Junior Year
American History II
Through this year-long course, students will examine U.S. history from the end of the Reconstruction era to the present. This course will build on the course from the tenth grade, United States History to 1877. Students will chronologically examine the political, economic and social challenges and events that have faced the nation since the late 19th century. Emphasis is on industrialization and its impact, the development of a strong federal government, a strong foreign policy, and a growing involvement in the international economy. Industrialization, immigration, foreign policy, big business, stock market, government legislation for social reform, the Cold War, and the Civil Rights Movement are just some of the topics to be studied. The students will continue to learn how the American experience shaped the world’s political and economic landscape. Through the context of the study of these social and economic trends, students will also be introduced to American Jewish history within each time period. From the major waves of Jewish immigration to the U.S. beginning with German Jewry, students will explore the reasons why these people came to this country, the challenges they faced upon their arrival, and how they integrated into American society. We will be focusing onimportant themes and issues in the development of American society and institutions as well as the personalities of the people most closely associated with those developments. We will examine the domestic and international developments of the last century and a half and the impact they have made on us. In particular we will trace the early stages to today’s major controversies such as immigration, social inequality and the role of big government. This class will also focus on the cultural aspects of American society – literature, music, art, architecture, trends, and political thought.
The class will also include concentration in developing skills to question and analyze texts of various kinds and to identify the motives of historical personalities through various activities including analysis and interpretation of primary and secondary sourced documents, sequencing events, making connections between the past and the present, interpreting ideas and events from different historical perspectives, evaluating and debating issues orally and in writing, analyzing and interpreting maps, and interpreting famous speeches.
Honors Class: AP History
This is an Advanced Placement survey course which continues the study begun in the tenth grade American History I class through both a chronological study and through the study of themes. This course enhances student understanding of the economic, social and political trends in American History. The course will begin with a review of the of the Civil War and Reconstruction period, and proceed through the rise of the United States as a modern, industrial country. The course looks at social, economic, political and social issues that arose during the time period: rapid industrialization, the plight of the farmer, the rise of labor and the accompanying reform movements. In addition, the students study the emergence of the United States from isolation to its rise as world power during the 20th century. Current events are included to update present American foreign policy based on the historical events of the 20th century. Throughout the course themes in American Jewish History complement the study of American History. This multi-disciplinary subject utilizes primary and secondary sources to foster class discussion, research and problem solving. Essay writing and other writing skills will be emphasized throughout the course. The course will prepare advanced students for the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History given in May and the SAT Subject Test in American History in early May or June. The course emphasizes essay writing, the writing of document-based essays and the various kinds of multiple choice and essay questions that are used on the exams.