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HIS10440

Academic Year 2026/2027

Histories of the United States during the Twentieth Century (HIS10440)

Subject:
History
College:
Arts & Humanities
School:
History
Level:
1 (Introductory)
Credits:
5
Module Coordinator:
Dr Sandra Scanlon
Trimester:
Spring
Mode of Delivery:
On Campus
Internship Module:
No
How will I be graded?
Letter grades

Curricular information is subject to change.

This module explores the development of the United States during the 20th century. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of democracy in the United States and the development of distinct and divergent ideas about American national identity. Students will explore the legacies of the Revolution, territorial expansion, slavery and the Civil War, in order to fully consider the nature of politics and society during the 20th century. Immigration, economic growth and overseas expansion in the late 19th century began the process of transforming the United States from a regional to a world power, while World War II and the Cold War dramatically altered both government and society. Students will closely examine one journal article or podcast per week to explore questions of democracy, race relations, political power and social protest, and Americans' engagement with the world over an extended period of time.

About this Module

Learning Outcomes:

On completion of this module students should have:
• Further developed their understanding of essential skills for history students;
• Advanced their appreciation of how history is studied at university level;
• Acquired a critical approach to evidence and an ability to study and learn more effectively;
• Developed their powers of expression, both orally and in writing;
• Developed their ability to appreciate and analyse the development of the United States during the 20th century;
• Developed their understanding of the dynamic social, political, economic, ideological, and external forces at play in the development of US society and politics.

Indicative Module Content:

Week 1: Progressive Era Reform
Week 2: Immigration and Empire
Week 3: The Great Depression
Week 4: WWII and the Dawn of the American Century
Week 5: The Second Red Scare
Week 6: The Black Freedom Struggle
Week 7: The Vietnam War
Week 8: Feminism and Gay Liberation
Week 9: Rise of the Right
Week 10: Mass Media, Technology, and Mass Incarceration
Week 11: Political Polarization
Week 12: Reading Week (no lectures or seminars)

UNESCO highlights a set of key competencies that support individuals in their development and support society in achieving the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). UCD has adapted these competencies and is combining them with others to form a general framework of learning competencies. This module will help you develop the competencies below to the levels specified. 
Learning Competency Additional Information Level

Collaboration

 The ability to learn from others; to understand and respect the needs, perspectives and actions of others (empathy); to understand, relate to and be sensitive to others (empathic leadership); to deal with conflicts in a group; and to facilitate collaborative and participatory problem solving. Advanced Beginner

Critical Thinking

 The ability to question norms, practices and opinions; to reflect on one’s own values, perceptions and actions. Advanced Beginner

Systems Thinking

 The ability to recognize and understand relationships; to analyse complex systems; to think of how systems are embedded within different domains and different scales; and to deal with uncertainty. Novice

Strategic

 The ability to collectively develop and implement innovative actions that further sustainability at the local level and further afield. Novice

Integrated Problem Solving

 The overarching ability to apply different problem-solving frameworks to complex sustainability problems and develop viable, inclusive and equitable solution options that promote sustainable development, integrating the competencies in this list. Novice

Self-awareness

 The ability to reflect on one’s own role in the local community and (global) society; to continually evaluate and further motivate one’s actions; and to deal with one’s feelings and desires. Advanced Beginner

Normative

 The ability to understand and reflect on the norms and values that underlie one’s actions; and to negotiate values, principles, goals, and targets, in a context of conflicts of interest and trade-offs, uncertain knowledge and contradictions. Advanced Beginner

Anticipatory

 The ability to understand and evaluate multiple scenarios for the future – possible, probable and desirable; to create one’s own visions for the future; to apply the precautionary principle; to assess the consequences of actions; and to deal with risks and changes. Novice

Digital Literacy and Judgement

 The ability to access, evaluate, create and communicate information in digital environments; to engage critically, ethically and responsibly with digital technologies and digital information; to understand their opportunities, limitations, risks and impact on individual’s digital identities; and to exercise informed judgement in digital participation and decision-making. Advanced Beginner

AI Literacy & Agency

 The ability to understand, critically evaluate and responsibly engage with artificial intelligence; to recognise how AI systems are shaped by human values; to assess their ethical, social and environmental implications; and to exercise human judgement, agency and accountability in AI-related contexts. Advanced Beginner

Wellbeing

 Wellbeing is having the resources and skills to meet life's challenges, including attributes such as personal development skills, resilience, stress management, strengths, lifestyle skills, nutrition, physical activity, sleep, alcohol/substance use, academic skills, time management, goal setting, interpersonal skills, group work, communication. Advanced Beginner

The United Nations identified seventeen Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) as core to the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, and UCD contributes in general to SDG 4 Quality Education. Further SDGs explored within this module if relevant are listed below. A scale of 1 - 5 indicates the extent to which the SDG is covered.


Goal Name Description Coverage

Ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all 2

Achieve gender equality and empower all women and girls 1

Promote peaceful and inclusive societies for sustainable development, provide access to justice for all and build effective, accountable and inclusive institutions at all levels 2
 

Student Effort Hours:
Student Effort Type Hours
Lectures

11
Seminar (or Webinar)

11
Specified Learning Activities

44
Autonomous Student Learning

44
Total

110

Approaches to Teaching and Learning:
This module combines large-group and small-group teaching, through a weekly lecture and seminar. The lectures will introduce students to the weekly topic and explore the ways in which historians have examined the issues under consideration. The seminar will provide an opportunity for students to engage in more in-depth discussion of the topic, with a particular focus on the required reading. Autonomous learning is nurtured through required preparatory reading each week. Each week, students complete of a discussion post in response to a set question.

Generative AI is not permitted to be used in this module. Any questions about this should be addressed to the module coordinator.

A proportion of written assignments in each module in the School of History are subject to moderation, meaning they undergo a second layer of review by another grader. This can include oral moderation meetings where the student is invited in for a short meeting with the module coordinator to discuss the assignment. Moderation contributes to better informed marking.

Requirements, Exclusions and Recommendations

Not applicable to this module.


Module Requisites and Incompatibles
Not applicable to this module.
 

Assessment Strategy
Description Timing Component Scale Must Pass Component % of Final Grade In Module Component Repeat Offered
Group Work Assignment: Group presentation based on one of the weekly topics. Each student will be assigned to one week and will be individually graded on their part of the group presentation. Week 11 Graded No
30
 No
Participation in Learning Activities: Students will be graded on their participation during the seminars; this includes engagement in small group work. This is not based on attendance, but rather active discussion and participation. Week 11 Graded No
20
 No
Reflective Assignment: Weekly learning journals - students will respond to a question relating to the reading, which will be set each week. Each response will be 200-250 words, and will be submitted on Brightspace. Week 11 Graded No
50
 No

Carry forward of passed components
No
 

Resit In Terminal Exam
Autumn No
Please see Student Jargon Buster for more information about remediation types and timing. 

Feedback Strategy/Strategies

• Feedback individually to students, post-assessment
• Group/class feedback, post-assessment

How will my Feedback be Delivered?

Students will receive written feedback on assignments via Brightspace.

Name Role
Miss Rebecca Bermingham McGuire Tutor
Miss Krystal Carmichael Tutor
Mr John Mc Garry Tutor

Timetabling information is displayed only for guidance purposes, relates to the current Academic Year only and is subject to change.
Spring Lecture Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 1 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
Spring Seminar Offering 2 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Seminar Offering 3 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 14:00 - 14:50
Spring Seminar Offering 4 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 15:00 - 15:50
Spring Seminar Offering 6 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 16:00 - 16:50
Spring Seminar Offering 7 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Seminar Offering 8 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 10:00 - 10:50
Spring Seminar Offering 9 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 10 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 11:00 - 11:50
Spring Seminar Offering 11 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Wed 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Seminar Offering 12 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Seminar Offering 13 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 12:00 - 12:50
Spring Seminar Offering 14 Week(s) - 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33 Tues 13:00 - 13:50
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