Modern U.S.

History Semester Introduction

As you study the story

of modern American
history, you will learn
about the people and
events that helped
define the United
States. Explore what
Welcome to
you will encounter in a
typical Modern U.S.
History lesson. Modern U.S.
History
Daily Checklist

The Daily Checklist will

list each activity you
must complete for the
lesson. Print or write the
Daily Checklist, and
check off each activity
as you complete it. Use
this as a tool to ensure
you’ve completed each
activity in the lesson.
Online Activities

Some of the History

activities are online. You
might find yourself
reading background text
online or completing an
online activity.
Online Activities: Warm-up

Warm-Ups are
designed to pique your
interest in the lesson or
a particular topic.
Photos, maps,
websites, and
narrations are just a few
of the things you may
encounter in a Warm-
Up.
Online Activities: Interactive Activities

You’ll read from The American

Odyssey: A History of the
United States. In the early part
of the course, you will not be
reading the entire chapter—
only sections of the chapter.
The early chapters in the
textbook will serve as
background or reference
information. You may go online
to examine a time line, explore
an interactive map, analyze
political cartoons, visit a
museum or website, or
complete an interactive
activity.
Online Activities: Virtual Field Trip

The Internet offers

many fascinating
websites that can enrich
your understanding of
history. Occasionally
you will be asked to
take a Virtual Field Trip
to learn more about a
topic. You will complete
an activity sheet as you
visit the websites.
Online Activities: Optional Activities

When something really

intrigues you, you may
delve deeper with
Beyond the Lesson.
This optional online
activity allows you to
visit websites, hear
music and narrations,
take virtual tours of
museums and historic
places, and play
interactive games.
Offline Activities

Some History activities

are offline. To get
started on them, print
the Student Guide and
any activity sheets in
the Materials list.
Offline Activities: Student Guide

The Student Guide

provides step-by-step
directions. The sections
in the Student Guide
vary from lesson to
lesson. Let’s take a
closer look at what
you’ll find.
Offline Activities: Read

You will usually start the lesson by

reading from The American Odyssey:
A History of the United States. To
reinforce the important ideas in the
reading, you will complete a Reading
Guide. Occasionally you will
encounter a critical thinking icon in
front of a question. It indicates that
you will need to think carefully about
the question and draw upon your
knowledge—you will not find the
answer in one specific location in the
book. Some Reading Guides are
used to answer two or three
questions in a lesson Checkpoint—
an easy four to six points in the
grade book.
Offline Activities: Activity Sheets

Activity sheets are

designed to reinforce
lesson objectives and to
help you learn and
retain the information
presented in the lesson.
As with Reading
Guides, activity sheets
are occasionally used
for lesson Checkpoints.
The answers to the
questions come directly
from the activity sheet.
Grades

You will receive grades

on several types of
activities: Checkpoints,
Graded Assignments,
Quizzes, and Tests.
Grades: Checkpoints

You can earn points by

completing
Checkpoints. These
short activities are
based on the
completion of Reading
Guides, activity sheets,
and online activities.
They are worth
anywhere from two to
six points. It’s a quick,
easy way to earn points
for your final grade.
Grades: Graded Assignments

Some lessons will have

a Graded Assignment.
Your teacher will tell
you when an
assignment is due and
tell you how to submit it.
Grades: Quizzes and Tests

You will also have

quizzes and tests.
They may be online
or offline. The
computer will grade
the online tests and
quizzes and report
your score
immediately. You will
submit offline tests
and quizzes to the
teacher.
Modern U.S. History Semester Introduction

Are you ready to get started on Modern U.S. History?