wilson
David Lloyd George
Georges Clemenceau
Vittorio Orlando
“I Can” Statements: Over the course of the unit, place a check mark next to the statements that are true for you. This will allow you to
better prepare for unit assessments.
I Can:
_____ Define the term “imperialism” and identify examples of imperialism.16.B.4
_____ List the factors that led to the growth of imperialism around the world.16.B.4
_____ Describe the arguments for and against imperialism. 16.B.4
_____ Identify the causes and effects of imperialism. 16.A.4a
_____ Define isolationism, and cite examples of US hypocrisy regarding this policy in the early 20th century. 16.A.4b
_____ Identify the causes and effects of the Spanish American War. 16.A.4a
_____ Explain why the United States wanted to gain influence in the Pacific. 16.A.4b
_____ Discuss why the United States wanted to build the Panama Canal. 16.B.5b
_____ Compare and contrast the policies (foreign and domestic) of Presidents Roosevelt, Taft, and Wilson. 16.B.5b
_____ Explain the goals of the following types of diplomacy: big stick, moral, and dollar. 16.B.5b
_____ Identify the long-term and short-term causes of World War I. 16.A.4a
_____ Discuss the system of alliances that existed in Europe and how this expanded the war. 16.A4b
_____ Explain how World War I truly was a "world war." 16.A.4b
_____ Identify the arguments for and against American neutrality in the early years of the war. 16.A.4b
_____ Describe the events that led to the United States entering World War I. 16.A.4a
_____ Analyze the preparations of the United States for World War I. 16.A.4b
_____ Explain the impact of American troops on the fighting of World War I. 16.D.4b
_____ Identify the steps the government took to finance the war and manage the economy. 16.D.4b
_____ Identify and discuss the positive and negative effects of World War I on the nation. 16.D.4b
_____ Debate the utility of the League of Nations. 16.A.4b
_____ Discuss the opinions in support of and against the League of Nations. 16.A.4b
_____ Identify and understand the flaws of the Treaty of Versailles. 16.A.4b
Common Core 9-10 Reading Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (RH)
Key Ideas and Details
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.1 Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, attending to
such features as the date and origin of the information.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.2 Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate
summary of how key events or ideas develop over the course of the text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.3 Analyze in detail a series of events described in a text; determine whether earlier events caused later
ones or simply preceded them.
Craft and Structure
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including vocabulary
describing political, social, or economic aspects of history/social science.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.5 Analyze how a text uses structure to emphasize key points or advance an explanation or analysis.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.6 Compare the point of view of two or more authors for how they treat the same or similar topics,
including which details they include and emphasize in their respective accounts.
Integration of Knowledge and Ideas
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.7 Integrate quantitative or technical analysis (e.g., charts, research data) with qualitative analysis in
print or digital text.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.8 Assess the extent to which the reasoning and evidence in a text support the author’s claims.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.9 Compare and contrast treatments of the same topic in several primary and secondary sources.
Range of Reading and Level of Text Complexity
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.9-10.10 By the end of grade 10, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 9–10 text
complexity band independently and proficiently.
Common Core 9-10 Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies (WHST)
Text Types and Purposes
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1 Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1a Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and
create an organization that establishes clear relationships among the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1b Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly, supplying data and evidence for each while pointing
out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form and in a manner that anticipates
the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1c Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and
clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1d Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.1e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument
presented.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific
procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2a Introduce a topic and organize ideas, concepts, and information to make important
connections and distinctions; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding
comprehension.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2b Develop the topic with well-chosen, relevant, and sufficient facts, extended definitions,
concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2c Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create
cohesion, and clarify the relationships among ideas and concepts.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2d Use precise language and domain-specific vocabulary to manage the complexity of the topic
and convey a style appropriate to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2e Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and
conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.2f Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or
explanation presented (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
Common Core 9-10 Writing Standards for Literacy in History/Social Studies Continued… (WHST)
Production and Distribution of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.4 Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are
appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.5 Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a
new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.6 Use technology, including the Internet, to produce, publish, and update individual or shared
writing products, taking advantage of technology’s capacity to link to other information and to display information flexibly and
dynamically.
Research to Build and Present Knowledge
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.7 Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a selfgenerated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject,
demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.8 Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using
advanced searches effectively; assess the usefulness of each source in answering the research question; integrate information into the
text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and following a standard format for citation.
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.9 Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.
Range of Writing
CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.9-10.10 Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time
frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.
Note
Students’ narrative skills continue to grow in these grades. The Standards require that students be able to incorporate narrative
elements effectively into arguments and informative/explanatory texts. In history/social studies, students must be able to incorporate
narrative accounts into their analyses of individuals or events of historical import. In science and technical subjects, students must be
able to write precise enough descriptions of the step-by-step procedures they use in their investigations or technical work that others
can replicate them and (possibly) reach the same results.