Skip to content

Skinny — US.6_12.6 Past to Present (Current Events) · Unit 8 The 1970s & 1980s

Standard: US.6_12.6 — Connect the past to the present using current events. Unit: 8 — The 1970s & 1980s (1968–1989) NDSBL Era: Era 4: 1941-2001 Grade: 10 · US History

Official proficiency scale — the source of truth for scoring

Scoring follows the official NDSBL US History Proficiency Scales — not the examples on this page. Proficient (3.0) for Era 4: 1941-2001 means:

  • Explain the causes and consequences of U.S. involvement in World War II.
  • Explain the economic and/or social issues of the era and their long-lasting effects.
  • Explain the United States’ reactions toward the growth of communism.
  • Explain the impact of rapid technological change on society.
  • Compare and contrast how different groups competed for equality and the effectiveness of various movements.
  • Identify and explain how domestic issues changed United States’ perceptions of government.

What This Standard Asks

How does this era connect to the present, and what current event echoes it? — applied to The 1970s & 1980s (1968–1989).

Key Content — Unit 8: The 1970s & 1980s

Watergate (1972–74) forced a president to resign and deepened distrust of institutions. The economy struggled with stagflation and the 1973 oil crisis. Then a conservative turn: Reagan (1980), tax cuts, deregulation, and the Cold War's final decade. Social movements continued — the women's movement, and the environmental movement (the first Earth Day, 1970). The turning point — the political center shifted right as trust in government fell.

The Skill in This Unit

Connect it forward: debates over executive power and political polarization. Explain how Watergate and the rise of modern conservatism still shapes that debate today, using a current event as your bridge.

What You Need to Know (Score 2.0 — Approaching)

Vocabulary such as: Current Events -Analyze, Policy, WWII- Axis- Allies, Baby Boom, Capitalism / Communism, Technology, Equality / Equity / Civil Rights / Social, Movement, Public Opinion / Political Polling.

Basic processes such as: - Share and discuss a factual based, newsworthy article which connects to a historical event from this era. - Diagram / chart causes and consequences of US involvement in WW II. - Identify the economic and/or social issues of the era and their long-lasting effects. - Illustrate the United States’ reactions toward the growth of communism. - Discuss the impact of rapid technological change on society. - Identify different groups competed for equality and the effectiveness of various movements. - Trace how domestic issues changed United States’ perceptions of government.

Meeting the Standard (Score 3.0 — Proficiency)

Proficiency on US.6_12.6 means applying Past to Present (Current Events) to this unit with no major errors — see the era targets in the callout above. Aim your Demo of Learning at that language, not at simply retelling the events.

Going Beyond (Score 4.0 — Advanced)

Advanced work extends the skill to a higher cognitive level (attainable, not perfection): - Apply historical knowledge from Era 4: 1941-2001 as a tool for examining current events. For example, rise of USSR and Ukraine, Roe V. Wade, Civil Rights, Federalism - conflict between state and federal law, nuclear weapons, missile testing, impeachment.

ELA Crosswalk

W.4 — argument writing · C.1 — present to an audience

Where to Go Next

US.6_12.6 · Unit 8 Skinny — SDA Commons · South High School · aligned to the official NDSBL US History proficiency scale