This is our catalog of courses. We will occasionally adjust the course listing to reflect the addition of new courses and the retirement of others.
Learn post-American Reconstruction history (Progressivism, the Depression, World Wars I and II, the Cold War, the Reagan presidency, and America in the post-Cold War world) with dynamic “guests” who “appear in person” — including Theodore Roosevelt and more.
Total classes: 12
Prerequisite: None
Suggested grade level: 11th to 12th grade (or advanced 9th to 10th grade)
Suggested credit: One full semester American History
Description
This semester will begin with the end of Reconstruction. Topics after that will include the age of industrialization, populism and the labor movement, the new manifest destiny and the Spanish-American War and its aftermath, the progressive era, the American entry into World War I, the 1920’s, the Great Depression and the New Deal, isolationism and the American entry into World War II, the onset of the Cold War and the war in Korea, the 1950’s, Vietnam and the 1960’s, from Nixon to Reagan, the end of the Cold War to the end of the 20th century, early 21st century America. Once again, there may well be a guest appearance by a figure or two from the American past, including Theodore Roosevelt.
Outline
Week One: Reconstruction and the New South
Week Two: A Nation Transformed
Week Three: Becoming a World Power
Week Four: The Progressive Era
Week Five: America and the Great War
Week Six: From Boom to Bust: the 1920’s
Week Seven: The New Deal
Week Eight: The Road to World War II and the Onset of War
Week Nine: World War II and the Onset of the Cold War
Week Ten: The 1950s and 1960s
Week Eleven: From Nixon to Reagan
Week Twelve: The World and America Since the Cold War
Materials and Homework
Course Materials: The Land of Hope by Wilfred McClay. ISBN 978-1594039379 (https://amzn.to/37YfKxp)
Homework: Students will read approximately a chapter per week. There will be weekly quizzes based on both the reading and the lectures, auto-graded by the computer for immediate feedback. For upper-level students or students who want to go the extra mile, Dr. Chalberg will assign an additional five optional writing assignments of approx. 500-600 words each. Expect to spend three to four hours per week on reading and homework outside of class lectures. There will be an optional final exam, mainly essays and short answers, for interested students.
Important Dates
Class dates: Thursdays, January 11 to April 11, 2024. (No class February 15 or March 28)
Starting Time: 1:00 PM Eastern (Noon Central; 11:00 Mountain; 10:00 Pacific)
Duration per class: 55 minutes
Registration link
