Students brainstorm how a space alien might describe American society as distinguished from people of other nations. Then they sequence any three eras in U.S. history. Next they name a turning point in U.S. history and apply questions about change and continuity to it. Finally they learn about American exceptionalism as defined by Alexis de Tocqueville and Seymour Martin Lipset, and they analyze how one of the values contributes to America’s success as a constitutional republic.
Students read an introduction explaining that this course begins U.S. history around 1880 and that they will use key historical concepts to study later eras. They imagine themselves as extraterrestrial visitors who have traveled the globe and then respond to a collaborative wall prompt describing how they would characterize people of the United States and what distinguishes Americans from people of other nations.
Teacher MovesPreview the experience overview and objectives, then facilitate the brainstorming activity about American identity. Share findings from the Pew Research Center study (for example, Americans’ individualism, work ethic, religiosity, and optimism) to deepen the discussion. Organize students into small groups for upcoming scenes and use the gate to transition when groups are ready.
Working in small groups with a designated note taker, students review that they have previously studied U.S. history up through Reconstruction and that they will now examine more modern eras. After reading an explanation of how historians divide the past into eras or periods, they complete a graphic organizer by selecting any three eras of U.S. history and placing them in chronological order, adding approximate years if they know them.
Teacher MovesClarify the idea of historical eras and how historians may divide time differently. If needed, provide example eras and model how to identify defining characteristics such as major political, economic, social, or cultural changes. Invite volunteers to share which eras they chose and what makes each era distinct, prompting students to articulate key characteristics. Use the gate to move the class forward once groups have finished.
Students read about turning points as major moments when historical development changes direction or pace. In small groups, they contribute to a word cloud by naming one or more nineteenth-century turning points in U.S. history. They then read about the concepts of continuity and change, including guiding questions about change, continuity, progress, and decline. Using a graphic organizer, groups select one turning point from the word cloud and answer the four questions to analyze what changed, what stayed the same, who benefitted, and who did not.
Teacher MovesReinforce the definition of turning points and connect examples students suggest to broader historical shifts. Introduce and clarify the concepts of continuity, change, progress, and decline, modeling how historians use these questions to interpret events. Review several completed organizers with the class, prompting students to compare interpretations, note agreements and disagreements, and understand that historians often debate how to evaluate change over time. Use the gate to transition to the next scene when students are ready.
Students revisit the “space alien” idea as they learn about Alexis de Tocqueville’s 1830s visit to the United States and his book Democracy in America. They watch the video resource Alexis De Tocqueville and use a table to summarize five main ideas from the work. Next, they read an excerpt in which Tocqueville describes the United States as exceptional and then read a brief explanation of Seymour Martin Lipset’s concept of American exceptionalism and his five core American values: liberty, egalitarianism, individualism, populism, and laissez faire. Finally, in small groups they post to a collaborative wall, choosing one or more of Lipset’s values, explaining how the value contributes to America’s success as a constitutional republic, and providing a specific example.
Teacher MovesProvide context for Tocqueville’s travels and guide students as they identify and record the main ideas from the video, checking that groups capture the key points. Read and discuss the Tocqueville excerpt and Lipset’s definition of American exceptionalism, then explicitly define and elaborate on each of the five values, highlighting how they can support or conflict with one another when taken to extremes. Invite students to share and discuss selected wall posts, drawing connections between the values, the idea that governmental authority comes from “the people,” and historical or contemporary examples that illustrate these principles.
Students complete the exit quiz by answering all the questions.
Teacher MovesFacilitate the assessment and use student data to evaluate understanding, address misconceptions, and identify areas for growth.
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