EDSS 506 - America’s Wars: From the Civil War to Vietnam (3)

The United States, a nation founded by war, has started, supported, avoided, and ended many wars throughout history. However, despite the incredible personal and national upheaval that war causes, students often consider learning the causes and details of war to be dull and unwieldy.

In this course, you will create specific strategies for teaching about the Civil War, World War I, World War II, and the Vietnam War, including the major causes and events, the key players, and how each war served as a turning point in American history and policy. You will help students examine these events from a variety of perspectives, using techniques such as debate, critical discussion, and examining lesser studied issues such as antiwar efforts. These activities will not only deepen students’ critical-thinking and perspective-taking skills, but also encourage them to engage in the topics beyond basic facts.

Using the knowledge and techniques from this course, you will be able to teach about America’s wars in a high-interest, interactive, and engaging way that goes well beyond memorizing battle dates and political speeches.