PART I: IDs
ID 1: Cahokia
Cahokia is a city created by the Mississippians along the Mississippi River just across from modern St. Louis (in modern Illinois). It was the political center of a chiefdom and was ringed by smaller hamlets (“suburbs”). Founded around 1150 CE and abandoned in the early 14th century CE. It was the largest city north of Mexico until Philadelphia in the early 1800s. Cahokia was a key trade center with trade routes reaching out along the Mississippi watershed and was ruled by a powerful paramount chief.
I chose this ID because of the importance of long-distance trade networks in the Americas prior to 1492. Cahokia, along with sites such as Chaco Canyon in the southwest, were vital to the development of Indian political units, economy, and culture. I chose Cahokia to also represent the Mississippian culture, one of the key cultures in this time period in what is now the United States. Since Cahokia was the largest city in the US prior to 1800, it is also worthy of an ID on a test.
ID 2: Cahokia (of course, you will have a different second ID, I am repeating to show required formatting)
Cahokia is a city created by the Mississippians along the Mississippi River just across from modern St. Louis (in modern Illinois). It was the political center of a chiefdom and was ringed by smaller hamlets (“suburbs”). Founded around 1150 CE and abandoned in the early 14th century CE. It was the largest city north of Mexico until Philadelphia in the early 1800s. Cahokia was a key trade center with trade routes reaching out along the Mississippi watershed and was ruled by a powerful paramount chief.
I chose this ID because of the importance of long-distance trade networks in the Americas prior to 1492. Cahokia, along with sites such as Chaco Canyon in the southwest, were vital to the development of Indian political units, economy, and culture. I chose Cahokia to also represent the Mississippian culture, one of the key cultures in this time period in what is now the United States. Since Cahokia was the largest city in the US prior to 1800, it is also worthy of an ID on a test.
ID 3: Cahokia (of course, you will have a different third ID, I am repeating to show required formatting)
Cahokia is a city created by the Mississippians along the Mississippi River just across from modern St. Louis (in modern Illinois). It was the political center of a chiefdom and was ringed by smaller hamlets (“suburbs”). Founded around 1150 CE and abandoned in the early 14th century CE. It was the largest city north of Mexico until Philadelphia in the early 1800s. Cahokia was a key trade center with trade routes reaching out along the Mississippi watershed and was ruled by a powerful paramount chief.
I chose this ID because of the importance of long-distance trade networks in the Americas prior to 1492. Cahokia, along with sites such as Chaco Canyon in the southwest, were vital to the development of Indian political units, economy, and culture. I chose Cahokia to also represent the Mississippian culture, one of the key cultures in this time period in what is now the United States. Since Cahokia was the largest city in the US prior to 1800, it is also worthy of an ID on a test.
PART II: Connection
Fact 1: Men’s College football teams at the NCAA I FBS level can award a maximum of 85 scholarships to players
Fact 2: The US Women’s National Team has won the World Cup for the 4th time and has played in 5 of the 8 Women’s World Cup finals and US National Women’s Teams dominate Olympic competitions (Soccer, Softball, Ice Hockey, Volleyball, Rowing, Water Polo).
Connection: Title IX (of the Educational Amendments of 1972) legislation requires gender equity in both the classroom and school related activities at both the K-12 and collegiate level. At the time Title IX became law, women’s sports in schools and colleges was often underfunded or non-existent while men’s college football (and high school football in states like Texas) had money thrown at them. The law requires that men and women have proportional access to athletic scholarships at the collegiate level. Since most NCAA I level universities field large men’s football teams, they needed to field teams in women’s sports to remain in proportional compliance (you have to offset those 85 male players somehow). Therefore, high schools and colleges began fielding teams in quite a few different sports to be in compliance with Title IX and more American women began playing team sports. Today, the national averages are 1 in every 2.5 women play a sport in high school. The best of these female athletes now go on to play college sports, and national teams are pulled from the best of college athletes. Women have come to dominate Olympic Team Sports because American women have gender equity in team sports in high schools and colleges thanks to Title IX; few other countries have gender equity in sporting opportunities, particularly at the team level, for girls through schools and fewer girls play team sports in other parts of the world.
PART III: Geographic Connection
Fact 1: The Illinois River, Missouri River and Mississippi River all meet just north of present day St. Louis, Missouri.
Fact 2: The Cahokia (Mississippian) Indians built the largest civilization in North America just east of present-day St. Louis.
Connection: River travel was an important way of reaching far off lands for trade. As the native peoples in North America had not been introduced to horses, any overland travel was done on foot, and was painstakingly slow and dangerous. The Mississippian Indians of Cahokia located themselves just south of the junction of the three rivers in present day Collinsville, Illinois. Because of their closeness to the rivers, and the trade potential that those rivers offered, artifacts from all over North and Meso America have been found at the Cahokia site, evidence of the long distance trade networks linking the Americas
PART IV: Overall Takeaways
(note that this is a sample rule of three paragraph unrelated to the historical content of the course)
My key takeways from the unit are that cheeseburgers are the best “American” food for a meal since they lead restaurant sales, are popular with average Americans, and have wholesome ingredients. The most popular item on menus of “American food” eateries is the cheeseburger. Evidence from the American Restaurant Owners Association over the period from 2014-2019 indicates that cheeseburger meals accounted for 30% of all orders, the next most popular item was chicken finger/tenders at 10% of all orders.[1] Average Americans love cheeseburgers. In a national survey taken in 2016, Americans chose the cheeseburger as the most iconic American food.[2] Americans also regularly prepare cheeseburgers at home based upon annual grocery store sales of hamburger buns, sliced cheese, and ground beef.[3] Sales of hamburger buns far exceed sales of hot dog buns.[4] Finally, cheeseburgers provide a nutritious, easy to make, and inexpensive meal. A cheeseburger made with a whole grain bun, lean ground beef grilled over an open flame (to minimize grease), whole milk cheese, and with added lettuce, tomato, and onions have a well-rounded meal constituting a serving of dairy, protein, whole grains, and vegetables from the food pyramid.[5] For all these reasons, it is unsurprising that cheeseburgers are considered the quintessential American meal.
[1] Footnote citation in Turabian Chicago style
[2] Footnote citation in Turabian Chicago style
[3] Footnote citation in Turabian Chicago style
[4] Footnote citation in Turabian Chicago style
[5] Footnote citation in Turabian Chicago style
