National Standards for United States History

Developed through a broad-based national consensus building process, the National History Standards project has involved working toward agreement both on the larger purposes of history in the school curriculum and on the more specific history understandings and thinking processes that all students should have equal opportunity to acquire over 12 years of precollegiate education. Divided into 4 chapters, this document presents the standards for U.S. history for grades 5-12. The first chapter is on developing standards in U.S. history. It discusses the significance of history for the educated citizen, provides a definition of standards and the criteria for their development, and describes the process of developing the standards. Three policy issues are identified: (1) ensuring equity for all students; (2) providing adequate instructional time for history; and (3) accommodating variability in state and local curriculum plans. Chapter 2 provides an overview of standards in historical thinking, discussing chronological thinking, historical comprehension, historical analysis and interpretation, historical research capabilities, and historical issues analysis and decision making. Chapter 3 is an overview of U.S. history standards integrating historical thinking and historical understanding. The chapter defines 10 eras in U.S. history: (1) three worlds meet, beginnings to 1620; (2) colonization and settlement, 1585-1763; (3) revolution and the new nation, 1754-1820s; (4) expansion and reform, 1801-1861; (5) Civil War and reconstruction, 1850-77; (6) development of the industrial United States, 1870-1900; (7) emergence of modern America, 1890-1930; (8) Great Depression and World War II, 1929-45; (9) postwar United States, 1945-early 1970s; and (10) contemporary, 1968-present. Chapter 4 lists teaching resources for U.S. history. An appendix contains organizational information. (DK)