US History & Fine Arts
About this course
This is a survey course which satisfies the Washington State Board of Education's requirements for competency in both US History, Government, English, and Fine Arts. This course focuses on important themes in American social and political history from Early America to the Civil War with an emphasis on the United States Constitution and its amendments. In addition, students will use primary source art, music, and incorporate drama to analyze and critique American social and political history, develop academic literacy including evaluation of content, examine points of view, and text analysis.
After completing this course, the student will be able to:
- Examine and discuss historical contributions to U.S. society of various individuals and groups from different cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds.
- Identify and explain major issues, movements, people and events in U.S. history from its infancy to the Civil War with particular emphasis on growth and conflict.
- Analyze and evaluates the ways in which the U.S. Constitution and other fundamental documents promote key ideals and principles.
- Evaluate how individuals and movements have shaped the United States.
- Analyze multiple events in U.S. history, distinguishing between short and long-term cause and effect.
- Understand federal, state, and local government organization and procedures;
- Analyze rights and responsibilities of citizens addressed in the Washington State and United StatesConstitutions;
- Identify historical issues addressed at each level of government; and
- Evaluate electoral issues, including elections, ballot measures, initiatives, and referenda.
- Analyze and evaluate ways of influencing local, state, and national governments to preserve individual rights and promote the common good.
- Understand and apply arts concepts and vocabulary.
- Develop arts skills and techniques.
- Understand and apply arts genres and styles of various artists, cultures, and times.
- Apply a creative process to the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts)
- Apply performance and/or presentation process to the arts (dance, music, theatre, and visual arts).
- Understand how the arts influence and reflect cultures/civilization, place, and time.
College & Career Readiness Standards:
- CCRs Reading Anchor(s): Level D All
- CCRs Writing Anchor (s): Level D All
- CCRs Language Anchor (s): Level D All
- CCRs Speaking and Listening Anchor (s): Level D All