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My name is Bryan Dearing. I am currently in my 19th year of teaching and in my 14th year at Guthrie Junior High. I have been married to my wife for 17 years and have two wonderful children, Meadow (19) and Bodhi (13). I started teaching in Rhode Island for a school called Eckerd Youth Alternatives. where I lived outside in the woods with no electricity for 3 1/2 years where I taught Anger Management and Life Skills. I currently teach United States History to 1877 and Production class.  

This course is designed as the first part of a two-year study of United States history. The course builds upon the content from the fifth-grade survey of United States history but provides students with a greater breadth and depth than the Elementary program. Course instruction is based on the Oklahoma C3 Standards, which include the following concepts as they relate to United States history: Citizenship, Economics, Government, Culture, Social Studies skills, and Science and Technology.

Students will have the opportunity to view the growth and development of the United States from its colonization through the events leading to the independence and the establishment of the Republic. The course also explores the United States' involvement in foreign affairs, international conflicts, the Civil War, and Reconstruction and the impact of these events on the nation.

Content for the course emphasizes how men and women reflecting various racial, ethnic, religious, and linguistic groups contributed to the course. Skills relating to the development of higher-level thinking are also taught.

Content for citizenship centers on the history and origins of the United States Constitution including the Bill of Rights and Declaration of Independence. The course also covers the structures and functions of various levels of government; making in civic affairs; and the concept of a government of laws. Historic documents are analyzed as well as the legal rights, responsibilities, and protections afforded juveniles and adults.