The Driving Force of 20 th Century US History

1. The Driving Force of 20th Century US History Chris Fredericks Unit Portfolio Presentation

2. Unit Summary The 20th Century in the United States is a period of great change, some for better and some for worse. During this period of US History we see the impact of a set of laws help define the history of the 1900’s in the United States. We see how internal conflict in the United States causes a reaction of restriction of civil liberties by the Federal Government. The influences are broad; wars, economic conditions, civil rights, and crisis situations. These events during the 20th Century have all been influenced and directed by the United States Constitution, a document which is over 220 years old and has been changed only 17 times. In this unit students will study how the Constitution has directed 20th Century US History. Student will choose how to display the information which they learn through the usage of digital stories or power point presentations.

3. Curriculum-Framing Questions • Essential Question Why do we need laws? • Unit Questions • How does the Constitution influence daily life in the United States? • What limitations does the Constitution place on our Government? • How has freedom been suppressed through our laws? • Why does the definition of human rights vary among different cultures and countries? • What are your freedoms as an American Citizen? • What is an American?

4. Curriculum Framing Questions Content Questions • What types of changes need to be made in current society to the United States Constitution to protect American Citizens? • What type of influence to lobbyist play in the legislative process? • What specific events have suppressed the rights of American citizens? How are laws created and implemented in the United States under the current Constitutional System? • How are the branches of the Federal Government related? • What laws have protected American’s Civil Liberties?

5. The Driving Force of 20th Century US History This project will help my students develop 21st century skills through: • Being open and responsive to new and diverse perspectives • Articulating thoughts and ideas clearly and effectively through speaking and writing • Demonstrating ability to work effectively with diverse teams • Accessing information efficiently and effectively, evaluating information critically and competently and using information accurately and creatively for the issue or problem at hand • Bridging cultural differences and using differing perspectives to increase innovation and the quality of work

6. Gauging Student Needs Assessment • Purpose of the Anticipation Guide Pre-Assessment • To gather information about what students think about the Essential and Unit questions related to the content—to activate their prior knowledge and stimulate interest in the topic. • Purpose of the K-W-L Pre-Assessment • To determine student prior knowledge regarding unit content • What I want to learn from my students? • What do students know about the influence of the Constitution on Civil Liberties during the 20th Century? • How I have tried to promote higher-order thinking? • The anticipation guide asks students to evaluate, apply, and judge based on their own opinions and experiences. The K-W-L chart will be used to help students determine what they need to research about their topics.

7. Gauging Student Needs Assessment How the assessment information helps me and my students plan for upcoming activities in the unit? • If students do not have any knowledge of the topic, I will know if I need to direct them to specific websites rather than allow them to search for information without guidance. • Students will be able to use the K-W-L to create questions for research and to gauge their own learning.

8. My Goals for the Course • Help students understand how the Constitution has helped shape and define American History. • Help students evaluate the consequences of action and the influence of the Constitution on 20th Century American History • Learn about digital storytelling and how it can help students become aware of how media can be used easily to create bias/show one side of an issue.

9. Goals for My Students • To think like historians by: • Exploring multiple causes of events • Looking at multiple perspectives of events • Identifying the immediate effects of events • Identifying long-term implications of events • To improve their technology and research skills by: • Asking questions about reliability and accuracy of websites and information sources • Learning to download video, pictures, and music • Use a “digital storytelling” program to create a multimedia presentation that is content-rich yet emotionally moving

10. Request for Feedback • How do I fit in a component where students can write about or do something related to the United States Constitution impacting their lives or in society today? How do they feel about the influence of the Constitution on society and American People during the 20th Century.

11. Works Cited • Slide one picture: American Flag/Eagle • www.wku.edu/library/dlps/constitution.htm • Unit Summary slide: • “Take is Easy ’” by The Eagles • Works Cited: • “Landslide’” by Fleetwood Mac