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." 
 
Act 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.
 
Act 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.
 
Materials: There will be two books students will utilized for this course. All other lessons are delivered online through the course Learning Management System (LMS).​ 
Required Books to :   
American YAWP.  Cost of Digital Book: Free. (Printed Copy available for purchase on Amazon)
"400 Souls" - Edited by Ibram Kendi. (Any format will work - printed or digital. The Audio book is AMAZING). This book will be used for the entirity of the course.
Required Technology: A device with internet access. Laptop is preferred, but tablets work with the course as well. Either a 3 subject notebook or Google Drive for recording work.​ Speechify is a recommended Text-to-Voice Chrome extension. This supports students who struggle to read complex texts.
Credits:  Each act will take ~120 hours of work to complete, which will vary based on the student's reading speed.
Time to Complete: This will depend on the family's weekly structure:​
(A) 3 Days per week = 1 Act per 32-35 week school year​
(B) 5 Days per week = 1 Act per 16-18 week semester. Using 5 days per week, Act 1 & Act 2 can be completed in one academic year.​​​​
Course Access: Act 1 provides families with one year of access to the material. Families are not required to use the whole years, but have that window of flexibility. 
Who Should Take This Course? : American History is a survey course, that begins to "go deeper" into history. The course is aimed at a strong 9th grade through 11th grade student.  
Skills Students will need to begin: 11-12th grade reading level (the American YAWP is a 1210-1400 Lexile Score). Ability to read 8-10 pages of non-fiction text. Most activities will require multiple sentences in response. There will be longer assignments that will be multiple pages.