LIVE COURSE DETAILS
Age & Group Size 
Age: 14+
Skills needed to start the course: 9th-10th grade reading level. The ability to read 3-5 pages of non-fiction text. The ability to write 1-2 pages.​
Group Size: 15-20 students.
Term & Time: 
Term: Fall & Spring Semester 
Date Range: 32 Weeks - The week of August 30 through May 16 
The Week of November 22nd = Thanksgiving Break
Dec 23-Jan 3 = Winter Break
The Week of April 11 = Spring Break
Live Session: Tu 3:30-4:30 pm EST via Zoom.
NOTE - Recorded Sessions: All LIVE sessions are recorded and posted for students in case they miss a class session or would like to review.
Work Time: 4-5 hours (Time will vary based upon reading speed) 
PDF Schedule: Coming Soon
Instructor: Michael Grether
Required Curriculum Materials: There will be two books utilized for this course. Both area available digitally and through print. All other lessons are delivered online through the course Learning Management System (LMS).​
Required Books: American Yawp (Digital Book: Free. Printed: ~$25)
"400 Souls" - Edited by Ibram Kendi.
Optional Reading Enrichment List: Coming Soon.
Credits:  ~120-150 Work Hours 
Grading
Who: All work will be graded by the instructor.
Type of Work:  Students will answer application questions in a short answer format based on readings, videos, maps, art, music, literature and primary source documents rooted in each era. The course builds towards a more formal research paper by the end of the semester. 
How it will be submitted: Students will submit their work through Canvas. Students may choose to complete their work on Google Drive and then submit the "Share" link.
How the work will be graded:  There will be three types of assignments - Daily Course Work, Unit Tests, End of Unit Activities. Daily work will be assessed as "complete" if it met the requirements or "incomplete" with any necessary feedback before the student resubmits. Unit Tests are automatically graded by the system. Unit Activities come at the end of the Unit, with the intention of demonstrating mastery of content and skill. These Unit Activities will have rubrics and be graded with the purpose of deeper/more intentional feedback. Unit Activities are intended to be saved/collected for portfolios for College Applicaiton or any state requirements.  
Parent Role: The parents role is to (a) make sure the student has continued internet access (b) provide encouragement during the week for the student's to be completing work (c)  communicate with the instructor with any relevant information  - such as illness, injury, or other prolonged absences. 
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COURSE DESCRIPTION 
American History. Is the story of the USA one of a City on a Hill, a Bastion of Democracy to the World, and the Champion of Industrialized Capitalism? Or is it the Global Empire built on stolen land and corporate corruption, using the tools of slavery, oppression, and genocide?

The answer is yes...and no. Well, maybe... it's complicated.

GAPro's American History is a social history that steps into the tension of this complexity. The course highlights the truly remarkable things that have happened in the USA and also the story lines that lurk in the shadows. From the heights of industrial ingenuity, phenomenal wealth, space travel, and the internet... to the depths of eugenics, redlining, Tulsa Riots, internment camps, and indigenous genocide. American History will take students on a truly unique and unforgettable historical journey that continues to shape and impact the modern world.  In the process students will develop college-ready skill sets to prepare them for the "next level" of education or careers.

Particular attention is paid to amplify the "Lost Voices" that have been muted - the triumphs and tragedies of the Indigenous Nations, the long struggle of Black People in America, the painful journey of Women, the crashing waves of immigrants filling America's shores, and the fight of the LBGTQ community to emerge "from the closet." 
 
Part 1  will take students from the Arrival of the first nations in ~30,000 BCE to the doorsteps of the US Civil War. American History will address elements of the US Constitution. However, the indepth exploration of the Constitution, political philosophy, and the government systems it created is being reserved for the US Government course.
 
Part 2  will take students from the nation's rebirth in the Civil War through Present day. Students will explore the expansion of America's influence in the world - fighting for freedoms abroad, while fighting to restrain freedoms at home. From the Cold War and Stone Wall to the BLM Social Justice protests and the January 6 riots... Students will conclude the course with a thorough understanding of America's complicated story, while developing their own theories of what the next chapter that they will get to write.