Welcome to the Post-War United states!
California Content standards
11.8 Students analyze the economic boom and social transformation of post-World War II America.
- Trace the growth of service sector, white collar, and professional sector jobs in business and government.
- Describe the significance of Mexican immigration and its relationship to the agricultural economy, especially in California.
- Examine Truman's labor policy and congressional reaction to it.
- Analyze new federal government spending on defense, welfare, interest on the national debt, and federal and state spending on education, including the California Master Plan.
- Describe the increased powers of the presidency in response to the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War.
- Discuss the diverse environmental regions of North America, their relationship to local economies, and the origins and prospects of environmental problems in those regions.
- Describe the effects on society and the economy of technological developments since 1945, including the computer revolution, changes in communication, advances in medicine, and improvements in agricultural technology.
- Discuss forms of popular culture, with emphasis on their origins and geographic diffusion (e.g., jazz and other forms of popular music, professional sports, architectural and artistic styles).
11.9 Students analyze U.S. foreign policy since World War II.
- Discuss the establishment of the United Nations and International Declaration of Human Rights, International Monetary Fund, World Bank, and General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT) and their importance in shaping modern Europe and maintaining peace and international order.
- Understand the role of military alliances, including NATO and SEATO, in deterring communist aggression and maintaining security during the Cold War.
- Trace the origins and geopolitical consequences (foreign and domestic) of the Cold War and containment policy, including the following:
- The era of McCarthyism, instances of domestic Communism (e.g., Alger Hiss) and blacklisting
- The Truman Doctrine
- The Berlin Blockade
- The Korean War
- The Bay of Pigs invasion and the Cuban Missile Crisis
- Atomic testing in the American West, the "mutual assured destruction" doctrine, and disarmament policies
- The Vietnam War
- Latin American policy
Common core state standards
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.4 Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.7 Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.8 Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.RH.11-12.9 Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2 Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2a Introduce a topic and organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2b Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2c Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2d Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic; convey a knowledgeable stance in a style that responds to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers.
- CCSS.ELA-Literacy.WHST.11-12.2e Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).
driving questions
- How did the United States' economy change after World War II? Explain what types of changes occurred.
- Describe how the diverse geographical features of the United States, effected the country after World War II? Did anything change because of this?
- Explain how the American presidency became a more powerful entity after World War II?
- In what ways did American innovation and culture alter the American way of life after World War II?
Big Ideas
- How did the American workforce change after World War II? How did the returning American soldiers fit into the returning workforce?
- In what ways did the reconstruction of Europe contribute to the changes in the economy of the United States?
- Describe the role of the government in education, welfare and military spending.
- Why did the role of the president change after World War II and during the Cold War? Discuss the powers gained from each event.
- How did the expansion of cities like Los Angeles, Las Vegas and San Francisco affect the geography of the country?
- In what ways did the invention of television affect the United States culturally and technologically?
- Evaluate the role of McCarthyism on the United States? How did affect American life for Americans?
- Discuss the United Nations and the methods that it uses to maintain peace in the post-war world.
Assessment
- Identify the major aspects of Suburban culture and Suburbia in the United States.
- Written Analysis of the Primary Documents describing the way women are portrayed and different advertising techniques used in the 1950s.
- Compare and contrast the McCarthy era Red Scare with the modern day War on Terror through the use of a graphic foldable.
- Simulation involving students portraying various countries in the United Nations and the role the UN plays on shaping world policy.
- Create a newspaper article describing the role of technology, culture and society on the idea of the American Dream.