American History I

Description: The class represents the first year of a two-year study of American history, emphasizing historical analysis. The course beings with pre-1615 life in North America through the post-Civil War Reconstruction years, ending in 1877. This includes early European explorations, the colonial period, the founding of the United States, the Revolutionary War, the development of our government and the principles upon which it is based, the expansion of our national borders, the War of 1812, the development of political parties, the Mexican War, and the Civil War, along with its causes and results. The class will be a combination of lecture and discussion, and each week students are assigned work to complete outside of class. Assignments include an extensive reading of primary and secondary sources, essay assignments, and online assessments. Students will need to devote approximately 60 minutes per day for this class. The grade is based on participation, quizzes, and a significant historical essay due at the end of each term. This class is worth 1 high school credit in Social Studies or History.

Grade Level: 8-12 (ages 13-18)

Prerequisites: Students should be able to read a college-level textbook, be willing to work hard, and be able to write grammatically correct, complete sentences.

Required texts: Students who register for this course will be notified when these books are available for purchase from Memoria Press. Students will also need a headset microphone (built-in microphones also work).