Year

11 ATAR

Understanding the Modern World: Capitalism

The American Experience
1907 - 1941

Structure
Unit 1: Understanding the modern world
Unit 2: Movements for change in the 20th century

Each unit provides insight into:

Historical Knowledge and Understanding: Knowing about and
understanding key events, ideas, movements, developments and people
that have shaped the modern world. Historical understanding is
developed through concepts that dene history as a discipline (evidence,
con=nuity and change, cause and eect, signicance, empathy,
perspec=ves and contestability).
Historical Skills: The skills that are used in historical inquiry: chronology,
terms and concepts, historical ques=ons and research, analysis and use
of sources, perspec=ves and interpreta=ons, explana=on and
communica=on.

Unit descripLon
This unit examines developments of signicance in the modern era,
including the ideas that inspired them and their far-reaching
consequences. Students examine one development or turning point
that has helped to dene the modern world. Students explore crucial
changes, for example, the applicaLon of reason to human aairs; the
transformaLon of producLon, capitalism and consumpLon,
transport and communicaLons; the challenge to social hierarchy and
hereditary privilege, and the asserLon of inalienable rights; and the
new principles of government by consent. Through their studies,
students explore the nature of the sources for the study of modern
history and build their skills in historical method through inquiry.
The key conceptual understandings covered in this unit are: what
makes an historical development signicant; the changing nature
and usefulness of sources; the changing representaLons and
interpretaLons of the past; and the historical legacy of these
developments for the Western world and beyond.

Learning outcomes

By the end of this unit, students:

understand key developments that have helped dene the modern world,
their causes, the dierent experiences of individuals and groups, and their
short-term and long-term consequences

understand the ideas that both inspired and emerged from these key
developments and their signicance for the contemporary world

apply key concepts as part of an historical inquiry, including evidence,

conLnuity and change, cause and eect, signicance, empathy,
perspecLves and contestability

use historical skills to invesLgate parLcular developments of the modern

era and the nature of sources; determine the reliability and usefulness of
sources and evidence; explore dierent perspecLves and interpretaLons;
and use a range of evidence to support and communicate an historical
argument.

Historical Skills
The following skills will be developed during this unit.

Chronology, terms and concepts

idenLfy links between events to understand the nature and signicance of causaLon,
conLnuity and change over Lme

use historical terms and concepts in appropriate contexts to demonstrate historical

knowledge and understanding

Historical ques7ons and research

formulate, test and modify proposiLons to invesLgate historical issues

frame quesLons to guide inquiry and develop a coherent research plan for inquiry

idenLfy, locate and organise relevant informaLon from a range of primary and secondary
sources

pracLse ethical scholarship when conducLng research

Historical Skills
Analysis and use of sources

idenLfy the origin, purpose and context of historical sources

analyse, interpret and synthesise evidence from dierent types of sources to develop and sustain an historical
argument

evaluate the reliability, usefulness and contestable nature of sources to develop informed judgements that support
an historical argument

Perspec7ves and interpreta7ons

analyse and account for the dierent perspecLves of individuals and groups in the past

evaluate criLcally dierent historical interpretaLons of the past, how they evolved, and how they are shaped by the
historians perspecLve

evaluate contested views about the past to understand the provisional nature of historical knowledge and to arrive at
reasoned and supported conclusions

Explana7on and communica7on

develop texts that integrate appropriate evidence from a range of sources to explain the past and to support and
refute arguments

communicate historical understanding by selecLng and using text forms appropriate to the purpose and audience

apply appropriate referencing techniques accurately and consistently

Historical Knowledge and

Understanding
Capitalism The American Experience 1907 - 1941

Capitalism: The American

Experience

the main causes of the rise of capitalism in the USA, including the expansion of the railways;
post-Civil War reconstrucLon; immigrant labour; discovery of oil; and mass producLon

the role and impact of signicant individuals in the period, with parLcular reference to Theodore
Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, Calvin Coolidge, Herbert Hoover, F D Roosevelt, J D Rockefeller, Henry Ford

key ideas of: theories of capitalism, laissez-faire, consumerism, individualism (including rugged
individualism), limited government, economic liberty, and the American Dream

the impact of WWI, the 1920s, and WWII unLl 1941, on American capitalism; the growth of consumerism;
and the shaping of American values, for example, lm and fashion, prohibiLon and the Jazz Age

the causes of the Great Depression, the consequences for dierent groups and the eecLveness of
poliLcal responses, including the New Deal, and the impact on capitalism

the impact of capitalism on dierent groups within American society and the aims and beliefs of dierent
groups, for example, African Americans, urban workers, rural workers, immigrants, industrialists, and
members of Indian NaLons; and the consequences of divisions

the signicance of capitalism in this period, including a comparison with other key economic ideologies, in
parLcular, communism.

Assessment

The WA Curriculum Council requires that assessment for the course includes tasks from each of the following formats:

Historical inquiry: Using historical evidence to develop an informed, balanced judgement about the past including
concepts such as the impact of features and organisaLonal structures of a Lme period, causes and eects, cultural
inuences, key people, ideas and events, forces, moLves, perspecLves, interpretaLons, and representaLons of the past.
Types of evidence when focusing on the process may include: student learning journals, student annotaLons, and
student summarising tables, in combinaLon with the nal product.

Explana7on: This is a response to a proposiLon or point of debate that shows an understanding of the historical problem.
The response may produce an argument (from one side or comparing dierent sides of a debate), persuade others to a
point of view, and recognise dierent perspecLves. Features and organisaLonal structures of a Lme period, causes and
eects, cultural inuences, key people, ideas and events, forces, moLves, perspecLves, interpretaLons, and
representaLons of the past are all part of the historical discourse used as evidence in explanaLons. This form of
communicaLon requires the ability to argue a point, using historical evidence in a logical way that forms an argument in a
format/mode appropriate to the purpose and audience.

Document study: Historical documents are used as sLmuli to develop skills in history, to explore the nature and problems
of historical evidence, the nature and authenLcity of historical documents, their reliability, gaps and/or validity, and the
range of perspecLves about historical Lmes. Historical documents may be confronLng, contradictory and challenging.
CriLcally interrogaLng the nature of historical documents in the context of Lme period/s and the historical place, people,
events and ideas includes exploring concepts of bias, inconsistency, propaganda, perspecLves, moLves, forces and gaps
in staLsLcs. Documents may be from within a relaLvely short Lme period, issue or theme or from over a wide period of
Lme showing changing experiences and ideas. Documents may include: leeers, ocial maps, propaganda posters,
cartoons, photographs, painLngs, staLsLcs, and buildings etc. as problem-solving tools. RepresentaLons of history are
also used as secondary sources, for example, historical novels or biographies, art works, lms, historical reproducLons of
artefacts. Types of evidence may include: marking keys, short answers, closed and open quesLons, Lmelines, test papers,
or comparison charts.

Examina7on: The exam comprises a combinaLon of the ExplanaLon and Document study assessment types.

Assessment
Formal

Task

Topic

Date

WeighLng

Source analysis

USA Capitalism

Term 1, Week 4

5%

1920s

Term 1, Week 6

5%

ExplanaLon
(essay)

1920s

Term 1, Week 8

10%

Inquiry

New Deal

Term 2, Week 2

30%

Document
study

Depression

Term 2, Week 4

15%

Term 2, Week 5

15%

Mid year, Week 6

20%

Source analysis

ExplanaLon (essay)

ExaminaLon

Informal

2 x weekly! (Except formal assessment weeks)

What do you need to bring to

class?

What are some good study
habits to develop?