Full course description
Course Description
U.S. History A is the first semester in a two-semester series that traces the story of the United States from the end of the Civil War to beginning of the 21st century. Students will examine how the role of the federal government has changed over the time at home and abroad as well as how different groups of people sought to achieve the equality of opportunity promised by the Founding Fathers. In U.S. History A, students will track the impact of industrialization on westward expansion as well as immigration and urbanization. Additionally, students will see the position of the United States in the world change as the country became a global power, including the country’s role in World War I. Finally, students will have the opportunity to develop skills such as making comparisons, determining causation, and analyzing change over time.
Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS)
UTHS courses are designed in alignment to the Texas Essential Knowledge and Skills (TEKS) which define the skills and content to be taught in each course and grade level in the state of Texas.
Semester Topics
- Unit 1: U. S. History in Review (Beginnings - 1877)
- Unit 2: Industry and Immigration
- Unit 3: The Gilded Age
- Unit 4: The Progressive Movement
- Unit 5: Age of Empire
- Unit 6: The United States and the Great War
- Unit 7: The Roaring 20s
- Unit 8: The Great Depression
- Unit 9: Franklin Roosevelt and the New Deal
Course Objectives
Upon completing this course, you will be able to—
- identify the causes and effects of the Civil War;
- analyze the political, social, demographic, and economic issues brought about by rapid industrialization;
- trace the changes in Native American policies in the United States;
- evaluate the effects of Progressive era reforms;
- explain how significant events, policies, and individuals moved the United States into a position of a world power;
- identify the causes of World War I and reasons for U.S. entry;
- analyze causes of economic growth and prosperity in the 1920s, including Warren Harding’s Return to Normalcy, reduced taxes, and increased production efficiency;
- evaluate various means of achieving equality of political rights, including the 19th amendment and congressional acts such as the American Indian Citizenship Act of 1924;
- identify the causes of the Great Depression, including the impact of tariffs on world trade, stock market speculation, bank failures, and the monetary policy of the Federal Reserve System;
- describe how various New Deal agencies and programs, including the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, the Securities and Exchange Commission, and the Social Security Administration, continue to affect the lives of U.S. citizens.
Required Course Materials
Please visit the Computer Requirements page to view minimum device, internet, and application requirements for all UT High School courses. Generally, a desktop or laptop device five (5) years or newer with access to an office suite, such as Microsoft Office or Google Workspace, will be adequate to participate in most UTHS courses.
Unless otherwise noted, students are responsible for purchasing or securing all the following course materials:
- Textbook: A textbook is not required for this course.
- Interactive Notebook: A paper or digital composition book is acceptable. For paper composition books, please also have the following items on hand:
- Pens or Pencils
- Tape or Glue
Course Organization
Students must complete the course in sequence: You will not be able to access the next unit until all work in the preceding unit is completed. You may take your final exam only after completing all units and submitting all graded assignments.
- Units: Each unit includes multiple lessons and graded assignments as well as ungraded practice quizzes to help you check your understanding of the material.
- Summative Assessments: Each course includes two online, virtually proctored summative assessments testing your understanding of the material presented in the preceding 2-3 Units.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 1 hr 30 min
- Final Exam: Each course includes an online, virtually proctored final exam testing your knowledge of all material presented in the course.
- Format: Online, Multiple-choice
- Time Allowed: 3 hrs 20 min
Course Grade Weighting
Your final course grade is calculated by weighting the three assignment groups displayed in the table below:
| Assignment Group | Total Assignments | Weight |
|---|---|---|
| Graded Assignments | 12-18 | 50% |
| Summative Assessments | 2 | 25% |
| Final Exam | 1 | 25% |
Online Proctored Exams
All course exams, including both summative assessments and the final exam, must be completed online. Students must test online with Proctorio and are required to add the Proctorio extension to either their Microsoft Edge or Google Chrome browser—installation instructions are provided in the student's course. Proctorio uses a student's computer, web camera, and microphone to record video of both the student and their desktop during the exam. Then, UTHS instructors review the student's exam video data collected by Proctorio. Only authorized UTHS staff and instructors can view the exam recordings. Student data is not shared with any persons or organizations outside of UTHS and are deleted after one year. We encourage you to visit Proctorio's Data Security and Privacy site pages to learn more about how we protect student date.