Oklahoma Academic Standard 9. The student will examine contemporary challenges and successes in meeting the needs of the American citizen and society, 2002 to the present.

Objective 9.3  Examine the ongoing issues to be addressed by the Donald Trump and subsequent administrations, including taxation, immigration, employment, climate change, race relations, religious discrimination and bigotry, civic engagement, and perceived biases in the media.

In a Nutshell

Since 2002 the United States has experienced an era in which there has been a struggle to determine the will of the people in a polarized America. Students should be able to identify and explain issues related to the meaning of democracy, economic equality, societal changes, and racial tensions. Because of access to such a large quantity of media sources, students should understand why it may be increasingly difficult to discern facts from opinions on controversial issues.

Teacher Action 

Student Action 

• Provide opportunities for students to engage in a range of deliberative and democratic processes to develop strategies to address authentic, real-world problems prevalent in the Trump Administration. 

• Evaluate various news outlets, integrate quotes, paraphrases, and summaries of research findings into writing to evaluate perceived biases in the media.  

Key Concepts 

Misconceptions 

• economic growth; corporate tax reform; public debate on modern-day issues such as immigration, climate change, trade

• issues related to media bias; role of social media in politics and the public forum

• charges of impeachment and subsequent trial; partisan politics

• response to the Covid-19 pandemic 

• Some students may require reinforcement in understanding and applying Constitutional authority and principles of the three branches of power in contemporary contexts.

• Many students may have limited background knowledge of the role of the media in influencing public policy.

Instructional Resources