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The Story of US: Then and Now

Last updated over 1 year ago
13 questions
Directions: Throughout the school year, you learned about many important historic events. Now, we are going to look at the way we see history reflected in our society today. Please complete each question below thoroughly to earn full credit on this assignment.


Theme One: American Spirit
Observe: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Describe the image in detail as if you were writing an article.

Translation: "Hoy Marchamos Mañana votamos." → "Today we march, tomorrow we vote."

1

I see... (Describe image using details and descriptive language)

1

What would be a creative headline for this image in a newspaper?

Observe: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Describe the image in detail as if you were writing an article.
1

I see... (Describe image using details and descriptive language)

1

What would be a creative headline for this image in a newspaper?

Drawing Connections to the Past: American Spirit
Remember: After years of feeling mistreated by the king of Britain, the colonists finally had enough, and a revolution began. Colonists shouted "no taxation without representation in the streets" and boycotted British materials with the hopes of earning equality.

One of the most famous acts of resistance was the Boston Tea Party. Under the cover of nightfall, colonists dressed up as Native Americans and dumped the equivalent of over a million dollars of British tea in the harbor to protest unfair taxation.

1

Putting It All Together: In what ways is the spirit of the American Revolution in 1776 reflected in modern day acts of protest? How has the tradition of protest changed or stayed the same?

Your response should be at least two complete sentences.

Sentence Starters:
  • One way the American Revolution spirit is reflected in today's acts of protest is_______________________. This reflects the American Revolution spirit because_______________________________________________.
  • Protesting has _____(changed or stayed the same)____________ because _________________________________________.
*Remember to answer both parts of the question.*

Do not go on to question #6 until your teacher confirms your question #5 is good to go!
Theme Two: American Conflict
Observe: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Describe the image in detail as if you were writing an article.
1

I see... (Describe image using details and descriptive language)

1

What would be a creative headline for this image in a newspaper?

Observe: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Describe the image in detail as if you were writing an article.
1

I see... (Describe image using details and descriptive language)

1

What would be a creative headline for this image in a newspaper?

Drawing Connections to the Past: American Conflict
Remember: During the American Revolution, colonists also protested by tearing down statues of King George III, the ruler of England at the time.
Remember: The Civil War was the deadliest conflict in United States History with 620,000-750,000 soldiers dead. Fought over slavery, both the North and the South were willing to die over what they believed their rights were.

1

Putting It All Together: Is the removal of Confederate statues an erasure of history or a dismantling of racism? Why or why not?

Your response should be at least two complete sentences.

Sentence Starter:
  • The removal of Confederate statues is _________(erasure of history OR dismantling racism)____________. It is _____________ because_______________________________________________________________________.

Do not go on to question #11 until your teacher confirms your question #10 is good to go!
Theme Three: American Progress
Observe: Pretend you are a newspaper reporter. Describe the image in detail as if you were writing an article.
1

I see... (be as detailed as you can)

1

I would title this... (come up with a different title than the one pictured ;)

Drawing Connections to the Past: American Progress
Remember: While Reconstruction was initially successful and Black males earned the right to vote through the 15th Amendment, reconstruction quickly turned ugly. The emergence of challenging and unfair literacy tests brought African American voting percentages down to virtually zero.
Did You Know? Literacy tests were eventually abolished in the South by 1971. This progress was made possible by the Voting Rights Act of 1965, which:
  • protected the right to vote for all citizens.
  • forced the states to obey the Constitution.
  • reinforced the 15th Amendment.
Ten years later, in 1975, the Voting Rights Act was amended to also protect "language minority citizens" like Latino, Asian, and American Indians by requiring that states provide ballots and information in additional languages.

1

Putting It All Together: What other changes do you think are necessary for the U.S. to maintain democracy?

Your response should be at least two complete sentences.

Sentence Starter:
  • One change that is necessary for the U.S. to maintain democracy is_______________________________. This change is necessary because _____________________________________________________________________.

Do not submit until your teacher confirms your question #13 is good to go!