Welcome to Mac's DMS Social Studies Website
Here, you can read assignment descriptions, access class notes, brush up on your student skills, and find incredible research resources.
Want to know why you're taking this class? Find out here!
This year we will explore the history of our own nation, from the arrival of the first Americans on this continent, to the conclusion of the civil war that threatened to divide our young nation in two.
As we travel in search of American history, we will explore the following guiding questions. Each of us will attempt to forge our own, personal answers through research, discussion, and writing.
INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS and liberties are protected by the Bill of Rights of our Constitution and cherished by many as a key part of our national character. How do we decide which rights must be protected? When, if ever, should we limit individual rights in order to protect the larger community?
ECONOMIC AND PHYSICAL GROWTH has long helped to define America as the "Land of Opportunity." From the founding of the first European colonies to the addition of Alaska and Hawaii as states in 1959, economic development has followed the expansion of the frontier. How can we continue to "grow" economically without further physical expansion? How might our economy change and evolve in a future of finite resources?
THE PROMISE OF HUMAN EQUALITY ("We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal") immortalized in our Declaration of Independence is the stuff of legend. We often forget that those noble words were written by a slave owner in a society that excluded women and the poor, as well as many others, from the democratic process. How and why has the American government granted suffrage and civil rights to groups that were previously considered "less equal"? How will the future continue to see the fulfillment of Jefferson's promise of equality?
IMMIGRANTS AND IMMIGRATION have shaped American history since the first explorers and colonists dropped anchor in a "new world" that was already home to millions of native peoples, transforming the lives of present and future generations. While the United States is largely a nation of immigrants, immigration policy remains a hotly contested issue. What obligations do Americans have to immigrants? What obligations do immigrants have to America?
LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL is another American promise, one that may seem empty when we are studying some of the darker chapters in our nation's history. How can we, as students of history, use our knowledge of the American past to inform our actions in the present, and work toward a more free and just future?
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Useful Links
- Three Year Curriculum Guide
- See fabulous photos at our Tableau Blog
- Visit Mac's Objectives Page - An explanation of what I hope you'll get out of my class!
- Peruse the California State Standards - Content
- Discover our text: History Alive! The United States Through Industrialism
- Link to my presentation to Mrs. Kelly's Intro to Ed class
Visit past websites:
Rome Medieval Renaissance 2008 - 2009
Links for Teachers
- Visit the Class Calendar and Lesson Plan Pages. (Some lessons may involve SURPRISES for students, hence the password protection!)
