Unit Learning Targets:
These learning targets are adapted from the Michigan High School Content Expectations for U.S. History.
Students will be able to…
- Locate on a map the territories acquired by the United States during its emergence as an imperial power
- Describe the growing U.S. role in Asia (Open Door Policy and trade with Japan)
- Evaluate the effects of the Roosevelt Corollary
- Analyze the events and ideas that played a role in America’s expanding global influence (Purchasing Alaska, Annexation of Hawaii, Manifest Destiny, The Spanish American War, the Panama Canal, and others)
- Outline the changes in American Foreign Policy in the late 19th and early 20th century, citing specific examples of how and why it changed.
Essential Questions:
- How did the U.S. go from being an isolationist nation to a world power?
- Why did U.S. foreign policy change in the early 20th century?
- What role should the U.S. play in world politics?
Teaching and Learning Plan:
Please see the PowerPoint and other attached resources below for specific examples of the activities listed below.
Unit PowerPoint: US History A Unit 4
Day 1:
- Warm Up: What are some good things the U.S. does for other countries?
- Anticipatory Set: Write-pair-share. Students will respond to write-pair-share questions. After students have a chance to write and talk about their answers, we will discuss them as a class. (See PowerPoint)
- Mini-Lesson: The teacher will connect the write-pair-share questions to some of the themes of the unit, particularly to the strategies the U.S. used to expand its power and territory.
- Independent Work/Homework: Unit 4 Introduction
- Closing Question: Why do you think the U.S. was interested in opening up trade with more foreign countries in the late 1900s? (Hint: Think about our previous units, Industrialism and Urbanization)
Day 2:
- Warm Up: Would you rather visit Alaska or Hawaii? Why?
- Homework Review: Chapter 22 Section 1. Teacher will check in homework, go over main ideas, and discuss.
- Lecture/Discussion: The teacher will give a lecture with guided notes (22 1 and 2 Alaska and Hawaii) on the addition of Alaska and Hawaii, including maps and pictures to further ideas.Throughout the lecture, there will be pauses for pair-share opportunities and whole class discussions.
- Independent Reading: Students will read about Puerto Rico’s efforts to become a state. As they read, they will use the previously modeled Reading Apprenticeship strategy “Talking to the Text” to make annotations in the margin.
- Small Group Discussion: After reading, students will work in small groups to write a 25 Word Summary of the article, which is another Reading Apprenticeship strategy that will have been previously demonstrated. After discussion, we will do a whip-around to share out summaries and compare the main ideas we picked out.
- Homework: Should Puerto Rico be accepted as a state? Make a pro-con list to bring to class tomorrow.
- Closing Question: Do you agree with the U.S. decision to annex Hawaii? Why or why not?
Day 3:
- Warm Up: Review from Unit 2- How were many Chinese and Japanese immigrants treated in the late 1800s? Be specific.
- Homework Review: Share pro-con lists. Whole class discussion-What goes into the decision to make a territory a state? Why do you think Alaska and Hawaii became states? What about Michigan-What do we have to offer?
- Lecture/Notes: Involvment in Japan and China
- Partner Work: Political Cartoon Analysis. 3 Questions: What does the cartoon depict? Literally record what you see. What do you think the artist’s point is, and why? How does this relate to our notes today?
- Whole Class Discussion: Share out and develop a whole class interpretation of the political cartoon.
Day 4:
- Warm Up: Why do you think the U.S. wanted to expand its power and influence in the early 20th century?
- Review: Hawaii, Alaska, Japan, China
- Explosion of the Maine Questions
- Maine Explosion Graphic Organizer
- RAFT Writing
- Closing Question: What is important about the sinking of the Maine? Why do we study it today?
Day 5:
- Warm Up: Would you fight for your country? Why or why not?
- Video Clip: Teddy Roosevelt in the Spanish American War
- Read “The Spanish American War” Article from History.com–Preview vocabulary, Talk to the Text
- Spanish American War Timelines
- Closing Question: Do you think the U.S. should have involved itself in the Spanish American War? Why or why not?
Day 6:
- Warm Up: If you had to get from New York to Hawaii, and planes hadn’t been invented yet, how would you do it? Why?
- PBS American Experience: Panama Canal with Questions and Discussion Part 1 (Panama Canal Video)
- Closing Question: Would you have wanted to work on building the Panama Canal? Why or why not?
Day 7:
- Warm Up: What are three things you remember about the Panama Canal?
- PBS American Experience: Panama Canal with Questions and Discussion Part 2
- Mapping American Influence: Students will use the atlas section of their textbook and information from this unit to locate territories influenced or annexed by the U.S. in the early 1900s.
- Closing Question: How was the Panama Canal a symbol for American power?
Day 8:
- Warm Up: List what you can remember about American imperialism. Write as much as you can.
- Unit Review: Independently for 20 Minutes, Together After
- Closing Question: Do you think the U.S. is an imperialist country today? Why or why not?
Day 9:
- Warm Up: What final questions or concerns do you have for the test?
- Unit 4 Test
- Post-Test Reflection
- Unit 5 Anticipation Guide