Unit 3: Transformations–America from 1945 to the Present (Lessons 1-3)
Overview and a Checklist for Success

Overview: What the Title Tells You about This Unit

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

Lessons in Blackboard’s Unit 3—a Different Approach Than the Earlier Units and a Different Method to Provide a Study Guide

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)

Learning Quizzes in Unit 3

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.

The Exam for the Unit and the Resources for the Unit

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 )

If You Want a Resource, The Brief American Pageant, Chapters 35 to 41

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.

Checklist for Graded Work in Unit 3 and the Final– Notice it matches your Course Plan and your Course Schedule.

 

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

 

Final Exam (Possible Total for Its Assignments and the Prior Assignments = 1000 points)

 

Assignment

Points

 

Take the Final Exam (100)

100

 

Total

100