NYCDOE: Passport to Social Studies – Grade 11 Unit 4 Guide

Note to Teachers: To help with remote learning, student graphic organizers for this unit are available on the NYCDOE TeachHub in a Google Drive folder along with Passport to Social Studies lessons that have been adjusted for remote learning. Access these materials by following these instructions.

This Passport to Social Studies teacher’s guide is the fourth unit of the United States History and Government course, titled: Prosperity and Depression: At Home and Abroad (ca. 1890-1941). 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 Grade 11 U.S. History and Government unit, Prosperity and Depression: At Home and Abroad (ca. 1890-1941), students explore the numerous factors that contributed to the rise of the United States as a world power. The United States had colonized and expelled Native American Nations from their ancestral homes since the nation’s founding. In the decades at the end of the 19th century the imperial reach of the United States extended into new areas of the world in service of U.S. political,military, and economic interests. At the turn of the century, the United States’ role in world affairs increased in response to overseas expansion and involvement in World War I. Numerous factors contributed to the rise of the United States as a world power. United States’ participation in the war had important effects on American society. However, individuals and groups debated the extent to which the United States should further its involvement in world affairs. The two decades following World War I were a time of cultural and economic changes in the nation. Students will explore how the 1920s and 1930s were a period of contrasts. While the country was going through cultural change, there were often clashes between modern and traditional values. The Harlem Renaissance and the passage of the 19th amendment giving women the right to vote took place at this time. Paradoxically, at the same time, the country experienced heightened racism and xenophobia as evidenced by a resurgence of the Klu Klux Klan. During this period, the nation faced other significant domestic challenges, including the Great Depression.

Throughout this Grade 11 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. Additionally, they will continue to strengthen their ability to interpret, select, and cite accurate historical evidence, and use disciplinary vocabulary to develop their analysis. At the conclusion of the unit, students write two short essays following the Part II of the United States History & Government Regents (Framework) format. In the first short essay, they select evidence from two primary sources, identify a historical relationship between the events or ideas in the two documents and explain that relationship. In the second short essay, students explain the context in which two sources were created, source a document’s creation, and explain the reliability of that document.

This guide includes multiple components:

• Overview
• Day-by-Day Planner
• Model Lesson
• Unit Assessment (and rubric)
• Historical Thinking Tools and Analysis 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.