American History 1--HIST 2111 (OER): Debating the Past: Evidence & Interpretation Activities (Updated Spring 2025)

This page hosts the new materials created using an Affordable Learning Georgia Continuous Improvement Grant (round 22), which concluded in December 2023. 

The terms of the grant proposal called for the creation of the following resources:

• Central (Thematic) Organizing Questions -  Each activity is organized around a central historical question related to broad themes about citizenship such as how debates over rights, the size and scope of government, and what it means to be an American have played out in our nation’s history. This aligns the activities with both the new learning outcome and the new career-ready competencies for the Political Science & US History area of the Core IMPACTS in the University System of Georgia: 
  • Learning Outcome: Students will demonstrate knowledge of the history of the United States, the history of Georgia, and the provisions and principles of the United States Constitution and the Constitution of Georgia.
  • Career-Ready Competencies: Critical Thinking, Intercultural Competence, and Persuasion. 
     
• Explanatory Videos & Transcripts -  The module begins with a video presenting important historical, methodological, and historiographical context that students need to engage with the activity. Each video is also accompanied by a transcript for student show prefer to read.
   
• Secondary Source Articles - Each module includes 1-2 short articles that explore a scholarly approach to the question. Articles were chosen for readability and likelihood that they would spark debate about the question. They post important questions for students to consider before moving into primary source analysis.
   
• Primary Source Packets - Each module includes curated document sets, which provide 6-10 primary source excerpts offering xploring different perspectives on the central question.
   
• Discussion Questions - Each module also includes a file with different options for discussion questions. Each question can be addressed using the provided material, allowing flexibility to the instructor.
   
• New Test Bank - We have created new test banks that correspond to the videos (available on request).

Resources are available below.