N.J. Amistad Commission Web-Based Curriculum

N.J. Amistad Curriculum Web Site Overview

Amistad Curriculum 12 Units

The New Jersey Amistad Curriculum is divided into 12 units of study designed to mirror the N.J. State Social Studies Standards. The units of study are:

UNIT NAME	PERIOD	N.J. STANDARDS
UNIT 1 – Social Studies Skills	N/A	Social Studies Content Standards 6.1, 6.3.C., 6.3.D, 6.6
UNIT 2 – Indigenous Civilizations of the Americas	1000 – 1600	Social Studies Content Standards 6.3.A, 6.3.B, 6.3.D, 6.4.A, 6.4.B, 6.4.C, 6.6
UNIT 3 – The Emerging Atlantic World (Native Americans, Africans, Europeans)	1200 – 1700	Social Studies Content Standards 6.3.C, 6.3.D, 6.4.A, 6.4.B, 6.4.C
UNIT 4 – Establishment of a New Nation – Independence to Republic	1600 – 1800	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.C, 6.4.D, 6.4.E
UNIT 5 – The Constitution and the Continental Congress	1775 – 1800	Social Studies Content Standards 6.2, 6.4.E
UNIT 6 – The Evolution of a New Nation State	1801 – 1860	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.F
UNIT 7 – The Civil War and Reconstruction	1861 – 1877	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.G
UNIT 8 – Post-Reconstruction and the Origins of the Progressive Era	1878 – 1900	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.H
UNIT 9 – America Confronts the 20th Century and the Emergent Modern America	1901 – 1920	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.H, 6.4.I
UNIT 10 – America in the 1920s and 1930s; Cultural, Political, and Intellectual Development – The New Deal, Industrialization, and Global Conflict	1921 – 1945	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.I, 6.4.J
UNIT 11 – America in the Aftermath of Global Conflict: Domestic and Foreign Challenges, Implications and Consequences – The Era of Reform	1946 – 1970	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.K
UNIT 12 – National and Global Debates, Conflicts, and Developments – America Faces the 21st Century	1970 – present	Social Studies Content Standards 6.4.L

Sections of Content

Within each unit, the content is divided into the following sections:

SECTION NAME	DESCRIPTION
Activities	Activities to use in the classroom such as:
	Dialogues – Dialogues provide students the opportunity to “become” historical characters in pivotal situations. These short plays bring history to life.
	Guided Readings – Guided Readings engage students in learning about the people, places, and events that have shaped history. The questions following the readings support comprehension and writing skills.
	Lesson Plans – These plans include unit-specific material for elementary, middle, and high school classes.
	Literature Connections – Literature Connections heighten student interest with poems and folktales related to the historical topics of each unit. Through Literature Connections, students discover that historical figures and events also influence the creative arts.
	PowerPoint Presentations – The PowerPoints are engaging, content-rich presentations on key topics in each unit.
Assessments	The assessments include elementary, middle, and high school assessments in addition to document based essay assessments.
Essentials	Lists of important events, pertinent quotations, and essential vocabulary are included for each unit.
Gallery	An image gallery of important people, events, and places enhance each unit.
Griot	A Griot is a storyteller from western Africa. This section includes audio and/or video related to the time period. These may include newsreel footage, re-enactors, professor presentations, field-study trips and/or music.
Library	Each unit contains a collection of primary source material. These primary sources include government documents, letters, speeches, court cases, and legal documents.
Links	These informational sites and places to visit extend the information provided in each unit.
Rubrics	These are common to all units. They include grids and scoring criteria for student assignments.
Tools	These are common to all units. They include AIHE Signature Strategies and the Amistad Commission Suggested Content Outline and Course Pacing Charts.

What Is History?

Rethinking History for a New Curriculum: Methodology, Interpretation and Perspective

By: Lillie Johnson Edwards, Ph.D.

What is history, what is its purpose and how do historians achieve it? History is an interpretation of the past, shaped into a story or narrative that uses verifiable data or information, primarily taken from the time period being studied. Most students mistakenly assume that the facts such as names, dates, places and events play a singular role in the writing of history.

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