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Standards of Learning--U. S. History Resources

There are links at the bottom of this page and every page on GeoLibrary to link to other GeoLibrary pages. The standards for eleventh-grade students cover the historical development of American ideas and institutions from the Age of Exploration to the present. While focusing on political and economic history, the standards provide students with a basic knowledge of American culture through a chronological survey of major issues, movements, people, and events in United States and Virginia history.

11.1 The student will analyze and explain the contacts between American Indians and European settlers during the Age of Discovery, in terms of

economic and cultural characteristics of the groups;
motives and strategies of the explorers and settlers;
impact of European settlement on the American Indians;
legacies of contact, cooperation, and conflict from that period.

11.2 The student will compare the colonization of Virginia with that of other American colonies, in terms of

motivations of ethnic, religious, and other immigrants and their influences on the settlement of colonies;
economic activity;
political developments;
social customs, the arts, and religious beliefs.

11.3 The student will analyze and explain events and ideas of the Revolutionary Period, with emphasis on

changes in British policies that provoked the American colonists;
the debate within America concerning separation from Britain;
the Declaration of Independence and "Common Sense;"
individuals, including Virginians, who provided leadership in the Revolution;
key battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions.

11.4 The student will analyze the events and ideas of the Constitutional Era, with emphasis on

new constitutions in Virginia and other states, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom, the Virginia Declaration of Rights, and the Articles of Confederation;
issues and policies affecting relations among existing and future states, including the Northwest Ordinance;
the Constitutional Convention, including the leadership of James Madison and George Washington;
the struggle for ratification of the Constitution, including the Federalist Papers and the arguments of the Anti- Federalists;
the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

11.5 The student will analyze and explain events of the Early National Period, with emphasis on

organization of the national government under the new Constitution;
major domestic and foreign affairs issues facing the first presidents and Congress;
the development of political parties;
the impact of Supreme Court decisions affecting interpretation of the Constitution, including Marbury v. Madison and McCulloch v. Maryland;
foreign relations and conflicts, including the War of 1812 and the Monroe Doctrine;
the Louisiana Purchase and the acquisition of Florida;
economic development, trade, tariffs, taxation, and trends in the national debt.

11.6 The student will analyze the causes and effects of major events of the Civil War and Reconstruction, including

slavery;
States' Rights Doctrine;
tariffs and trade;
settlement of the West;
secession;
militaryadvantages of the Union and the Confederacy;
threat of foreign intervention;
economic and political impact of the war;
roles played by individual leaders;
impact of Reconstruction policies on the South.

11.7 The student will analyze the impact of immigration on American life, in terms of

contributions of immigrant groups and individuals;
ethnic conflict and discrimination.

11.8 The student will summarize causes and effects of the Industrial Revolution, with emphasis on

new inventions and industrial production methods;
new technologies in transportation and communication;
incentives for capitalism and free enterprise;
the impact of immigration on the labor supply and the movement to organize workers;
government policies affecting trade, monopolies, taxation, and money supply;
expansion of international markets;
the impact of industrialization, urbanization, and immigration on American society.

11.9 The student will analyze and explain the importance of World War I, in terms of

the end of the Ottoman Empire and the creation of new states in the Middle East;
the declining role of Great Britain and the expanding role of the United States in world affairs;
political, social, and economic change in Europe and the United States;
causes of World War II.

11.10 The student will analyze and explain the Great Depression, with emphasis on

causes and effects of changes in business cycles;
weaknesses in key sectors of the economy in the late 1920's;
United States government economic policies in the late 1920's;
causes and effects of the Stock Market Crash;
the impact of the Depression on the American people;
the impact of New Deal economic policies;
the impact of the expanded role of government in the economy since the 1930's.

11.11 The student will demonstrate an understanding of the origins and effects of World War II, with emphasis on

the rise and aggression of totalitarian regimes in Germany, Italy, and Japan;
the role of the Soviet Union;
appeasement,isolationism, and the war debates in Europe and the United States prior to the outbreak of war;
the impact of mobilization for war, at home and abroad;
major battles, military turning points, and key strategic decisions;
the Holocaust and its impact;
the reshaping of the United States' role in world affairs after the war.

11.12 The student will analyze and explain United States foreign policy since World War II, with emphasis on

the origins and both foreign and domestic consequences of the Cold War;
communist containment policies in Europe, Latin America, and Asia;
the strategic and economic factors in Middle East policy;
relations with South Africa and other African nations;
the collapse of communism and the end of the Cold War;
new challenges to America's leadership role in the world.

11.13 The student will evaluate federal civil rights and voting rights developments since the 1950's, in terms of

the Brown v. Board of Education decision and its impact on education;
civil rights demonstrations and related activity leading to desegregation of public accommodations, transportation, housing, and employment;
reapportionment cases and voting rights legislation and their impact on political participation and representation;
affirmative action.

11.14 The student will demonstrate an understanding of domestic policy issues in contemporary American society by

comparing conservative and liberal economic strategies;
explaining current patterns of Supreme Court decisions and evaluating their impact;
comparing the positions of the political parties and interest groups on major issues.

11.15 The student will explain relationships between geography and the historical development of the United States by using maps, pictures, and computer databases to

locate and explain the location and expansion of the original colonies;
trace the advance of the frontier and the territorial expansion of the United States and explain how it was influenced by the physical environment;
locate new states as they were added to the Union;
understand the settlement patterns, migration routes, and cultural influence of various racial, ethnic, and religious groups;
compare patterns of agricultural and industrial development in different regions as they relate to natural resources, markets, and trade;
analyze the political, social, and economic implications of demographic changes in the nation over time.

11.16 The student will interpret the significance of excerpts from famous speeches and documents in United States history, including "The Letter from Birmingham Jail," "Speak softly and carry a big stick...," "The Gettysburg Address," and "The Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom."
11.17 The student will develop skills for historical analysis, including the ability to

analyze documents, records, and data (such as artifacts, diaries, letters, photographs, journals, newspapers, historical accounts, etc.);
evaluate the authenticity, authority, and credibility of sources;
formulate historical questions and defend findings based on inquiry and interpretation;
develop perspectives of time and place, including the construction of various time lines of events, periods, and personalities in American history;
communicate findings orally, in brief analytical essays, and in a comprehensive paper.

11.18 The student will develop skills in discussion, debate, and persuasive writing with respect to enduring issues and determine how divergent viewpoints have been addressed and reconciled. Such issues include

civil disobedience vs. the rule of law;
slavery and its impact;
the relationship of government to the individual in economic planning and social programs;
freedom of the press vs. the right to a fair trial;
the tension between majority rule and minority rights;
problems of intolerance toward racial, ethnic, and religious groups in American society;
the evolution of rights, freedoms, and protections through political and social movements.