Breakthrough NOLA Page 1

Breakthrough NOLA
Revolutions and Protest in the 20
th
Century US
8
th
Grade Syllabus
Part 1: Course Information
Instructor Information
Instructor: Kaleb J. Banks
Telephone: 225-385-5450
E-mail: kjb234@cornell.edu
Course Description
The twentieth century was the period that began in January 1901 and
ended December 2000. This century had the first global-scale war
between several world powers across multiple continents. The 20
th

century also saw a major shift in the way that vast numbers of people
lived, as a result of changes in politics, ideology, economics, society,
culture, science, technology, and medicine. Subjects to be discussed in
class include the Progressive Era, the Roaring Twenties, the Great
Depression, Roosevelts New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, the
Civil Rights movement, the Vietnam War, Johnsons Great Society, the
student protest and counterculture movements of the 1960s, and
social changes in recent decades
Part 2: Course Objectives
In this course, we will focus on a variety of topics that relate to the
Protest an Revolution during the 20
th
Century. We will focus on writing
to answer the following questions:
What events, trends, people, politics, and culture of the century
relate to how America has developed?
How are historical ideals developed and challenged during the 20
th

century?
What are the causes and effects of different historical perspectives,
events, and relationships during the twentieth century?
How do the struggles of race and political alignment shape the
world in the twentieth century?
Course Name Semester Syllabus
Breakthrough NOLA Page 2
Part 3: Topic Outline
Important Note: Activity and assignment details will be explained in detail
within each week's corresponding learning module. If you have any
questions, please contact your instructor.

Topic 01: Introduction and Writing
Topic 02: World War I and the Russian Revolution
Topic 03: The Roaring Twenties and the Great Depression
Topic 04: World War II
Topic 05: The Cold War
Topic 06: Civil Rights
Topic 07: Contemporary Movements
Part 4: Course Policies
Participation
Students are expected to participate in all activities throughout the
course. Missing work must be completed before the end of the
summer. This is important since much of the work done in this class
will build from other topics and relate to other lessons.
There will be a course website to monitor progress at home. This
information will be released at a later date once everything has been
worked out.
Building the Classroom
If you find that you have any trouble keeping up with assignments or
other aspects of the course, make sure you let me know as early as
possible.
This course will follow Breakthroughs model: If you fail to complete
homework, you will receive a Homework BOSS. Unless there is a
parent note or notification that accompanies your lack of homework,
there are no exceptions. Also keep in mind that incomplete, messy,
and work that is less that 100% will be counted as a failure to
complete. Behavior issues will typically call for a Behavior BOSS. There
will be warnings and other behavior policies that will be covered.