Advanced Placement United States History - 11th/12th Grade A.P. U.S. History
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COURSE DESCRIPTION
The Advanced Placement program in United States History (APUSH) is designed to provide students with the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the ideas and events in United States history. The program is a demanding introduction to United States history and culture, similar to a first-year college course. As such, this course is not a college prep course; it is the real thing.
In order to deal critically with the content of APUSH, students will evaluate a variety of historical materials, including text, primary resources, scholarly articles, and historical novels. Students will read a minimum of 60 pages per week and should expect to spend approximately two hours working outside of class for each hour spent in class. Students will take notes from printed materials and lectures, write article reviews and essays, take quizzes and tests in objective and essay formats, and prepare team presentations. This class is rigorous and demands a year-long commitment presently unknown to high school students who have never taken an A.P. course.
Due to the fact that A.P. United States History is both fast-paced and intense, the course will require tremendous dedication and significant time and energy on the part of the student. It is expected that each student does his/her best, is responsible, and possesses a positive attitude and open mind. Participation is required in class every day. Students should approach the subject and all assignments with the intention of building understanding, rather than just trying to “get the work done”. It is imperative that assignments are completed on time; once behind, it is difficult to catch up.
COURSE PRE-REQUISITES
A.P. United States History is recommended for students in grades 11-12. Students should have above average success in previous social studies courses, including World History and/or U.S. History. Students should have above average reading and writing skills as well. This course assumes a high level of interest and competence in a past social studies courses. Students must also submit an Advanced Placement Form that includes the signatures of a current or former social studies and an English teacher.
COURSE TOPICS
In this class, emphasis is placed on interpreting documents, mastering a significant body of factual information, and writing critical essays. Topics include life and thought in colonial America, revolutionary ideology, constitutional development, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian democracy, nineteenth-century reform movements, and Manifest Destiny. Other topics include the Civil War and Reconstruction, immigration, industrialism, Populism, Progressivism, World War I, the Jazz Age, the Great Depression, the New Deal, World War II, the Cold War, the post-Cold War era, and the United States at the beginning of the twenty-first century.
COURSE THEMES & PERSPECTIVES
AP U.S. History integrates political, social, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and intellectual history in order to convey the experiences of particular groups within the broader perspective of the American past. At the same time, it connects events and issues from the past to the concerns of the present. We will analyze how Americans continuously adapt to new developments and thereby shape the world in which they live. The following points will be emphasized in our study of the process that is the American experiment.
- Chronological organization
- Geographic literacy
- Point of view
- Political dynamics
- Economic patters
- Social and cultural trends
- Intellectual developments
- Influences on the arts
- Analyzing primary source documents (including statistical tables, pictorial and graphic evidence)
While approaching the various types of history listed above, the course will emphasize a series of key themes throughout the year. These themes have been determined by the College Board as essential to a comprehensive study of United States history. The themes will include discussions of American diversity, the development of a unique American identity, the evolution of American culture, demographic changes over the course of America’s history, economic trends and transformations, environmental issues, the development of political institutions and the components of citizenship, social reform movements, the role of religion in the making of the United States and its impact in a multicultural society, the history of slavery and its legacies in this hemisphere, war and diplomacy, and finally, the place of the United States in an increasingly global arena. The course will trace these themes throughout the year, emphasizing the ways in which they are interconnected and examining the ways in which each helps to shape the changes over time that are so important to understanding United States history.
COURSE OBJECTIVES
Students will learn to assess historical materials – their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance – and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. Students will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions based on an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. As such, this course will require more than the rote memorization of facts, historical events, and dates. Students will be expected to critically analyze and evaluate history based on certain standards, etc.
Students will be expected to:
- Master a broad body of historical knowledge
- Demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology
- Use historical data to support an argument or position
- Differentiate between different schools of historical thought
- Interpret and apply data from original documents, including maps, cartoons, graphs, tables, pictures, letters, works of art, music lyrics, etc.
- Effectively use analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, compare and contrast
- Work effectively with others to produce products (such as original DBQ’s, PowerPoint presentations, review sheets for the class) and solve problems
- Prepare for and successfully pass the Advanced Placement Exam
Heavy emphasis will be placed on daily readings in the textbook(s) and/or other assigned readings. Along with these readings, the following work will be assigned:
- Essays, including Document Based Questions (DBQs)
- General assignments (such as reading questions, vocabulary, article summaries, journal responses)
- One (1) book report, first semester
- One (1) term paper, second semester
- Group work/role play
- Question writing
- Note taking/chapter outlines
- Presentations (formal and informal)
- Class discussion and participation (including Fishbowl Discussions, Socratic Discussions, and debates)
- Tests that conform to the A.P. format.
COURSE RULES
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Always give your best effort on all class activities and assignments. They are opportunities to learn, achieve, and grow. Take advantage of them.
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Academic Freedom: All students have a right to their opinions (however unpopular). How you support your opinions is a key to doing well on the AP exam and in this class. Respect for the opinion of others is a class requirement.
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Remember that your personal honor and integrity are a very precious and important part of who you are as a person. Therefore, I expect that you will do all of your OWN work at all times. This includes homework completed outside of class. Copying work will not be tolerated. (See the Student Handbook for more information regarding cheating/plagiarism).
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Due to the fast paced nature of this course, it is essential that you arrive to class on time, so that we may begin on time. Therefore, be inside the door when the bell rings, unless you have a legitimate excuse to be tardy. When you walk into the classroom you should act as though you are a college student and expect to be treated as such.
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I encourage you to approach me after class so that I can give you my undivided attention [if I am free] or see me in the halls, email me, so that I know we need to talk. Never hesitate to share your respectful feelings with me. Students quickly learn that I will eagerly listen and respond to their concerns when they approach me courteously.
AP EXAM
This course is intended to prepare students for the AP US History Exam in May. It is my goal that every student sit for the College Board A.P. Exam administered on May 6, 2011 and qualify for six to eight free college credits. Students are expected to take the exam, but it is not required. The cost of the exam varies each year, but is approximately $80.00. Scores are not reported until mid-July and have no bearing on a student’s grade. A score of three or better (on a five-point scale) deems the student worthy of free credits at many colleges nationwide; top-shelf colleges require a four or a five. The exam is difficult, but not impossible. The best preparation is a demanding course, with an emphasis in writing and reading.
2011 AP US History Testing Date: Friday, May 6th – AM Session
AP Exam Format: The AP test is 3 hours, 5 minutes long and is divided into two sections. The first section consists of 80 multiple-choice questions and lasts 55 minutes. The second section (called free response) includes the document-based question and two additional essay questions. Students get a total of 130 minutes to work on this section, including the mandatory 15 minutes of reading/planning time. There is a short break between the two sections of the test, so you CANNOT start on the essays if you finish the multiple-choice questions early. Each of the two parts of the test is worth half of the final AP grade. The Document-Based Question is 45% of the free response section grade, and each of the other two essays is 27.5%.
The AP test covers all of American history from the European exploration to the present, but most of the questions deal with the 1800s-1900s. The historical make-up of the questions is as follows:
17% - European exploration - Washington's first term (1789)
50% - Washington's first term (1790) - U.S. entering World War I (1914)
33% - U.S. entering World War I (1914) - PresentThe AP test covers the following topics in American history:
35% - politics, government, and laws
35% - social movements and social change
15% - wars, treaties, and international affairs
10% - economic history and technology
5% - art and cultureThe AP grades are reported in the following manner:
SCORE QUALIFICATION
5 Extremely Well Qualified
4 Well Qualified
3 Qualified
2 Possibly Qualified
1 No Recommendation
IN-CLASS EXAMS
Testing format consists of multiple choice questions, free response questions, and Documents Based Questions, all of which will be stressed throughout the year. All material assigned or gone over in class is fair game for a test; including but not limited to, textbook materials, ancillary texts, assignments, class discussions, videos, and more. Students will be given advanced notice of all exams. Exams will be worth approximately 25% of the grade in the class.
HOMEWORK
Obviously, due to the nature of the course requirements, homework will be required as necessary. Late work is not accepted, with the exception of 3 late homework passes per semester.
GRADING
Grading Policy: All grades will be based on total points accumulated during any given marking period. A straight scale will be used based on the following:
Grading Scale:
A
93 – 100%
A-
90 – 92.9%
B+
87 – 89.9%
B
83 – 86.9%
B-
80 – 82.9%
C+
77 – 79.9%
C
73 – 76.9%
C-
70 – 72.9%
D+
67 – 69.9%
D
63 – 66.9%
D-
60 – 62.9%
E
0 – 59.9%
Because of the Academic Honor Point earned for AP Classes, grades will NOT be rounded from the nearest half percent.
Additional Feedback to Students: All work will be returned to students and will be gone over in class. It will receive either a letter grade with points or occasionally receive “credit only.” Students will not always know whether their work will be scrutinized with a fine-toothed comb, or looked at for credit only, so it is imperative that they put forth their best effort on all assignments at all times. Credit only will be recorded as follows:
Check+ = great effort
Check = met basic requirements
Check- = did not meet requirements
CLASS ORGANIZATION/UNITS OF STUDY
This course is organized into six main units of study. The instructor will periodically provide unit assignment sheets, approximately every two to three weeks. Daily reading assignments and discussion questions for outlining will be included. Quiz and test dates will be noted. Students are responsible for keeping up with reading assignments and being aware of, and ready for, quizzes and tests. Class will be a combination of lecture, content activities, group work, coverage of discussion questions, book talks, and answering student questions. Periodically, student essays, reports, or presentations will be required. All essays will be scored according to the 9-point rubric established by The College Board.
Students will complete chapter outlines/notes after reading each chapter, compose succinct summaries after reading scholarly articles, complete unit exams, and prepare team presentations. There will be periodic opportunities for extra credit related to a particular unit of study. Organization is ESSENTIAL for success. SAVE ALL OF YOUR PAPERWORK as you go through this course. It will prove invaluable during review for the AP Exam.
Each unit will be organized around essential questions (EQ’s) related to the content. Approximately once each six-week period, students will produce a product or performance, individually or in groups, based on the essential questions. These projects will be fully explained on the unit reading and assignment schedules.
MATERIALS AND SUPPLIES
- Wide loose leaf binder [at least 2” or larger to be kept at home] à this will not only be your primary notebook, but you will be creating your own individual “review book” as well and should keep it neat and well-organized, so that you have things at your fingertips.
- One small [1”] binder [your “working notebook] that will be brought to school each day with the materials/homework, notes, etc, needed for the current unit being studied. Include some clean loose-leaf paper and some blank, white computer paper in the back.
- A yellow-colored highlighter and at least two other colors.
- Individual loose-leaf tabs/dividers.
- 3-holed college-lined [narrow-lined] loose-leaf.
COOPERATIVE GROUP LEARNING
Some projects in this class will require group work inside or outside of class. Sometimes you pick the groups, sometimes I do. In any group assignment, I expect all students to pull their own weight and to not rely on one person to do most of the work. I need to be made aware of any problems as they arise, but I encourage students to work through problems on their own first. Students always have the option of working independently, but this may mean a lot of work for one person. Additionally, they will miss the life-lessons that can come from engaging in group work and the benefit of learning from other students.
ESSAYS AND WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS
Format: All written assignments must be typed and saved to disc (or USB flash drive). Students should always have their name, date, and hour on all assignments. Typed work should be double-spaced, have 1” margins, and use Times New Roman or Arial in a 12-point font.
Outlines: Students will be required to outline all chapters from The American Pageant text. Outlines will range from 4-6 pages and will take students approximately 2-3 hours. Outlines should follow a proper graduated format and may not be only a list of bulleted statements or include only the bold vocabulary terms.
Thesis statement: These single-spaced one-page assignments are designed to summarize a historian’s thesis (argument) with supporting details and appropriate quotes. Articles range from 5-15 pages; students will receive approximately one-two per week.
4x6 cards: These are used to show understanding of articles. They include a one-sentence thesis statement and important supporting details.
Essays: Students should prepare a thesis statement and an essay outline for each question.
Essays assigned separately from an exam should provide accurate supporting details and quotes, as well as bibliography for sources cited.
Vocabulary: Students may compile vocabulary in the form of two-column notes or as 3x5 flash cards. Vocabulary terms should include key events, people, places, or movements. Completing vocabulary as the year progresses will also be helpful as a study tool before the AP Exam.
Primary Source Analysis: For most primary source documents assigned in class, students will complete a written analysis using one of a number of strategies or approaches that may require students to interpret the author’s meaning, bias, point of view, tone, purpose, etc.
STUDY BUDDIES
Each student will be paired up with a “study buddy”, which is someone in their class period whom they can contact if they have questions regarding an assignment, due dates, etc. This may or may not be someone you already know prior to the class beginning, but nevertheless, should be someone whom you feel comfortable asking for help in the class. This is the person whom you should go to after you come back absent, or call on the day you are absent, to find out what you missed. This person is also someone you can get notes from if you are absent, find out changes to the calendar, rely on to get handouts for you, etc.
STUDY GROUPS
Collaboration is critical in an advanced course. Competition, while natural in this type of course, should be constructive and reserved for the exam. The workload is extensive and can often be cooperatively shared with partners. Group preparation is encouraged for all exams and essays; your best weapon can be a committed study group. Form one or join one! It is suggested that students create or get connected with a study group within the first two weeks of school. Choose this group wisely, based on students with work ethics and personalities that you can work with and be productive with. It is helpful these groups meet regularly to review the material, construct outlines of the text, etc. You need not limit yourself to peers in your particular class period, you may choose to have study partners from another one of the AP U.S. History courses.
EXTRA HELP
There will not always be time for an in-class review before a test. Students are expected to study each night during a unit, so that there is no need for cramming before a test.
It is vitally important that students come in for additional help as soon as the need arises, NOT just the day before a test or quiz. I am usually available before and after school, and during lunch. Just notify me in advance, so I know you are coming. Sometimes, usually on Mondays, there are meetings I must attend immediately after school. Also, I usually offer formal review sessions after school the day before a big test. Please take advantage of this time. It shows that you care about the class and your grade. And what you put into improving your understanding will result in an almost guaranteed improvement of your grade.
REVIEW/STUDY SESSIONS
Approximately two-four weeks prior to the AP Exam, both in-class and out-of-class review sessions will be held. The review sessions after school before the AP Exam will be held 2-3x per week, and are completely optional.
ATTENDANCE
Attendance is crucial; a minimum of absences (regardless of reason) is best. School policy will be adhered to regarding attendance.
LATE POLICY
Late work is not accepted. If you are absent, work is due when you come back if you knew about it in advance. Exceptions may be made at the teacher’s discretion for extreme illness or family emergency. Absences must be excused for work to count. Quizzes and tests must be made up as soon as possible.
AFTER THE AP TEST
While taking the AP Exam is not mandatory, it is HIGHLY recommended. Regardless of whether students choose to take the AP Exam, students will still be expected to complete a final exam at the end of the year, to be held during the normal final exam schedule.
Between the AP Exam and the end of the year, students will be engaged in additional assignments and projects to advance their knowledge of history. Most of the work will be in-class work. Students may be expected to do any or all of the following:
- Prepare their own DBQ’s
- Make a Power Point presentation on a various time/event in history
- Create a US History board game, favoring a particular subject, time period, etc
- Debate contemporary issues using their historical knowledge, etc
- Analyze films about a particular time period for factual accuracy
COURSE TEXT AND READINGS:
Textbook:
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic. 11th Edition. Boston: McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin, 1998.
ISBN 0669397288
Ancillary texts:
Dollar and Reichard. American Issues: A Documentary Reader. New York: Glencoe/McGraw, 1997. ISBN 0028227190
Ellis, John. His Excellency: George Washington. New York: Vintage, 2004. ISBN 1400032539
Feder, Bernard. Viewpoints: USA. New York: American Book Company, 1967.
Oates, Stephen B. Portrait of America. Volume 1 & 2. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1995. ISBN 0395900778
Various primary source documents
Various articles and handouts
Each student will be given a copy of the primary text, The American Pageant, to use for the school year. Students have the option of purchasing the textbook on their own, for the purpose of highlighting, etc. Copies may be obtained online from various discount bookstores for as low as $27.00.
The other texts listed will be used semi-regularly for various articles. The biography His Excellency, by John Ellis is a required text for a book report in the first semester. I highly recommend students purchase their own copy, though copies are available in the Media Center and Public Library. Books are available at Borders, Barnes & Noble, and online at Amazon.com ($12.89).
ADDITIONAL NOTES FROM THE TEACHER
When I took AP US History in my eleventh grade year, I had never taken an AP course. But, with an interest in history and an open mind, I decided to give it a chance. The class worked me harder than any other class in high school. Nevertheless, I still look back on my AP US History experience with fondness and affection because it was some of the most challenging and beneficial coursework I have ever completed. I feel it is a great privilege to teach this class this year and am looking forward to an exciting and academically stimulating year with you in this course. If you put forth your best effort at all times and keep a positive attitude, this course will be one of the most rewarding of any you have ever taken. Please remember, you can do it, and I am here if you need assistance.