Hello and welcome to the Willsboro Central School website.  My name is Jack Daly.  I teach United States History here at WCS to the Seventh, Eighth and Eleventh Grade classes.  The Seventh Grade New York State and United States History course begins with the pre-Columbian period and ends with the period of Reconstruction after the Civil War.  The Eighth Grade course begins with the Industrial Revolution in the United States and looks at the history of the United States from the late 19th century until the present.  The Eighth Grade class is required to take a New York State exam at the end of the Eighth Grade year that assesses what they have learned during the Seventh and Eighth Grade years.  Eleventh Grade United States History and Government begins with a study of the U. S. Constitution.  The course proceeds through the 19th and 20th centuries to the present.  The Junior Class is required to take a New York State Regents exam in U. S. History and Government at the end of the Eleventh Grade year.

I began teaching at Willsboro Central School in 1988 after briefly teaching American History and Government at a private school near Richmond, Virginia.  During my eighteen years at Willsboro, I have also had the opportunity to teach the Senior American Government class, the Senior Economics class and a couple of electives offered to college bound Juniors and Seniors.  During the early part of my teaching career at Willsboro, I coached Modified Basketball and Varsity Baseball.

I graduated from Peru Central School in 1979.  I attended Deerfield Academy, a private school in Western Massachusetts before enrolling at Dartmouth College in the Fall of 1980.  I graduated from Dartmouth in 1984.  At Dartmouth, I played Varsity Football and Varsity Baseball.  I earned my Masters Degree in Education from SUNY Plattsburgh in 1993. 

Grade 7
The New York State Education Department requires all students in Grade 7 to take New York State and United States History as part of the New York State social studies curriculum.  This course includes six units of study, beginning with the pre-Columbian period of American history.  Unit I, the pre-Columbian period, focuses on Native American history prior to the arrival of Christopher Columbus.  North American cultures such as the Iroquois and Algonkin tribes are points of emphasis, as are Central and South American tribes such as the Mayas and Incas.  Unit II begins with the period of European Discovery and Exploration.  European explorers such as Columbus and Magellan, as well as Spanish conquistadors such as Cortez and Pizarro are discussed in Unit II.  Also included in Unit II is the period of European colonization.  The focus of this part of the unit is the colonies established by England, which would become the United States after the War for independence.  Unit III is a study of the American Revolution.  The unit begins with the French and Indian War and the problems that were a result of the war.  The end of the unit is a study of the Treaty of Paris that ended the Revolution.  Unit IV is an in depth study of the United States Constitution and the system of government that came about as a result of the Constitution.  Unit V takes a look at the "New Nation" period of American history and the leadership provided by our early presidents such as George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe.  The seventh grade year ends with Unit VI, which includes the topics of western expansion, slavery, sectionalism, the Civil War and Reconstruction.

Regarding skills development, points of emphasis include the analysis and interpretation of historical documents, the ability to summarize main ideas and the writing of document based essays.

The textbook used for the seventh grade course is American Nation published by Prentice Hall.  The book is authored by James Davidson, Pedro Castillo and Michael Stoff and written in conjunction with American Heritage magazine.

Grade 8
The New York State Education Department requires all students in Grade 8 to take New York State and United States History as part of the New York State social studies curriculum.  For obvious reasons, the eighth grade course begins where the seventh grade American history course ends.  Unit VII is a study of the Industrial Revolution and the Progressive Era in the United States.  Topics such as mechanization, the union movement and government control over business and industry are points of emphasis in Unit VII.  Unit VIII focuses on American foreign policy at the turn of the 20th century.  American imperialism under Presidents McKinley and Roosevelt, as well as American involvement in World War I, are the important topics included in Unit VIII.  Unit IX makes the transition back to domestic policy with an emphasis on the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression.  Unit X is the study of World War II and the beginnings of the Cold War.  the beginning of the United States intervention around the world is an important part of Unit X.  Unit XI includes the continuation of the Cold War, the civil rights movement in the United States and the history of the country since the Nixon Administration.

Regarding skills development, points of emphasis include the analysis and interpretation of historical documents, the ability to summarize main ideas and the writing of document based essays.

All eighth grade students in New York State are required to take a New York State exam in social studies at the end of the eighth grade year.

The textbook used for the seventh grade course is American Nation published by Prentice Hall.  The book is authored by James Davidson, Pedro Castillo and Michael Stoff and written in conjunction with American Heritage magazine.  

Grade 11
The New York State Education Department requires all students in Grade 11 to take United States History and Government as part of the New York State social studies curriculum.  The course begins with a study of the United States Constitution and ends with the issues and problems currently facing the United States.  Unit I is a brief study of United States geography.  Unit II begins with the influences on the U.S. Constitution and then looks at U.S. History during the first half of the 19th century in the context of how the problems facing the new nation were relevant to the constitutional issues during that time.  Unit III includes the periods of Reconstruction and the Industrial Revolution in the United States.  The economic development of the United States during the late 19th and early 20th centuries is the focus of Unit III.  Unit IV includes the topics, the Progressive Era, U.S. Imperialism at the turn of the 20th century and U.S. involvement in World War I.  After focusing on foreign policy in Unit IV, Unit V returns to the study of domestic policy during the Roaring 20s and the Great Depression.  Unit VI is the study of World War II and the early developments of the Cold War.  Unit VII focuses on the Cold War but also includes the civil rights movement, women's movement, a return to conservatism during the Reagan Administration and the current problems and issues facing our country.

Regarding skills development, points of emphasis include the analysis and interpretation of historical documents, the ability to summarize main ideas and the writing of document based essays.

All eleventh grade students in New York State are required to take a New York State Regents exam in social studies at the end of the eleventh grade year.

The textbook used for the eleventh grade course is A History of the United States published by Prentice Hall.  The book is authored by Daniel Boorstin and Brooks Kelley.