Kate Pawlik Helm
Extending the Curriculum II
December 16, 2008

Topic:  The Growth of US Imperialism

Grade Level/Subject:  7th Grade Social Studies

Length of Unit:  2 weeks 

Level C Assignments- You may earn a maximum of 50 points at this level Points Possible Points Earned Teacher Signature
1.  Complete lecture notes on early US imperialism (Alaska, Hawaii, Japan, and China) 5    
2.  Complete lecture notes on the Spanish-American War 5    
3.  Complete lecture notes on US imperialism in Latin America 5    
4.  Make and illustrate vocabulary flashcards for the unit 5    
5.  Create a Jeopardy game using important facts from unit 5    
6.  Write a newspaper article describing one aspect of the Spanish-American War 5    
7.  Create a graphic organizer to explain the growth of US imperialism 5    
8.  Write an editorial from the perspective of a Chinese nationalist in support of the Boxer Rebellion 5    
9.  Create a world map detailing US territories and spheres of influence by the end of 1915 5    
10.  Write a 1-page biography of Queen Liliuokalani 5    
11.  Create a Venn Diagram comparing the impact of European/US imperialism in Latin America and Asia 5    
12.  Create a poster presentation of the construction of the Panama Canal 5    
13.  Write original sentences using all the unit vocabulary 5    
14.  Create a presentation about the Rough Riders 5    
15.  Use a graphic organizer to explain the causes of the Spanish-American War and the new areas gained as a result of it 5    
16.  Create a list detailing all the reasons for needing to build the Panama Canal 5    
17.  Create a timeline of US imperialism from 1867 to 1915 5    
18.  Write a letter to the US President from the perspective of William Seward explaining why the US should purchase Alaska from Russia 5    
19.  Write a 1-page paper explaining the tensions between native Hawaiians and American planters/landowners 5    
20.  Explain the position of the Japanese samurai to Japanese industrialization and modernization 5    
 
 
Level B Assignments- Choose 1 from the following. Points Possible Points Earned Teacher Signature
21.  Create a list of the pros and the cons of both Isolationism and Expansionism and then take a position and defend it. 20    
22.  Create a political cartoon in support of or against the takeover of Hawaii by the United States 20    
23.  Use the paintings of Frederic Remington to tell the story of the Spanish-American War 20    
24.  Choose 1 of the 3 (Philippines, Cuba, or Puerto Rico).  As a leader of that country, decide if you want to remain under US control, pursue statehood, or try for independence.  Write a position paper in which you defend your choice. 20    
 
 
Level A Assignments- Choose 1 from the following. Points Possible Points Earned Teacher Signature
25.  Research the use of yellow journalism in the Spanish-American War.  Write a compare/contrast essay examining the use of journalism today and its role in the Iraq and Afghan Wars. 30    
26.  Explain the foreign policies of the following 3 US presidents (Theodore Roosevelt- Roosevelt Corollary; William Taft-Dollar Diplomacy; and Woodrow Wilson- Democracy Promotion).  Write a position paper in which you defend your choice of the most effective. 30