Central Question: Who should have won the election of 2000: George W. Bush or Al Gore?
In 2000, Republican George W. Bush faced off for president against Vice President Al Gore. The election was close; so close, in fact, that a recount was necessary in Florida. In Florida, officials doing the recount discovered that voting machines did not count all of the votes because of voting errors, resulting in a manual recount. George W. Bush, who had won Florida before the recount, opposed a manual recount, suggesting that assuming the voting preferences of voters who had not voted correctly was arbitrary and unconstitutional. Gore, who had the most to gain from a manual recount, argued that a complicated voting system disenfranchised voters, whose intent was clear on their ballots. After a legal back and forth going all the way to the Supreme Court, the Supreme Court ruled in Bush’s favor, and George W. Bush became president.
For more background, read “Who Really Won?” on the CNN website and “Precedent and Prologue” on The New Yorker website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 7 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the controversial presidential election of 2000 and can successfully debate the Supreme Court’s divided opinion on the election in Bush v. Gore.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: How did U.S. defense policy change as a result of 9/11?
On September 11, 2001, not even a year into George W. Bush’s presidency, Al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four planes: two of the planes hit the World Trade Center in New York City, one hit the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and the fourth was headed for the U.S. Capitol. The greatest foreign attack ever on U.S. soil, the 9/11 attacks changed the lives of Americans forever, tearing apart families and loved ones, sparking two wars, destroying lower Manhattan, and changing security and privacy in the United States.
For more background, read “Disasters and the Politics of Memory” on the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History website (free login required), “Teaching Sept. 11 to Students Who Were Born After the Attacks Happened” on the NPR website, and “Making 9/11 Relevant to Young Learners” on the Atlantic website; and browse the National September 11 Memorial Museum website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 7 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the events of 9/11 and can explain how U.S. defense policy evolved in response to the threat of future terrorist attacks.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Watch (5 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: Should Congress have passed the Patriot Act?
The Patriot Act is legislation passed in 2001 to improve the abilities of U.S. law enforcement to detect and deter terrorism. The Patriot Act’s official title is Uniting and Strengthening America by Providing Appropriate Tools Required to Intercept and Obstruct Terrorism, or USA PATRIOT. Though the Patriot Act was modified in 2015 to help ensure the constitutional rights of ordinary Americans, some provisions of the law remain controversial.
For more background, read “The USA PATRIOT Act: Preserving Life and Liberty” on the U.S. Department of Justice website, “The Patriot Act: Key Controversies” on the NPR website, and “The Patriot Act: What Is the Proper Balance Between National Security and Individual Rights?” on the Constitutional Rights Foundation website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 7 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the Patriot Act and evaluate whether or not Congress should have passed it.
Preparation
Launch (2 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: To what extent was Hurricane Katrina a natural disaster?
By 2005, Americans were still recovering from 9/11, and the nation was deeply embroiled in the international War on Terror and the war in Iraq. At home, Americans were about to face a new crisis: Hurricane Katrina. Not only was the hurricane itself damaging, but the city of New Orleans was not prepared for a hurricane of its scale. New Orleans’ levees were weak, and despite multiple warnings to better prepare the city for such a disaster, little was done in advance. When the levees broke following the storm, mass flooding destroyed lives, homes, and much of the city. The government response to the crisis was slow, resulting in more deaths — especially among poor African Americans — because of lack of food, water, and shelter.
For more background, read “Where Black Lives Matter Began” on Slate and “10 Years After Katrina” on The New York Times website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 7 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the impact of Hurricane Katrina and can explain the extent to which the disaster was caused by the hurricane versus a lack of appropriate government action.
Launch (2 minutes)
Watch (15 minutes)
Discuss (3 minutes)
Watch (16 minutes)
Discuss (4 minutes)
Homework
Central Question: Why was Barack Obama’s campaign of hope successful in the 2008 election?
In 2008, an African American rookie senator from Illinois was elected the 44th president of the United States. Coming in during the worst economic crisis since the Great Depression, Barack Obama promised to restore hope in the United States and the American government.
For more background, read “Hope, Inc.” on Slate, “Obama’s Winning ‘Change’ Strategy” on the NPR website, and the “10 Weeks of Financial Turmoil” on The New York Times website.
Scholars understand and can fluently use the following Unit 7 Key Terms:
Scholars understand the events of 2008 and can explain how they, coupled with an inspiring campaign message of hope, led to Barack Obama’s election.
Launch (2 minutes)
Watch (3 minutes)
Discuss (5 minutes)
Homework
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