Introduction:

On September 11th, 2001 there were a series of four coordinated terrorist attacks by the Islamic terrorist group al-Qaeda on the United States on the morning of Tuesday, September 11, 2001. The attacks killed 2,996 people and injured over 6000 others, and caused at least $10 billion in property and infrastructure damage and $3 trillion in total costs. These attacks fundamentally shifted American foreign policy and began our current War on Terror. In this unit we are going to try to explore the causes, key events, and consequences of this event, focused around the below key questions:


1. What were the causes and effects of 9/11, both within the United States and internationally?
2. How should we define terrorism? What is the difference between a terrorist and a freedom fighter?
3. To what extent is terrorism a threat to the United States and the international community?
4. How should the United States and international community respond to the threat of terrorism at home and abroad?
5. To what extent has the war on terror been a success?

Resources:Our resources for this unit will be drawn from the variety of news sources and class resources that will all be made available on the website. We will analyze a number of primary and secondary sources drawn from the Choices series Response to Terrorism. Students are expected to keep all provided resources in their binders. If you ever miss a class and do not receive a hard copy of a resource, please download and print one from the unit calendar.

Assessment

Throughout our unit, you will learn content and practice historical skills to help demonstrate mastery of the below standards. These standards will be used to design assessment rubrics and to report on your attainment in World History.

Argumentative Writing (Assessment = Policy Paper for Debate on War on Terror)

Writing 1: Focus/Thesis: I can clearly develop and identify the main point of my writing.
Writing 2: Evidence/Historical Details: I can use a variety of types of evidence to support my main point. 
Writing 3: Historical Analysis: I can create a cogent and compelling argument
Writing 4: Social Studies Writing: I can organize my ideas, write using proper citations, and use a variety of writing strategies. 

Historical Thinking/Concepts (Assessment = Historical Skills Assessment)
HT1: Significance (Identifications): I can define key terms and explain how they are important to the understanding of the historical topic.
HT 2: Cause and Effect: I can explain the causes and effects of complex historical events.
HT 3: Perspectives (OPVL Source Analysis):I can analyze the value and limitations of a variety of types of sources in regards to studying history.
HT 4: Change & Continuity: I can explain how themes in history have remained the same and how they have changed.

Life Skills (2)
LS 1: 21st Century Life Skills: I can collaborate with my peers to discuss and support complex ideas, and use technology responsibly to explore the past and present. (Formative Tasks and Research)

LS2: 21st Geography: I can effectively apply geographic and skills to better interpret the past


Unit Calendar

The calendar outlines the plan for our day to day in class activities and the homework that will be assigned. The expectation is that students complete all homework assignments for the next lesson unless otherwise indicated on the calendar. While we would like this to be set in stone, unforeseen events and intriguing tangents might change the plan so if you are ever in doubt on what is due and when, please ask!