Spotlight on US History Survey
By Keziah H.
American History 2 by bonniej from Getty Images Signature Created in Canva
From freezing in Valley Forge with George Washington, to marching with Martin Luther King Jr., and watching in awe as the first men walk on the moon, American History is filled with excitement and adventure. There are new things to be learned every day, and in US History Survey Live at NSA, a two-semester course that meets once a week to learn about events affecting America, Ms. Dunlap is helping students realize that.
“My favorite part of US History is learning with my students,” she says, “I love to see when students make connections between history and today and how it impacts them.” Ms. Katie Dunlap has been teaching at NorthStar since 2015, but including teaching at a public school, she has taught for almost twenty years.
Ms. Dunlap has also learned a lot during her years of teaching at NorthStar, including that, “I don't know everything there is to know about history. I keep learning with my students. My favorite recent learning has been about the atomic bomb[,] and I learned a lot through my students' thoughts and perspectives on if dropping the atomic bomb was justified or not.”
Students also have positive things to say about US History. According to Alex, a US History Live student as well as the assistant editor-in-chief at the Navigator, “I really like learning about how the U.S. has interacted with the world over the ages.” Avery also enjoys US History, saying, “My favorite part is learning about the people and generations that came before us to shape the nation we live in today. I love getting to see the events that shape America and how it impacts us today!”
The one thing that students might find a bit difficult was that only one week of coursework is opened each week. Sometimes they may want to get ahead in school or need to do extra work to compensate for travel, but could not do so. It could also sometimes be hard to adjust to having documents and sources right in Buzz, instead of having a paper book like I did in World History. It may also be difficult for students used to classes with flexible deadlines to get used to firm due dates.
Despite a few potential difficulties in this class, there were definitely things I enjoyed. I have loved learning alongside others in Ms. Dunlap’s class. I feel like I learn so much more when I can hear the teacher talk and can discuss it with other students. Since I have also taken World History Live with Ms. Dunlap, it is like seeing an old friend again. One thing I really liked this year was learning about all the different wars America has taken part in. Some of the root causes and underlying problems behind the wars really surprised me. Overall, I really enjoyed US History, and I hope you do, too!
Columns: 📓Class Spotlight
Keziah H. lives in East Africa with her parents, two brothers, and a mischievous puppy named Bandit. This is her fourth year at Northstar but her first year at the Navigator. She likes to read almost any book she can get her hands on, but especially fantasy books. She also enjoys creative writing, coming up with awesome ideas with her brothers, and playing outside. She has been writing stories ever since she can remember and hopes to be an author when she grows up.