Not+So+Long+Ago

=Unit 13=
 * Describe significant cultural movements of the 1960s and 1970s
 * Identify the presidents from Nixon to Clinton and the accomplishments and failings associated with them
 * Recognize reasons for and recent trends in immigrations
 * identify political changes in Europe since 1980
 * Recognize the power of the free press in a democratic society
 * Identify ways in which democracy in the U.S. is unique in the world

Links
Lives and Times of American Presidents 1961 to Present

Key Words

 * commune**: a group of people who live together and share money and responsibilities
 * counterculture**: a culture with values that are very different from those of established society
 * hippies**: young people of the 1960s who rebelled against traditional values
 * representative democracy:** a system in which people elect representatives to make laws on their behalf

Lesson 1: Marching to a Different Beat
The young people of the '60s and '70s embraced, in varying degrees, new behavior patterns based on nonconformity and energetic idealism. Their behavior created big conflicts for middle-class Americans.

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 * 1) Read The 60s : mods & hippies / Kitty Powe-Temperley
 * 2) Read Chapter 35 in //A History of US: All the People// by Joy Hakim
 * 1) Write a short article on the counterculture in the 1960s. The counterculture was controversial. Americans applauded some of the activities of the young hippies and condemned others. Describe the following in your article - positive and negative youth activities; drug use; rock music
 * 2) Read Contemporary United States (1968 to the present) / by Douglas Lynne
 * 3) Review Presidents of the United States / by the editors of Time for kids, with Lisa DeMauro (& use for future lessons)

Lesson 2: The Nixon Era
Richard Nixon left a conflicting legacy of foreign policy triumphs and constitutional crises. He recognized China and improved relations with the Soviet Union. he expanded the Vietnam War into Laos and Cambodia without telling Congress. HE later withdrew U.S. troops from Vietnam. On the home front, he and his staff committed crimes against his political enemies and then obstructed justice by trying to cover them up. Nixon resigned when he realized Congress was about to impeach him.

Becoming Free Nixon's Resignation Speech Taking Freedom for Granted
 * 1) Read Chapter 36 in //A History of US: All the People// by Joy Hakim
 * 2) Read Richard M. Nixon / Billy Aronson
 * 3) What were the two sides of Richard Nixon? How did the two sides show themselves during his first term as president?
 * 4) What caused Nixon's downfall?

Lesson 3: Writing Wrongs
//Washington Post// reporters delved more deeply into a story about a break-in and a burglary at the offices of the Democratic national Committee. The reporters' research and the burglars' trial eventually unleashed a flood of confessions that implicated President Nixon. When Congress drew up articles of impeachment, the president resigned.

Watergate Revisiting Watergate Watergate Photo Gallery Impeachment Presidential Impeachments


 * 1) Read The Watergate scandal / Dan Elish
 * 2) Define impeachment as it relates to the President
 * 3) What were the chain of events that led to Nixon's resignation?
 * 4) Review Lives of the presidents : fame, shame (and what the neighbors thought) / written by Kathleen Krull (& use for future lessons)

Lesson 4: Presidential Times
When Nixon resigned, Gerald Ford became president and began the daunting task of healing the nation from the "long national nightmare" created by the Watergate scandal and the Vietnam War. Ford started by pardoning President Nixon and the draft protestors. His successor, Jimmy Carter, was an outsider who had trouble getting Congress to enact his programs. Although carter negotiated an important peace agreement in the Middle East, his administration was overshadowed by the energy crisis and the hostage crisis in Iran. The country slipped back into melancholy uneasiness. The Presidents of the United States Gerald R. Ford Library and Museum Gerald R. Ford American Presidents Jimmy Carter Jimmy Carter Library and Museum Panama Canal Troubles Abroad Overview of Jimmy Carter

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 * 1) Read Gift of peace : the Jimmy Carter story / Elizabeth Raum
 * 2) Complete a bio on both Gerald Ford & Jimmy Carter. Include information regarding their personal characteristics and background; major contributions; major failures; domestic & foreign policies/activities.
 * 3) Read Gerald Ford / Megan M. Gunderson

Lesson 5: Presidential Times, Part 2
Ronald Reagan, U.S. president from 1981-1989, and George Bush, 1989-1993, were the 40th and 41st presidents of the United States, respectively. George Bush was also Ronald Reagan's vice president during Reagan's two terms in office. Time Online Reagan Library Bush Library 1980s Flashback An Invisible War President Ronald Reagan


 * 1) Complete a bio on both Ronald Reagan and George Bush. Include information regarding their personal characteristics and background; major contributions; major failures; domestic & foreign policies/activities.
 * 2) Review links and research cultural changes that took place during the 1980s in America and around the world
 * 3) Read George Bush : forty-first president 1989-1993 / written and illustrated by Mike Venezia
 * 4) Read Ronald Reagan / Michael Burgan

Lesson 6: Presidential Times, Part 3
William Jefferson (Bill) Clinton was the 42nd president of the United States. During Clinton's term of office, which lasted from 1993-2001, the United States enjoyed peace and prosperity. Bill Clinton Clinton Library 1990s Flashback


 * 1) Read Bill Clinton : forty-second president 1993-2001 / written and illustrated by Mike Venezia
 * 2) Complete a bio on Bill Clinton. Include information regarding personal characteristics and background; major contributions; major failures; domestic & foreign policies/activities.

Lesson 7: Where in the World?
Huge changes occurred in the world during the last quarter of the twentieth century, particularly in Europe and Asia. Communism lost its grip on many countries and the Cold War came to an end. New nations formed and one reunited. The United States, in the role of superpower, sent troops to troubled areas.

The Rise and Fall of the Berlin Wall Cool Planet European History through Maps An Invisible War
 * 1) Review World Map Changes. Review the years 1975 and 2003 and note the differences in both Europe and Asia.
 * 2) Write two or three sentences to summarize the changes and reasons for change in Europe in the last quarter of the twentieth century.

Lesson 8: Who Are We Now?
U.S. immigration patterns have changed since the early 1900s when most immigrants came from Europe. latin Americans and Asians are writing the most recent chapters in the story of American immigration. The Peopling of America


 * 1) Read Immigration / by Peter Benoit
 * 2) Read Chapter 41 and pages 206-207 in //A History of US: All the People// by Joy Hakim
 * 3) Based on what you have read, what are the main reasons people come to the United States?
 * 4) What effects do you think immigration will have on the people of America in the future?

Lesson 9: Terrible Challenges
Americans and people around the world felt the effects of September 11, 2001.

Quilts Ease Qualms Students React to Terrorist Attack Catastrophe 9/11 - 10 Years Later
 * 1) Read Chapters 49 and 50 in //A History of US: All the People// by Joy Hakim
 * 2) Read Timeline of the war on terror / Charlie Samuels
 * 3) Read America is under attack : September 11, 2001 : the day the towers fell / Don Brown

Lesson 10: Still Experimenting
In the history of the world, there has never been a democracy as large and broad based as American democracy. The citizens of the United States are partners in an experiment in government--an experiment to see whether people are capable of governing themselves. The Founders had faith in this experiment, but it is not over yet. Its success depends on informed citizens who ask questions, consider options, and stand up for their beliefs.

The Land That Has Never Been Yet


 * 1) Read Chapter 51 in //A History of US: All the People// by Joy Hakim
 * 2) Write a short essay answering the question: Are freedom and democracy worth the effort?