Unit 3: Transformations–America from 1945 to the Present (Lessons
1-3)
Overview and a Checklist for Success
We begin with the United States at the “summit of the
world.” Because there is no competition from war-torn Europe or from the
Communist nations, we are the seller to the world as well. There are two key
powers—the United States and the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. The Cold
War between these 2 great powers makes foreign policy the dominant concern of
the nation and the presidency more powerful than ever before. The struggle by
proxy is:
· In Latin America and the Caribbean
· In Europe
· In the Mideast
· In the Far East
In the United States, we move from:
· Prosperity of the 1950s to globalization and its challenges
· Segregation to desegregation to integration to uneasy changes
· Rosie the Riveter to I Love Lucy and stay at home moms to families that need two incomes to accomplish what one used to do
· A broadening definition of what it is to be a person
Unit 3 consists of Lessons 1-3. The word Lesson refers to a specific Blackboard learning module in the Unit. Blackboard learning modules have a Table of Contents on the left that let you see all of the resources available for the Lesson. You can click directly on the one you want.
Unit 3, however, is different than Unit 1 and 2 and therefore there is a different approach. Across the period of time covered by Unit 3, we live with rapid, repeated changes:
· In the same regions of the world
· With the same issues in our nation
Across the period of time covered by Unit 3, the years (15 years, 28 years, and 28 years) covered by each Lesson are divided by the presidencies because after World War II the executive branch has gained ever more power than in Unit 2. Further 2 issues within the presidencies continue to reveal our world:
· Age cohorts ranging from the baby boom, to Gen-X, to the millennials
· The national debt as it grew, declined briefly with bipartisan effort in President Clinton’s term, and then climbed again to a higher peak
In Unit 3, all Lessons begin with a 1-page Snapshot that:
· Covers in rows the same places or issues for each of the 3 time periods (In other words, if you put the 1-page Snapshots side by side on a kitchen table and looked at the row for the Far East, you could see what the US was doing there for about 70 years
· Covers in columns the presidencies, with the last presidency in the 1st snapshot being repeated in the next Snapshot to make it easier to think about change
·
Is
followed by a detailed chronology (events in time order) of the period so
you can look up details if you want.
Example: If you saw CIA in one of the
Snapshots, you could press Ctrl-F to display a small area for entry of words
and then type CIA.
You could then click to see where CIA was covered in the chronology
In Unit 3, the 1-page Snapshots work
directly with the Study Guide. Click here
for the Study Guide Visual
(URL: http://www.cjbibus.com/1302_Unit_3_Study_Guide_DL_Visual_to_be_Used_with_the_3_1-page_Snapshots.pdf)
These statements are true for all Units. When you see a folder labeled Learning Quiz, you do these things.
1.
In the Self-Test, use the password selftest (no spaces, no capital letters, and no
punctuation).
Tip: Self-Tests do not count against
you. They are a tiny (.01) extra credit.
2. Without any preparation (or fear), carefully answer the questions quickly so you know what your brain thinks is true.
3. When you submit your Self-Test, Blackboard automatically displays in the same folder content to help you—if needed—and the Full-Test. For the Full-Test, there is no password. You may take it as many times as you wish with highest score counting.
4. Do not just click. Make sure you understand. If the answer does not make sense to you, post your question in Unit 3’s Learning Discussion.
Tip: For the Lessons containing Learning Quizzes and for the recommended date to be done with each Learning Quizzes, check the end of the Study Guide.
These statements are true for all Units. The exam for the Unit has a total value of 100 points. There are 25 questions each at 4 points:
· 8 of the 25 questions come from these Learning Quizzes in the Unit
So use those Learning Quizzes and ask questions in Learning Discussion if you need help
· 17 of the 25 come from the Study Guide (a link below this one). The Lessons in the Unit contain the Instructor’s links. Those links provide visuals, frequently in tables, to help you compare facts to see similarities and differences.
So use those links and ask questions in Learning Discussion if you need help!
Tip: from Getting Starting:
Because I see students memorizing
random facts, I am trying to get you to focus on useful, usable facts for
your life time because is about life works. In this class, questions do not require that you show you know everything, but that you show that
you know something. The questions
focus on your recognizing significant traits of such things as regions, time
periods and their dominant beliefs or events, and historical figures. (See
Learning Quizzes, Concepts, and the Goal of Exam Questions) Click here
for an example of a question that lets you show that you know something that
is worthwhile. (URL:
http://www.cjbibus.com/GS_Good_Habits_What_Is_a_Question_Where_You_Show_You_Know_Something.htm
) |
A textbook is closest to an encyclopedia and, in this class, you are not tested on everything in the encyclopedia. As explained above:
· For 8 of the 25 questions, the best source is to take the Learning Quizzes
·
For 17 of
the 25 questions, the best source is to use the Study Guide below this
link.
Tips:
o Use the index at the back of the book to look up the individual items in the Unit’s Study Guide.
o The link at the top of each Lesson can help you with tools for seeing history.
o For some students, it can be useful to flip through the chapters for the Unit or for each Lesson just to notice the headings, pictures, and maps to have a feel for the time period.
|
Assignment |
Points |
|
Take all Learning Quizzes with the Lessons 1-3 in Unit 3. (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.) |
80 |
|
Post and reply in Unit 3 Learning Discussion (Tip: The same extra credit as Unit 1.) |
20 |
|
Take Unit 3 Objective (Tip: The same opportunities for success in learning as in Unit 1.) |
100 |
|
Total |
200 |
Reminder: These 2 parts of the 3-Part Writing occur in Unit 3.
|
In Required Writing, when the 3-Part Writing reopens, post 2 peer reviews @ 50 points each (25 points for content and 25 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one). |
100 |
|
In Required Writing, when the 3-Part Writing reopens again, reply to the 2 peer reviews of your paper @ 40 points (10 points for content and 10 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence for each one; if only 1 student peer reviewed your paper, 20 points for content and 20 for following all 5 Good Habits for Evidence). |
40 |
|
Total |
140 |
|
Assignment |
Points |
|
Take the Final Exam (100) |
100 |
|
Total |
100 |