THEMATIC U.S. THEMATIC U.S. HISTORYHISTORY

Major ThemesMajor Themes

- ExpansionExpansion- Government/Political PartiesGovernment/Political Parties- PresidentsPresidents- MovementsMovements- WarsWars- EconomicsEconomics- CultureCulture- MinoritiesMinorities

Why use thematic?Why use thematic?

Topics come up repeatedly in various themes – constant review Topics come up repeatedly in various themes – constant review as opposed to doing it and moving on to the next thing.as opposed to doing it and moving on to the next thing.

Can follow the relationship over time more easilyCan follow the relationship over time more easily Helps students see the big pictureHelps students see the big picture Able to cover a greater amount of material more quicklyAble to cover a greater amount of material more quickly Have hit all time periods and most major events by the time of the Have hit all time periods and most major events by the time of the

GHSGT in March – not true if going chronologicallyGHSGT in March – not true if going chronologically Easy to incorporate projects for each unit and add that type of Easy to incorporate projects for each unit and add that type of

assessment to traditional tests.assessment to traditional tests. May help you leave out some information! It’s hard to cut things May help you leave out some information! It’s hard to cut things

out. This makes it easier.out. This makes it easier.

EXPANSIONEXPANSION

ColonizationColonization Northwest OrdinanceNorthwest Ordinance Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase Erie CanalErie Canal Western Expansion Western Expansion Manifest DestinyManifest Destiny War with MexicoWar with Mexico RailroadsRailroads ImperialismImperialism Panama CanalPanama Canal

Example of ProjectExample of Project

Students create a travel brochureStudents create a travel brochure Convince someone to leave one of the first 13 Convince someone to leave one of the first 13

states and move to a newly acquired territorystates and move to a newly acquired territory Must explain when, how they will get there, Must explain when, how they will get there,

problems they will face, what they will need to take problems they will face, what they will need to take with them, who will be there when they arrivewith them, who will be there when they arrive

Include map, pictures appropriate to the time (no Include map, pictures appropriate to the time (no high rise hotels in Hawaii)high rise hotels in Hawaii)

Brochure formatBrochure format Can have them present as reviewCan have them present as review

Government/Political Government/Political PartiesParties

Common SenseCommon Sense Declaration of IndependenceDeclaration of Independence Revolutionary WarRevolutionary War Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation ConstitutionConstitution Political PartiesPolitical Parties NullificationNullification States’RightsStates’Rights Major Supreme Court DecisionsMajor Supreme Court Decisions

Example of ProjectsExample of Projects

Skits – Court CasesSkits – Court Cases Act out background, act out court scene, Act out background, act out court scene,

question witnesses, act out Supreme Court question witnesses, act out Supreme Court presentation of case and decisionpresentation of case and decision

PresidentsPresidents

Association of key events domestic and foreign policies with presidentsAssociation of key events domestic and foreign policies with presidents Whiskey RebellionWhiskey Rebellion Neutrality Neutrality Louisiana PurchaseLouisiana Purchase War of 1812War of 1812 Monroe DoctrineMonroe Doctrine Jacksonian DemocracyJacksonian Democracy Dough faced presidentsDough faced presidents Missouri CompromiseMissouri Compromise NullificationNullification Compromise of 1850Compromise of 1850 Preservation of the UnionPreservation of the Union Gettysburg AddressGettysburg Address

PresidentsPresidents

Emancipation ProclamationEmancipation Proclamation ReconstructionReconstruction ImpeachmentImpeachment Roosevelt Corollary Roosevelt Corollary Panama CanalPanama Canal Fourteen PointsFourteen Points New DealNew Deal Marshall PlanMarshall Plan Cold War PoliciesCold War Policies Bay of PigsBay of Pigs Cuban Missile CrisisCuban Missile Crisis Kennedy/Nixon DebatesKennedy/Nixon Debates Great SocietyGreat Society Conservative MovementConservative Movement Foreign Policy since 1968Foreign Policy since 1968 Domestic Policy since 1968Domestic Policy since 1968

Examples of ProjectsExamples of Projects

Power Points on Presidents Power Points on Presidents Background, domestic policy, foreign policy, Background, domestic policy, foreign policy,

quotes, visualsquotes, visuals

Commercials for Best/Worst PresidentCommercials for Best/Worst President Videotape – have to have three reasons why Videotape – have to have three reasons why

they are best/worstthey are best/worst

Story Boards – draw out commercial for Story Boards – draw out commercial for best/worstbest/worst

MovementsMovements

NationalismNationalism SectionalismSectionalism AbolitionAbolition After-effects of the Civil WarAfter-effects of the Civil War KKKKKK Black CodesBlack Codes ProgressiveProgressivess Women’s MovementWomen’s Movement TemperancTemperancee Civil Rights Civil Rights Counter CultureCounter Culture EnvironmentalismEnvironmentalism

Example of ProjectsExample of Projects

Presentation on MovementPresentation on Movement Music/lyrics/how it illustrates the movementMusic/lyrics/how it illustrates the movement

Power Point on MovementPower Point on Movement How it began, goals, leaders, timeline, How it began, goals, leaders, timeline,

music, lyricsmusic, lyrics

Skits on a major event in a movementSkits on a major event in a movement Seneca Falls, March on Washington, etc.Seneca Falls, March on Washington, etc.

MODERN WARSMODERN WARS

Spanish-American WarSpanish-American War World War IWorld War I World War IIWorld War II Cold WarCold War KoreaKorea VietnamVietnam War of TerrorWar of Terror

Example of ProjectExample of Project

Newspaper Front PageNewspaper Front Page A major battle, uniforms, generals (interview), A major battle, uniforms, generals (interview),

interview a soldierinterview a soldier

Presentations on topics such as changes in Presentations on topics such as changes in strategy, changes in technologystrategy, changes in technology

Presentations on famous battles or generalsPresentations on famous battles or generals Interviews with relatives who served Interviews with relatives who served Staged interviews with generals, soldiers, etc.Staged interviews with generals, soldiers, etc.

EconomicsEconomics

MercantilismMercantilism Triangular TradeTriangular Trade Industrial RevolutionIndustrial Revolution Sectional economic disparity Sectional economic disparity Growth of Railroads Growth of Railroads Big businessBig business Labor UnionsLabor Unions StrikesStrikes Great Depression Great Depression New Deal New Deal

Example of ProjectExample of Project

American Inventor – background, American Inventor – background, invention, how it changed the countryinvention, how it changed the country

CultureCulture

IndividualismIndividualism American identityAmerican identity Benjamin FranklinBenjamin Franklin EducationEducation Founding of collegesFounding of colleges Modern cultural expressionModern cultural expression Harlem RenaissanceHarlem Renaissance FilmFilm PhonographPhonograph Radio Radio TelevisionTelevision TechnologyTechnology

Example of ProjectExample of Project

Decade ProjectDecade Project Students choose a decade and do a Students choose a decade and do a

presentation that shows changes in the presentation that shows changes in the country during their decade – emphasis on country during their decade – emphasis on culture culture

MinoritiesMinorities

African American CultureAfrican American Culture Ellis IslandEllis Island New ImmigrationNew Immigration Native AmericansNative Americans Asian AmericansAsian Americans Chinese Exclusion ActChinese Exclusion Act Red ScareRed Scare Immigrant RestrictionsImmigrant Restrictions Japanese Americans InternmentsJapanese Americans Internments Hispanic AmericanHispanic American

Example of ProjectExample of Project

Research famous immigrantsResearch famous immigrants Research your own family treeResearch your own family tree

Problems?Problems?

Students sometimes forget what is Students sometimes forget what is happening at the same time in another happening at the same time in another theme.theme. Suggestion – TIMELINESuggestion – TIMELINE

Keep a big one across one wall of the room and Keep a big one across one wall of the room and have students add events as you study them. have students add events as you study them. Color code events for themes.Color code events for themes.

Keep individual timelines and add to it in the Keep individual timelines and add to it in the same way.same way.