Module 4: Creating a New Nation - 1788 to the 1840s

Assessment IconBaby BookSome families have a tradition of creating a baby book for a new child. A baby book highlights the milestones and memories that occur during the first few years of a baby’s life through stories, dates and descriptions of important first time events, pictures, and other artifacts (like hair from a baby’s first haircut). Martina and Terrance would like you to create a digital baby book for the United States that begins with “birth” (the ratification of the Constitution) and goes through the presidency of Andrew Jackson. Each item you include must be connected to the baby book theme by labeling it as a first time event or, an interesting story, or through some other creative connection. Your baby book must include a cover page. Please make sure you include at least three “artifacts” with your baby book. Artifacts can be pictures, primary source documents, maps, or other creative elements. Your United States baby book should include entries that address five of the nine items bulleted below. You may need to do multiple entries for the items listed below.

  • Two different groups arguing over ratification of the Constitution;
  • The issues and debates that led to the formation of the first two political parties;
  • The first transition of power;
  • Louisiana Purchase and its exploration;
  • Westward migration, the reasons for it, technologies that supported it, and conflicts that occurred because of it;
  • The War of 1812, both causes and results;
  • Monroe Doctrine;
  • "the age of the common man”; and
  • President Andrew Jackson, the changes he made, the results of those changes, and the impact on American Indians.

Your baby book should be creative, informative, accurate, and well-organized. Before you begin, access the United States Baby Book Checklist to make sure that you include all of the items required for full credit. You may need to use resources outside of this course to complete this assignment. If so, please submit a Works Cited document. If you need assistance, visit the Developmental Module for information on citing any resources that you used.

Options to create your baby book include the following:

  • Create your baby book by hand and then take pictures of it for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
  • Create your baby book by hand and then scan it for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
    Create a new file in a paint or graphics program and utilize the software to create the image. You can then submit your work to the assignment’s dropbox.
  • Use an online baby book creator and follow the prompts provided by the website to name your baby book, select your background images, and then populate your baby book with the required items for this assignment. When you have completed your baby book, you can print and scan it or photograph it for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.
  • Use a mobile or computer-based application to create your baby book and email or export the final product for submission to the assignment’s dropbox.

Reflection

On the last page of the baby book, respond to the following questions in a brief four to five sentence paragraph. Do you think it is appropriate to compare the early years of the United States to that of a baby growing up? Why or why not? Use your own experiences or stories from your early childhood to help you make your point.

 

Assignment Icon
Once you have completed this assignment and reflection, please submit your work to the dropbox.

 


Once you have completed this module, please complete the module test.