e-Learning at the YCDSB

American History (CHA3U)
Grade 11, University Preparation


This course traces the social, economic, and political development of the United States from colonial times to the present. Students will examine issues of diversity, identity, and culture that have influenced the country’s social and political formation and will consider the implications of its expansion into a global superpower. Students will use critical-thinking and communication skills to determine causal relationships, evaluate multiple perspectives, and present their own points of view.

Prerequisite: Canadian History Since World War I, Grade 10, Academic or Applied
Credit Value: 1.0
Required Text: None

Unit 1: Establishing the American Nation 1608-1791
Students examine the first contact between the indigenous people and Europeans and the development of the Thirteen Colonies in North America. The causes and events of the American Revolution are examined, and the attempts to establish a government structure for the new nation are analyzed. Students become acquainted with primary documents from the period. They practice research skills and take part in role-playing and debate.

Unit 2: Consolidating the American Nation 1792-1849
Students become better acquainted with the current government system of the United States by studying its origins in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. The concepts of American expansionism, civil disobedience, and technological development are examined in this unit. Students are introduced to the course culminating activity – a research essay. They perform preliminary work with thesis statement, supporting opinions and proper historical citations.

Unit 3: Fracturing the American Nation 1850-1876
The lessons in this unit are designed to help students develop a foundation from which to understand the basic disagreements between the North and the South that threatened to fracture America in the mid-nineteenth century. They examine the different economies and evolving cultures of the northern and southern United States during this era. Students write news reports from a Northern and Southern perspective. Among other tasks, they examine causation, technology, and visual art from the period.

Unit 4: An Industrious Nation Develops 1877-1945
In the years following the Civil War, America continued to develop westward and became more modern, urban, and industrial. The Activities in the unit examine American treatment of Aboriginals, immigrants, and minority groups. Students look at American industrialism, imperialism, and frontier life. They study the powerful signposts of World War I, the Roaring Twenties, the Depression, the New Deal, and World War II. Among other activities, students take part in group work, letter-writing, primary document study, and speech-making.

Unit 5: Post-World War America
The lessons in this unit are designed to better acquaint students with the following concepts: Cold War, Vietnam War, Civil Rights, Popular Culture, and Nonconformity. Students take part in online role-playing and discussion. They complete a course culminating activity: a research essay.

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