NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies – Grade 11 Unit 1 Guide
This Passport to Social Studies teacher’s guide is the first unit of the United States History and Government course, titled: Forming a Union: Colonial and Constitutional Foundations. This curriculum was developed by a team of NYCDOE staff and teachers, in collaboration with scholars of global history and history education. Students immerse themselves in the topic by discussing historical questions, reading and analyzing a rich collection of diverse primary and secondary sources, examining artifacts, and interpreting images, such as paintings, photographs, and maps.
In this unit, Forming a Union: Colonial and Constitutional Foundations, students examine events that shaped the creation if the United States of America from the early 17th century until the first days of the early republic in the late 18th century. Students seek to answer the Essential Question: What are the American foundations for liberty and freedom? by investigating how European colonisation in North America prompted cultural contact and exchange among diverse peoples as well as how expanding European settlement, economic expropriation, and cultural differences led to conflict. At the conclusion of this unit students write two short essays about turning points during this period of United States history.
Throughout the unit, students continue to strengthen historical thinking skills embedded in the Regents Exam for United States History and Government (Framework) including contextualizing primary source documents and establishing why certain events can be described as turning points. Additionally, they will continue to strengthen their ability to interpret, select, and cite accurate historical evidence, and use disciplinary vocabulary to develop their analysis.
This guide includes multiple components:
- Overview
- Day-by-Day Planner
- Model Lesson
- Unit Assessment (and rubric)
- Historical Thinking Tools and iAnalysis Strategies
- Key Standards
- Connections to the Regents Exam in United States History and Government and Civics for All
To evaluate student mastery of content knowledge, cognitive processes, and critical thinking skills, this unit includes opportunities for formative assessments and a performance-based unit assessment. Please note that the NYCDOE 9-12: Passport to Social Studies materials also include a separate student Text Set for each unit.
