US HISTORY & GOVERNMENT
11
Mr. Cook
Unit Overview Sheet
Unit 1 & 2 Origins of America to 1787
Overview:
We are combining the first two units of the textbook as we examine the factors that led to the creation of the United States Constitution. This unit will also provide an introduction to the course and to studying history.
Unit Questions:
1. What are the major themes in the study of history?
2. What are the six essential elements of geography?
3. In what ways did the Native People of the Americas shape the creation of the United States?
4. In what ways did the history of Africa and its people shape the creation of the United States?
5. In what ways did the history of Europe and its people shape the creation of the United States?
6. In what ways did the colonial experience in North America lead to and shape the creation of the United States?
7. What were the causes and the results of the Declaration of Independence and the Revolution?
8. What were the basic features of the first NY Constitution and in what ways were these features incorporated into the US Constitution?
9. What is the significance of the Articles of Confederation?
10. How was the US Constitution created? What is its structure and basic ideas?
Some things you must be sure to understand…
The ideas and events that American political thought in 1787.
How British imperial policies led to the American Revolution.
The nature and significance of the Declaration of Independence.
The nature and significance of the Articles of Confederation.
The major issues and the delegates to the Constitution had to deal with and how they handled them
Identify the basic constitutional principles found in the US Constitution and the Bill of Rights.
The basic structure and principles of the United States Constitution.
Some additional important people, places, and
“things”…
Columbian Exchange Locke House of Burgesses Mayflower Compact
Albany Plan of Union Zenger Case English Bill of Rights Magna Carta
Montesquieu, Glorious Revolution, Voltaire, Rousseau, Zenger Case,
Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, John Adams, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, bicameral, Northwest Ordinance, James Madison, Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, Connecticut Plan, Great Compromise 3/5 Compromise, Enlightenment, chattel slavery, Proclamation of 1763, Yorktown, Treaty of Paris (1763), Treaty of Paris (1783)
Resources:
Textbook: The American Vision Chapters 1-5 & Reference sections
Some helpful Websites:
www.tav.glencoe.com (textbook website) –choose our 2003 edition. The Textbook Activity has chapter overviews, self-check quizzes, and instructional tutors that will be helpful. The Web activities can be used to fulfill your history project.
www.smithsonianeducation.org has some information that will help you analyze documents and write history. There are also some projects you can do.
www.landmarkcases.org is an outstanding site for Supreme Court decisions.
www.socialstudieshelp.com is an advanced level site with some interesting topics. Go to American history from the opening page.
www.regentsprep.org is a great place to practice regents questions
www.loc.gov is the site for the Library of Congress. The American Memory portion is extremely useful for projects and other activities.
www.authentichistory.com is an interesting place to examine primary source audio and visual materials
www.nundahistory.org and www.letchworthparkhistory.com are two area history sites.
If you find other helpful sites, please share them with the class!