Discussion

Readings* https://openstax(dot)org/details/books/us-history * Please label M5D1 and D2 please- about 250 words each post . Welcome to Module 5. This module represents the final weeks of our focused group study on the issues, themes, questions, and problems of Modern American History. Following this module, we will focus on the final revision of the research essay on which you have been working all semester. The final chapters of Major Problems in American History might read as less conclusive than those that came earlier. That lack of finality is one aspect of studying the history of the present. This module gives us an opportunity to consider the legacies of the past in molding the present and future, and our role as students of history in interpreting not only the past and the present but also the potential futures of the United States. You will also use the U.S. History textbook, but remember: you are free to use any source you find useful and when you decide what specific topics you will cover for your module posts, you will have to do some extra research for them. Key themes include: The exponential growth of government, bureaucracy, laws, and regulation. The even more exponential growth of technology with computers, the internet, and numerous hard sciences. The rise of domestic and worldwide terrorism from the 1970s through the present. The continuing globalization of economics and trade with its many advantages and disadvantages. We will explore these themes through a close discussion of the documents presented in chapters 15-16 of Major Problems in American History (Volume II), and in chapters 31-32 in the U.S. History textbook that is available in the "Course information" block. Learning activities include the module's two discussion posts, as well as a book review that is directly related to your research topic. M5 Discussion 1: Is the end nigh? **Discussion Prompt It is December 31, 1999 and you are planning the most spectacular evening out with your friends. After all, it is the end of the year, end of the decade, end of the century, and end of the millennia—with the Y2K problem, will it also be the end of the world? You are about to head out the door for your night of fun when the phone rings. It's the President of the United States, and he has been made aware of your mostly unrecognized genius—he needs you to come to the White House at once to give him a SWOT analysis of the United States of America (SWOT is an anagram that is a breakdown of Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities, and Threats). Only your insight can set the country on the right path, so do not forget to offer reasons why for each of the SWOTs you detail as you write up your post. Evaluation criteria Please support your post and its analysis with material drawn from your sources, but make sure that all of the writing is your own. In other words, do not use direct quotes or paraphrases. First, learn the narrative parts (the things that happened in history), think about them, ask yourself questions about them, and then use the topic as a framework to explain your analysis. Module 5 Discussion 2: As President, your vision of America's future **Discussion Prompt Your SWOT analysis saved the day! America not only thanked you, but you are so far ahead in the polls for the 2024 Presidential Election, that everyone else has bowed out of the race. Give us your inaugural speech but make sure it demonstrates how much you know about History and its impact on the present and future. Huzzah! Evaluation criteria Please support your post and its analysis with material drawn from your sources, but make sure that all of the writing is your own. In other words, do not use direct quotes or paraphrases. First, learn the narrative parts (the things that happened in history), think about them, ask yourself questions about them, and then use the topic as a framework to explain your analysis.