Standard 1—History of the United States and New York

Students will use a variety of intellectual skills to demonstrate their understanding of major ideas, eras, themes, developments, and turning points in the history of the United States and New York.

Key ideas are identified by numbers (1).
Performance indicators are identified by bullets.
Sample tasks are identified by triangles (s).

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Elementary

1. The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

Students:

• know the roots of American culture, its development from many different traditions, and the ways many people from a variety of groups and backgrounds played a role in creating it
• understand the basic ideals of American democracy as explained in the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution and other important documents
• explain those values, practices, and traditions that unite all Americans.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s read stories about the early days of American society and discuss the way of life of those times
s discuss how basic ideals of American democracy are shown in such speeches as Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address and Martin Luther King’s "I Have a Dream" speech
s explain ways that families long ago expressed and transmitted their beliefs and values through oral traditions, literature, songs, art, religion, community celebrations, mementos, food, and language (Taken from National Standards for History for Grades K-4)
s compare the characters and events described in historical fiction with primary sources such as historic sites themselves; artifacts of the time found in museums and at state historic sites; journals, diaries, and photographs of the historical figures in stories; and news articles and other records from the period in order to judge the historical accuracy and determine the variety of perspectives included in the story. (Adapted from National Standards for History for Grades K-4).

2. Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Students:

• gather and organize information about the traditions transmitted by various groups living in their neighborhood and community
• recognize how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next
• distinguish between near and distant past and interpret simple timelines.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s conduct interviews with family members, collect family memorabilia such as letters, diaries, stories, photographs, and keepsakes; classify information by type of activity: social, political, economic, cultural, or religious; discuss how traditions and practices were passed from one generation to the next; determine the extent to which the traditions and practices are shared by other members of the class
s study the history and traditions of their neighborhoods and local communities. Consider the school and school community by describing who attends school (diversity, demographics); the histories of their schools and school communities (then and now); what was taught; and rights, rules, and responsibilities (then and now).
s research the neighborhood or local community, considering location and the significance of its location; its demographics (e.g., ethnicity, languages, religions, levels of education, age groups); the history of why it was settled, when and by whom; economic patterns and changes in employment; social and cultural life; and government and politics
s create personal and family timelines to distinguish between near and distant past and identify family origins; interpret simple timelines by recognizing correct chronological order of major events such as Native American settlement of North America, Columbus’s voyage in 1492, the American Revolution, writing the Constitution, the presidency of Abraham Lincoln, World War I, and the beginning of space exploration.

3. Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Students:

• gather and organize information about the important accomplishments of individuals and groups, including Native American Indians, living in their neighborhoods and communities
• classify information by type of activity: social, political, economic, technological, scientific, cultural, or religious
• identify individuals who have helped to strengthen democracy in the United States and throughout the world.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s listen to and participate in classroom debates and discussions of important events and people in U. S. history and New York history, and examine more than one viewpoint on some events and people
s discuss heroes, why some people are heroes, and why some individuals might be heroes to certain groups and not to others
s conduct a historical case study about an important environmental concern affecting their city’s or neighborhood’s water supply, housing accommodations, or transportation system, and examine competing views on the issues
s investigate the importance of scientific and technological inventions such as the compass, steam engine, internal combustion engine, and computer chip.

4. The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the concept of multiple causation; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.

Students:

• consider different interpretations of key events and/or issues in history and understand the differences in these accounts
• explore different experiences, beliefs, motives, and traditions of people living in their neighborhoods, communities, and State
• view historic events through the eyes of those who were there, as shown in their art, writings, music, and artifacts.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s read historical narratives, literature, and many kinds of documents and investigate building, tools, clothing, and artwork to explore key events and/or issues in the history of their city, community, neighborhood, state, and nation; summarize the main ideas evident in the source and identify the purpose or point of view from which the source was created; discuss how interpretations or perspectives develop and change as new information is learned. (Based on National Standards for History Grades K-4)
s visit historic sites, museums, libraries, and memorials to gather information about important events that affected their neighborhoods, communities, or region
s explore the literature, oral traditions, drama, art, architecture, music, dance, and other primary sources of a particular historic period.

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Intermediate

1. The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

Students:

• explore the meaning of American culture by identifying the key ideas, beliefs, and patterns of behavior, and traditions that help define it and unite all Americans
• interpret the ideas, values, and beliefs contained in the Declaration of Independence and the New York State Constitution and United States Constitution, Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s explain the ideas embodied in the Declaration of Independence, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and the New York State Constitution and show how these documents express fundamental and enduring ideas and beliefs
s describe how massive immigration, forced migration, changing roles for women, and internal migration led to new social patterns and conflicts; and identify ideas of national unity that developed amidst growing cultural diversity. (Adapted from National Standards for U.S. History)

2. Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Students:

• describe the reasons for periodizing history in different ways
• investigate key turning points in New York State and United States history and explain why these events or developments are significant
• understand the relationship between the relative importance of United States domestic and foreign policies over time
• analyze the role played by the United States in international politics, past and present.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s use demographic information, mapping exercises, photographs, interviews, population graphs, church records, newspaper accounts, and other sources to conduct case studies of particular groups in the history of the State or nation and classify information according to type of activity: social, political, economic, cultural, or religious
s use a variety of sources to study historic and contemporary events in the United States; investigate different interpretations of the events and identify circumstances of time and place that influence the authors’ perspectives (Adapted from National Standards for U.S. History)
s recognize the reasons for periodizing history and know some designations of historical periods; discuss the usefulness of the following periods:
- Three Worlds and Their Meeting in the Americas (Beginnings to 1607)
- Colonization, Settlement and Communities (1607 to 1763)
- The Revolution and the New Nation (1763 to 1815)
- Expansion and Reform (1801 to 1861)
- Crisis of the Union: Civil War and Reconstruction (1850 to 1877)
- The Development of Modern America (1865 to 1920)
- Modern America and the World Wars (1914 to 1945)
- Contemporary America (1945 to Present) (Taken from U. S. History Framework for the 1994 National Assessment of Educational Progress)
s undertake case studies to research violations of basic civil and human rights and case studies of genocide. Use examples from United States, New York State, and world history. Case studies might include chattel slavery and the Nazi Holocaust. Other civil and human rights violations might focus on the mass starvation in Ireland (1845-50), the forced relocation of Native American Indians, and the internment of Japanese Americans during World War II
s trace the tension between arguments for United States isolation versus engagement during the following time periods: up to 1941, from 1941-1975, and from 1976 to the present.

3. Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Students:

• complete well-documented and historically accurate case studies about individuals and groups who represent different ethnic, national, and religious groups, including Native American Indians, in New York State and the United States at different times and in different locations
• gather and organize information about the important achievements and contributions of individuals and groups living in New York State and the United States
• describe how ordinary people and famous historic figures in the local community, State, and the United States have advanced the fundamental democratic values, beliefs, and traditions expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State and United States Constitutions, the Bill of Rights, and other important historic documents
• classify major developments into categories such as social, political, economic, geographic, technological, scientific, cultural, or religious.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s research major events and themes from New York State and United States history (e.g., the American Revolution, new national period, Civil War, age of industrialization, westward movement and territorial expansion, the World Wars) to develop and test hypotheses and develop conclusions about the roles played by individuals and groups
s after reading about ordinary people in historic time periods, such as a Revolutionary War soldier, a suffragist, or a child laborer during the 1800s, write a short story or diary account explaining how this individual fought to support democratic values and beliefs (Adapted from National Standards for History for Grades K-4)
s explain the importance of different inventions and scientific and technological innovations in agriculture and industry, describing how these inventions and innovations resulted in improved production of certain products.

4. The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the concept of multiple causation; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.

Students:

• consider the sources of historic documents, narratives, or artifacts and evaluate their reliability
• understand how different experiences, beliefs, values, traditions, and motives cause individuals and groups to interpret historic events and issues from different perspectives
• compare and contrast different interpretations of key events and issues in New York State and United States history and explain reasons for these different accounts
• describe historic events through the eyes and experiences of those who were there. (Taken from National Standards for History for Grades K-4)

This is evident, for example, when students:
s identify the author’s or artist’s main point of view or purpose in creating a document or artifact
s compare several historical accounts of the same event in New York State or United States history and contrast the different facts included or omitted from each author and determine the different authors’ points of view
s use a variety of sources to study important turning points from different perspectives and to identify varying points of view of the people involved (e.g., European settlement and the impact of diseases on Native American Indian populations, writing the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution, the Civil War, industrialization, significant reform movements, and the Cold War)
s debate various views of United States foreign policies and involvement during the Mexican-American War, World Wars I and II, Vietnam, and the Cold War.

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Commencement

1. The study of New York State and United States history requires an analysis of the development of American culture, its diversity and multicultural context, and the ways people are unified by many values, practices, and traditions.

Students:

• analyze the development of American culture, explaining how ideas, values, beliefs, and traditions have changed over time and how they unite all Americans
• describe the evolution of American democratic values and beliefs as expressed in the Declaration of Independence, the New York State Constitution, the United States Constitution, the Bill of Rights, and other important historical documents.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s explore the meaning of the United States motto, "E Pluribus Unum," by identifying both those forces that unite Americans and those that potentially divide Americans. Based on a study of key events in United States history, such as the American Revolution, the Civil War, the women’s suffrage movement, and the civil rights movement, discuss how at least two core civic ideas, such as individual rights and the consent of the governed, have been forces for national unity in this diverse society
s analyze the decisions leading to major turning points in United States history, comparing alternative courses of action, and hypothesizing, within the context of the historic period, about what might have happened if the decision had been different. Investigate decisions and actions such as:
- the signing of the Declaration of Independence in 1776
- the forced relocation of Native American Indians
- the Mexican-American War
- Lincoln’s resolve to sustain the Union
- Plessy v. Ferguson Supreme Court decision
- Progressive reforms
- United States entry into World Wars I and II
- the decision to refrain from joining the League of Nations
- ratification of the Nineteenth Amendment
- Roosevelt’s New Deal
- the decision to drop the atomic bomb on Japan in 1945
- Rosa Parks’ decision to challenge the Jim Crow laws in Alabama in 1955
- American involvement in Southeast Asia in the 1960s and 1970s
- the end of the Cold War and the democratic revolutions in Eastern European countries
s read Dr. Martin Luther King’s "Letter from Birmingham Jail" and discuss how this letter expresses the basic ideas, values, and beliefs found in the United States Constitution and Bill of Rights.

2. Important ideas, social and cultural values, beliefs, and traditions from New York State and United States history illustrate the connections and interactions of people and events across time and from a variety of perspectives.

Students:

• discuss several schemes for periodizing the history of New York State and the United States
• develop and test hypotheses about important events, eras, or issues in New York State and United States history, setting clear and valid criteria for judging the importance and significance of these events, eras, or issues
• compare and contrast the experiences of different groups in the United States
• examine how the Constitution, United States law, and the rights of citizenship provide a major unifying factor in bringing together Americans from diverse roots and traditions
• analyze the United States involvement in foreign affairs and a willingness to engage in international politics, examining the ideas and traditions leading to these foreign policies
• compare and contrast the values exhibited and foreign policies implemented by the United States and other nations over time with those expressed in the United Nations Charter and international law.

This is evident, for example, when students:
s discuss several schemes for periodizing the history of the United States; explain the usefulness of each scheme; comment on why another person might want to use other approaches to periodization; make a case for the scheme that seems best
s explain the contributions of specific groups of people to American society and culture; analyze the metaphors of the "melting pot" and the "salad bowl" to explain the experiences of the first immigrant groups (e.g., Dutch, Irish, English, African American, Spanish, German) as compared to those of later groups (e.g., Italian, Greek, Eastern European, Chinese, Latino, Vietnamese) and present an analysis, supported by historical evidence, of alternative metaphors, such as "a tapestry" or "a mosaic" s examine the effects of immigration on various Native American groups
s investigate how the United States’ democratic principles have influenced the constitutions and governments of other nations; view this sharing as a two-way exchange, with the United States influencing and being influenced by other nations.

3. Study about the major social, political, economic, cultural, and religious developments in New York State and United States history involves learning about the important roles and contributions of individuals and groups.

Students:

• compare and contrast the experiences of different ethnic, national, and religious groups, including Native American Indians, in the United States, explaining their contributions to American society and culture
• research and analyze the major themes and developments in New York State and United States history (e.g., colonization and settlement; Revolution and New National Period; immigration; expansion and reform era; Civil War and Reconstruction; The American labor movement; Great Depression; World Wars; contemporary United States)
• prepare essays and oral reports about the important social, political, economic, scientific, technological, and cultural developments, issues, and events from New York State and United States history
• understand the interrelationships between world events and developments in New York State and the United States (e.g., causes for immigration, economic opportunities, human rights abuses, and tyranny versus freedom).

This is evident, for example, when students:
s investigate how Americans have reconciled the inherent tensions and conflicts over minority versus majority rights by researching the abolitionist and reform movements of the nineteenth century, the civil rights and women’s rights movements of the twentieth century, or the social protest movements of the 1960s and 1970s
s draw upon literary selections, historical documents, and accounts to analyze the roles played by different individuals and groups during the major eras in New York State and United States history
s compare and analyze the major arguments for and against major political developments in New York State and United States history, such as the ratification of the United States Constitution, Reconstruction, the New Deal, and the Great Society programs of the 1960s
s research how leaders, such as Frederick Douglass, Harriet Tubman, Theodore Parker, Sojourner Truth, David Walker, and Sarah and Angelina Grimke, fought for the rights of African Americans.

4. The skills of historical analysis include the ability to: explain the significance of historical evidence; weigh the importance, reliability, and validity of evidence; understand the concept of multiple causation; understand the importance of changing and competing interpretations of different historical developments.

Students:

• analyze historical narratives about key events in New York State and United States history to identify the facts and evaluate the authors’ perspectives
• consider different historians’ analyses of the same event or development in United States history to understand how different viewpoints and/or frames of reference influence historical interpretations
• evaluate the validity and credibility of historical interpretations of important events or issues in New York State or United States history, revising these interpretations as new information is learned and other interpretations are developed. (Adapted from National Standards for United States History)

This is evident, for example, when students:
s analyze important debates in American history (e.g., ratification of the United States Constitution, abolition of slavery, regulation of big business, restrictions on immigration, the New Deal legislation, women’s suffrage, United States involvement in foreign affairs and wars), focusing on the opposing positions and the historical evidence used to support these positions
s prepare extended research papers on an important issue, problem or theme from New York State or United States history, including an analysis of the differing or competing interpretations of the issue or problem
s develop hypotheses about important events, eras, or issues; move from chronicling to explaining historical events and issues; use information collected from diverse sources (e.g., diaries, census reports, city directories and maps, newspaper and journal accounts, graphs and charts, cartoons, autobiographies, government documents, and other primary and secondary sources) to produce cogently written reports and document-based essays; apply the skills of historiography by comparing, contrasting, and evaluating the interpretations of different historians of an event, era, or issue.

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