Essentials U.S. History A
Course Description:
This is a survey course of United States history focusing on the period from the Industrial Revolution through the present. The United States began as an experiment in freedom and democracy. Since its establishment, the country and its people have endured social, political and economic revolutions. In this course, students will investigate the people, events and ideas that have shaped the United States. Students are asked to analyze and evaluate decisions made by political, business, and military leaders. Emphasis is placed on connections between events of the past and present.
Course Details:
| Course Title (District): | Essentials U.S. History A | ||||||||||
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| Course Title (NCES SCED) : | Modern U.S. History | ||||||||||
| Course Provider : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Content Provided By : | Florida Virtual School | ||||||||||
| Online Instructor Provided By : | Michigan Virtual | ||||||||||
| Standards Addressed : | Michigan Merit Curriculum, Michigan K-12 Social Studies Standards | ||||||||||
| Alignment Document : | https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Yt10hct1B62MvJ6AJ1UcPEZNzew03_0bH0_Lutk_arY/edit?usp=sharing | ||||||||||
| Academic Terms : | Semester, Accelerated | ||||||||||
| NCES SCED Code : 04103 |
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How To Enroll:
| Enrollment Website : | https://slp.michiganvirtual.org/ |
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| Email : | [email protected] |
| Phone : | (888) 889-2840 |
Students and Parents: It is important to work closely with your local school counselor or registrar to follow the school's enrollment procedures. By clicking the "Start Registration Request" button below, you will be able to notify the school of your interest in registering for the online course. However, it is the responsibility of the district or school to review the registration request and approve or deny the request. Please make a note to follow up with your school after submitting a registration request.
Additional Course Information:
- Email: [email protected]
- Phone: (888) 889-2840
- Describe a location using appropriate geographic terms
- Explain the causes and discuss major events of the second Industrial Revolution in the U.S.
- Analyze the economic challenges to American farmers and farmers' responses to these challenges in the mid to late 1800s.
- Identify the different immigrant groups that arrived in the United States during the Industrial Revolution and explain the reasons why they immigrated to the United States.
- Explain the concept of a political machine and identify significant players.
- Explain the need for labor unions and assess their success or failure.
- Explain how industrialization led to imperialism.
- Explain the causes and effects of the Spanish American War.
- Analyze the economic, military, and security motivations of the United States to complete the Panama Canal as well as major obstacles involved in its construction.
- Identify and explain the causes of World War I, analyze the effect World War I had on U.S. social, economic, foreign policy, and on the attitudes of the American citizens.
- Identify and state the impact of the new technological developments of weaponry during World War I.
- Explain the purpose, benefits, and risks of the League of Nations.
- Explain the causes and consequences of the Red Scare.
- Identify and evaluate the social, political, and economic incentives for the development of peace and relief efforts after World War.
- Recognize the cause-and-effect relationships of economic trends as they relate to society in the United States during the 1920s and 1930s.
- Identify and/or evaluate the decisions made by national and state governments related to immigration and other civil rights issues.
- Identify and/or evaluate the impact of business practices, consumer patterns, and government policies of the 1920s and 1930s as they relate to the Great Depression.
- identify the impact of business practices, consumer patterns, and government policies of the 1930s as they relate to the New Deal.
Additional Cost Description:
None
Upon completion of this course, students will be able to...
NSQ National Standards for Quality Online Courses: Third Edition (2019)
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| A1. A course overview and syllabus are included in the online course | Fully Met | |
| A2. Minimum computer skills and digital literacy skills expected of the learner are clearly stated.* | Fully Met | |
| A3. The instructor’s biographical information and information on how to communicate with the instructor are provided to learners and other stakeholders. | Fully Met | Provided in the Michigan Virtual learning management system (LMS). |
| A4. Learner expectations and policies are clearly stated and readily accessible within the introductory material of the course. | Fully Met | Provided in the Michigan Virtual learning management system (LMS). |
| A5. Minimum technology requirements for the course are clearly stated, and information on how to obtain the technologies is provided.* | Fully Met | Communicated in the syllabus, the Michigan Virtual website, and the LMS. |
| A6. Grading policies and practices are clearly defined in accordance with course content learning expectations. | Fully Met | |
| A7. The online course provides a clear description or link to the technical support offered and how to obtain it.* | Fully Met | Provided in the Michigan Virtual learning management system (LMS). | Michigan Virtual instructors have access to the Michigan Virtual Knowledge Base with tutorials to assist them as well as a technical support ticketing system to request additional support for technical issues in a course. Students also have a Customer Care center that offers technical support and course management assistance. |
| A8. Learners are offered an orientation prior to the start of the online course. | Fully Met | Students are offered Michigan Virtual-specific orientation lessons and activites within all courses in addition to the Online Learning Orientation Tool (OLOT) located on the LMS homepage for students with no prior experience in taking an online course. |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| B1. The online course objectives or competencies are measurable and clearly state what the learner will be able to demonstrate as a result of successfully completing the course.* | Fully Met | |
| B2. The online course expectations are consistent with course-level objectives or competencies, are representative of the structure of the course, and are clearly stated. | Fully Met | |
| B3. The online course content is aligned with accepted state and/or other accepted content standards, where applicable.* | Fully Met | |
| B4. Digital literacy and communication skills are incorporated and taught as an integral part of the curriculum.* | Fully Met | |
| B5. Supplemental learning resources and related instructional materials are available to support and enrich learning and are aligned to the specific content being delivered.* | Partially Met | There are no additional resources within the course content, but instructors typically supplement intructional material. |
| B6. The online course content and supporting materials reflect a culturally diverse perspective that is free of bias.* | Fully Met | |
| B7. The online course materials (e.g., textbooks, primary source documents, OER) that support course content standards are accurate and current. | Fully Met | |
| B8. The online course is free of adult content and avoids unnecessary advertisements.* | Fully Met | |
| B9. Copyright and licensing status for any third-party content is appropriately cited and easily found. | Fully Met | Communicated within the Michigan Virtual Acceptable Use Policy (AUP) through the website and the LMS. |
| B10. Documentation and other support materials are available to support effective online course facilitation.* | Fully Met | There is a provided eteacher guide in the "Instructors Only" area in the LMS. |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| C1. The online course design includes activities that guide learners toward promoting ownership of their learning and self-monitoring. | Not Met | Not Rated |
| C2. The online course’s content and learning activities promote the achievement of the stated learning objectives or competencies. | Fully Met | |
| C3. The online course is organized by units and lessons that fall into a logical sequence. | Fully Met | |
| C4. The online course content is appropriate to the reading level of the intended learners.* | Fully Met | |
| C5. The online course design includes introductory assignments or activities to engage learners within the first week of the course. | Fully Met | Michigan Virtual instructor guidelines ensure such interaction through welcome letters, instructor introductions, and regular progress reporting. |
| C6. The online course provides learners with multiple learning paths as appropriate, based on learner needs, that engage learners in a variety of ways. | Fully Met | |
| C9. Online course instructional materials and resources present content in an effective, engaging, and appropriate manner.* | Fully Met | |
| C7. The online course provides regular opportunities for learner-learner interaction. | Partially Met | There is limited student/student interaction. |
| C8. The online course design provides opportunities for learner-instructor interaction, including opportunities for regular feedback about learner progress.* | Partially Met | There is limited student/student interaction. |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| D1. Learner assessments are linked to stated course, unit, or lesson-level objectives or competencies. | Fully Met | |
| D2. Valid course assessments measure learner progress toward mastery of content. | Fully Met | |
| D3. Assessment practices provide routine and varied opportunities for self-monitoring and reflection of learning.* | Fully Met | |
| D4. Assessment materials provide the learner with the flexibility to demonstrate mastery in a variety of ways.* | Fully Met | |
| D5. Rubrics that clearly define expectations for varied levels of proficiency are created and shared with learners.* | Fully Met |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| E1. Online course navigation is logical, consistent, and efficient from the learner’s point of view.* | Fully Met | |
| E2. The online course design facilitates readability.* | Fully Met | |
| E3. The online course provides accessible course materials and activities to meet the needs of diverse learners.* | Fully Met | |
| E4. Course multimedia facilitate ease of use.* | Fully Met | |
| E5. Vendor accessibility statements are provided for all technologies required in the course.* | Fully Met |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| F1. Educational tools ensure learner privacy and maintain confidentiality of learner information in accordance with local, state, and national laws for learner data. | Fully Met | Course is password protected; the privacy policy is communicated in the LMS. |
| F2. The online course tools support the learning objectives or competencies.* | Fully Met | |
| F3. The online course provides options for the instructor to adapt learning activities to accommodate learners’ needs and preferences.* | Partially Met | Instructors cannot alter content provided by the course vendor, but Michigan Virtual instructors are permitted to add supplemental materials as needed via the LMS. |
| F4. The course allows instructors to control the release of content.* | Not Met | Not Rated |
| F5. The course provides the necessary technical functionality to score and record assessments and calculate earned course points or grades.* | Not Met | Not Rated |
| Rating | Comments | |
|---|---|---|
| G1. The online course uses multiple methods and sources of input for assessing course effectiveness. | Fully Met | Students have the ability to rate the lesson as completed and provide an evaluation of the course experience and support in an end-of-course survey. Michigan Virtual also has access to additional data regarding student success and satisfaction with courses. |
| G2. The online course is reviewed to ensure that the course is current. | Fully Met | |
| G3. The online course is updated on a continuous improvement cycle for effectiveness based on the findings from ongoing reviews. | Fully Met |
Review Conducted By: Michigan Virtual
Date of Review:
08/19/2019
Module 2: Industrial Revolution
Module 3: Enter the World Stage
Module 4: Between the Wars
| Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends | Random Draw Date | Enrollment Drop Date | Course Starts | Course Ends | # of Seats | Course Fee | Potential Additional Costs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 12/26/2025 | 12/12/2025 | 05/01/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 01/02/2026 | 12/19/2025 | 05/08/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 01/23/2026 | 01/09/2026 | 05/29/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 01/30/2026 | 01/16/2026 | 06/05/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 02/06/2026 | 01/23/2026 | 06/12/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 | 07/01/2025 | 02/13/2026 | 01/30/2026 | 06/19/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 | 04/01/2026 | 05/29/2026 | 05/15/2026 | 07/24/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 | 04/01/2026 | 06/05/2026 | 05/22/2026 | 07/31/2026 | 100 | $250 | |
| Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 | 04/01/2026 | 06/19/2026 | 06/05/2026 | 08/14/2026 | 100 | $250 |
| Drop Policy | Completion Policy | Term Type | Enrollment Opens | Enrollment Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Semester | 04/01/2025 | 03/20/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 |
| Students have 14 days from the enrollment start date to drop the course and receive a full refund. No refunds are given after 14 days. Drop dates are calculated and what is posted is the last possible drop date for enrollments created within the enrollment window. | Michigan Virtual has established that enrollments earning 60% or more of the total course points are considered a course completion. | Accelerated | 01/01/2026 | 06/26/2026 |
Students can use email or the private message system within the Student Learning Portal to access highly qualified teachers when they need instructor assistance. Students will also receive feedback on their work inside the learning management system. The Instructor Info area of their course may describe additional communication options.
| School Year | Enrollment Count | Pass Count | Completion Rate | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 24-25 | 68 | 56 | 82.35% | |
| 23-24 | 82 | 63 | 76.83% |
Students will require a computer device with headphones, a microphone, webcam, up-to-date Chrome Web Browser, and access to YouTube.
Please review the Michigan Virtual Technology Requirements: https://michiganvirtual.org/about/support/knowledge-base/technical-requirements/
Lightweight devices such as Apple iPads, Google Chromebooks, and tablets have limited support for Java or Flash which still appear in a small percentage of our catalog. While FLVS does not offer technical support for these devices, FLVS is working to remove Flash from their remaining course content. Students will need extra work-around steps or alternate browsers to engage with some portions of those courses. FLVS recommends students have a Windows or Mac based computer available to complete coursework in the event that your selected mobile device does not meet the needs of the course. Fully supported Operating Systems for FLVS courses include Windows (10 or higher) and MacOS (11 or higher). Supported Browsers include the most recent versions of Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, Google Chrome, and Apple Safari on devices that support Java and HTML5. Browsers need to be up to date, and some FLVS courses may require installation or enabling of the following Plug-ins: JavaScript enabled, Cookies enabled, Java installed. https://www.flvs.net/student-parent-resources/more/system-requirements