The AP U.S. History Exam date for the 2015/2016 school year is Friday, May 6th 2016 at 8 a.m. The APUSH test is only offered once per year.
ADVANCED PLACEMENT UNITED STATES HISTORY
Paula Bushaw-Ashby
Skyline High School
[email protected]
[email protected]
Course Description
Advanced Placement United States history is a comprehensive survey of U.S. history comparable to the college course, which includes the study of political institutions, social and cultural developments, diplomacy, and economic trends in U.S. history from 1491 to present day. The course will be taught using a variety of techniques—cooperative learning, lecture/discussion, student presentations, Socratic seminars, and simulations. Taking class and reading notes are essential to student success. Students must keep a separate binder to collect all primary and secondary sources, tests, notes, etc., for study/review purposes. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, analytical and interpretive essay writing, interpretation and analysis of a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, and the ability to draw upon factual knowledge to exercise analytic skills intelligently. This course fulfills the U.S. history requirement for the 11th grade.
The course is a three-trimester sequence, which prepares students to take the College Board Advanced Placement U.S. history Test on May 6, 2016. Since this course is directly tied to the AP program, it must be intellectually challenging, academically rigorous, and it must not only address all of American history in a fairly traditional, chronological manner, but also prepare students for the type of historical thinking skills and writing they will be assessed on the AP exam. Although the course is organized topically/chronologically seven themes will be emphasized throughout the year (see attached detailed theme descriptions):
Themes
Description
American and National Identity
Focuses on how and why definitions of American and national identity and values have developed, as well as on related topics such as citizenship, constitutionalism, foreign policy, assimilation, and American exceptionalism.
Politics and Power
Focuses on how different social and political groups have influenced society and government in the United States, as well as how political beliefs and institutions have changed over time.
Work, Exchange and Technology
Focuses on the factors behind the development of systems of economic exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government.
Culture and Society
Focuses on the roles that ideas, beliefs, social mores, and creative expression have played in shaping the United States, as well as how various identities, cultures, and values have been preserved or changed in different contexts of U.S. history
Migration and Settlement
Focuses on why and how the various people who moved to and within the United States both adapted to and transformed their new social and physical environments.
Geography and the Environment
Focuses on the role of geography and both the natural and human-made environments on social and political developments in what would become the United States.
America in the World
Focuses on the interactions between nations that affected North American history in the colonial period, and on the influence of the United States on world affairs.
Historical Thinking Skills: These skills will be assessed in class and on the AP exam. Students need repeated practice with primary and secondary sources in order to show mastery. These skills include analyzing evidence, interpretation, comparison, contextualization, synthesis, causation, patterns of continuity and change over time, periodization, and argumentation (see attachment for detailed description).
Sources:
Primary Textbook:
Henretta, James A., Hinderaker, Eric, Edwards, Rebecca, Self, Rober O., American’s History 8th ed. Boston, Mass: Bedford/ St. Martin., 2014.
*This textbook will be supplemented by numerous additional primary and secondary source readings provided by the instructor.
Wood, Ethel. AP United States History: An Essential Coursebook. WoodYard Publications. 2nd ed., 2014.
Newman, John., Schmalbach, John, M., United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination, AMSCO Publication, 3rd ed. 2015.
Secondary Sources will include, but not limited to:
Lamb, Brian. Booknotes: Stories from American History. Penguin Books. 2002.
Zinn Howard. A People’s History of the United States.
Garraty, John, A., Historical Viewpoints. Vol 1 & 2. Longman Publisher. 9th Ed. 2003.
Primary Sources will include, but not limited to:
Bailey and Kennedy, The American Spirit, Volumes I and II. D.C. Heath and Company. 2006. Eleventh Edition.
Oates, Stephen B. Portrait of America, Volumes One and Two. Houghton Mifflin Co. Seventh ed. 1999.
Rosenzweig, Roy, Lichtenstein, Nelson. Who Built America? Vol 1 & 2. Bedford/ St. Martin. Third ed. 2008
Dollar, Charles, Reichard, Gary, W., American Issues: A Documentary Reader, Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Stacy, John. Heller, Stephen. Documenting United States History: Themes, Concepts, and Skills for the AP* Course. Bedford/ St. Martin. 2016.
Supplies:
Blue/black/red pens Loose leaf paper (no spiral paper)
2 -3 inch binder with 4 dividers Highlighter
3 x 5 note cards jump drive
Post Its (standard size)
Homework and Grading Policies: Please keep in mind that homework demands for an AP class are great, yet they will vary from day to day. Students are responsible for checking PowerSchool for grades.
· Part-time jobs and extracurricular activities may not be used as excuses for late or missing work. Daily homework must be submitted electronically or have ready at the beginning of class on the day it is due.
· Late papers will be accepted as long as the assignment is turned in within 24 hours. You will not earn more than 50%. Late work turned in after that period will be looked at, but no additional points will be assigned. You are allowed one late assignment pass (LAP).
· AP courses have a weighted grade scale which means you earn more points toward your GPA. A=5 pts, B=4 pts, C=3 pts, D=2pts, F=0 pts.
Class assignments will be weighted according: assessments 40% (tests, DBQ’s/essays, major projects), Classwork 30%; notebook 20%; quizzes 10%
Not all assignments will be collected. Some will be assigned and needed for class discussion or an activity and will be graded during your binder check. All assignments are valuable skills/knowledge you will need to be successful on the AP Exam and the class.
Academic honesty- Using another’s work or lending another person your work is cheating-so is cutting and pasting from the Internet and claiming it be your original work. Cheating and all other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in a zero on the assignment. Please refer to the student handbook.
Absences and make-up work: If a student is absent from class and work is missed, the student has one day per verified absence. It is the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed and arrange for extra help if needed. You can access information on the Google Classroom.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones may be used in class with my permission. Cell phones used during a test or quiz will result in a confiscated phone and a zero on that assessment.
Course Outline: This is a rough outline and timeline for each section. Delays may occur.
Material listed below will be covered prior to the Exam. Expect to read approximately one to two chapters a week plus supplemental readings, documents, biographies outside of class. We will try to stay on schedule.
Abbreviations:
DBQ-Document Based Question
LEQ-Long Essay Question
SAQ-Short Answer Question
Unit 1: 1491-1607 (1 Week)
Henretta-- Chapter 1: “Colliding World”
Chapter 2: “American Experiments”
AMSCO pages 1-22
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments and Activities:
Students will be introduced to the SAQs and will practice answering questions in their composition books.
Possible Assessment: Reading quizzes; In class multiple choice exam (10 questions/introduction to a variety of AP-style multiple choice questions). Short Asnswer Questions test covering key documents.
Unit 2: 1607-1754 (2 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 3: The British Atlantic World”
Chapter 4: “Growth, Diversity, and Conflict”
AMSCO pages 23-67
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Class presentations on microscope study of different colonies and development of the thirteen colonies; introduction of the LEQ. Students will create a comparison chart examining the following information for each of the Thirteen Colonies: when, why, and who founded, type of colony, geography, economy, political structure, social characteristics, key individuals associated with early development, role of women, relationship with Native Americans. How to do the DBQ-in class discussion and step by step process followed by writing the DBQ on New England and Chesapeake Colonies
Possible LEQ: Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
Possible DBQ: Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur?
Possible Assessment: In class multiple choice test and one in class essay. Students may choose one of the following essay prompts:
Evaluate the impact of the Great Awakening in the English colonies in North America.
Compare and contrast the status of women in the South with that of New England.
Unit 3: 1754-1800 (2 ½ Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 5: “The Problem of Empire”
Chapter 6: “Making War and Republican Governments”
Chapter 7: “Hammering Out a Federal Republic”
Chapter 8: “Creating a Republican Culture”
AMSCO pages 68-127
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Socratic Seminar; Students will create an annotated timeline tracing the events between 1763 and 1783; Forum discussion-causes of the Revolutionary War; Literature Circle-Analyzing The Constitution.
Possible LEQ: Evaluate the relative importance of the following as factors prompting Americans to rebel in 1776:
Parliamentary taxation Restrictions of civil liberties
British military measures The legacy of colonial religious and political ideas (1992)
Possible DBQ: To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
Possible Assessment: Multiple choice and short answer test. Unit SAQs.
Unit 4: 1800-1848 (4 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 9: “Transforming the Economy”
Chapter 10: “A Democratic Revolution”
Chapter 11: “Religion and Reform
Chapter 12: “The South Expands: Slavery and society”
AMSCO pages 130-226
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller).
Possible Major Assignments: Evaluating Jefferson-small group discussion; Biography paper: Students will be assigned one of the Founding Fathers and will complete a biography analysis paper evaluating his/her role in the formation of the new nation. Simulation Game; Who Am I? Students will draw the identity of an antebellum reformer and they must come to class prepared to present his persona to the class in a creative manner; Political cartoon analysis; Jacksonian Debate. Students will create a journal relating their experiences as a slave in the Deep South during the 1830’s. Entries must reflect an informed knowledge of slave working conditions, slave culture, slave family issues, slave frustrations, etc.; Jigsaw: Life in Slavery; Small group activity: Slavery Two Experiences (documents analysis).
Possible LEQ: Settlers in the eighteenth century American backcountry sometimes resorted to violent protest to express their grievances. Analyze the causes and significance of TWO of the following.
March of the Paxton Boys Regulator movement
Shays’ Rebellion Whiskey Rebellion
“Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828 was the consequences of the rise of democracy rather than the start of a new democratic age.”
Assess the validity of this statement.
Possible DBQ: With respect to the federal Constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans are usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad constructionism of the Federalists. To what extent was this characterization of the two parties accurate during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison?
"Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals." Assess the validity of this statement.
Possible Assessment: In class multiple choice test; Take home essay writing prompts:
Discuss the United States as it existed under the Articles of Confederation. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederation government and how did the Constitution attempt to correct those flaws?
Analyze BOTH the purpose of and the opposition to THREE of the following five elements of Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan:
Assumption of States debts An excise tax
Protective tariffs The Bank of the United States
Funding of government war bonds
Identification Test: students will identify (who, what, when, why, how) and give the significance of ten to fifteen items selected from unit readings and class discussions. Examples: Nicholas Biddle, the Irish potato famine, Lowell Mill girls, etc.. Essay: analyze the ways in which supporters of slavery in the 19th century used legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution of slavery.
Unit 5: 1844-1877 (4 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 13: “Expansion, War, and Sectional Crisis”
Chapter 14: “Two Societies at War”
Chapter 15: “Reconstruction”
Chapter 16: “Conquering a Continent”
AMSCO pages 229-315
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Lincoln- in His Own Words”-an evaluation of Lincoln as a speaker and an evaluation of his major speeches, including the “House Divided” speech, his inaugural addresses, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address; Forum discussion-the Civil War; Fishbowl-Reconstruction.
Possible Assessment: Take home DBQ: To what extend did Reconstruction bring the Southern Negro the equality and freedom that slavery had denied them?
Unit 6: 1865-1898(5 weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 17: “Industrial America”
Chapter 18: “The Victorians Make the Modern”
Chapter 19: “Civilization’s Inferno: The Rise and Reform of Industrial Cities”
Chapter 20: “Whose Government? Politics, Populists, and Progressives”
AMSCO pages 318-404
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: From The Good Old Days- They Were Terrible!, an analytical reading assignment examining one of the major areas of life in America during the gilded Age: Health, Transportation, Food and Drink, Traffic, Air and Water, etc. (Student presentations). Computer lab Activity: The Cartoons of Thomas Nast. Students will create a chart listing the major reforms of the Progressive Era. Each reform must be identified/defined; each reform must be grouped according to type (social, economic, political, or environmental); each must be identified with the Progressive president responsible for its implementation; each must be evaluated for its success both short-term and long-term. Map and research assignment: students will chart major geographic features of the trans-Mississippi west, as well as important locations associated with the mining frontier, the Cattle Kingdom, the western railroads, the Indian conflicts. Students must relate the significance of each item labeled on the maps in written form attached to the map assignment. Speed dating activity: research a prominent person from the Progressive Era and be prepared to participate in a Speed Dating class activity and complete a reflection essay.
Possible LEQ: “The United States in the Gilded Age (1865-1900) was a materialistic society, sterile in all forms of artistic expression.”
How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the period from 1860 to 1900 in the United States?
Possible DBQ: To what extent and for what reasons did the policies of the federal government from 1865 o 1900 violate the principles of laissez-faire, which advocated minimal governmental intervention in the economy? Consider with specific reference to the following three areas of policy: railroad land grants, control of interstate commerce, and antitrust activities.
Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers and the federal government in bringing about reform at the national level. In your answer be sure to analyze the successes and limitations of these efforts in the period 1900-1920.
Possible Assessment: Multiple choice test (35 questions). Take home essay: Describe the patterns of immigration in TWO of the periods listed below. Compare and contrast the responses of Americans to immigrants during these periods.
1820-1860
1880-1924
1965-2000
Unit 7: 1890-1945 (7 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 21: “An Emerging World Power”
Chapter 22: “Cultural conflict, Bubble, and Bust”
Chapter 23: “Managing the Great Depression, Forging the New Deal”
Chapter 24: “The World at War”
AMSCO pages 408-552
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible LEQ: Compare and contrast the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
Possible Major Assignments: Read excerpt from Middletown; list economic and social impacts of the automobile in American life. Class Debate; map and research assignment identifying the areas that the United States acquired or obtained significant influence in between 1865 and 1917. Students will research and briefly explain the circumstances behind American acquisition of territories in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. Oral History interview of someone who lived through the Great Depression. After an introduction to Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, An Oral History of the Great Depression, students will interview family members, friends, and/or individuals with my approval. They will write their findings in a style comparable to those found in Hard Times. Students will complete an activity based on various “stations” of information about World War II on the Home Front: rationing, propaganda, etc.
Possible DBQ: To what extent was the American expansion of the late nineteenth century a continuation of or departure from earlier expansion?
The 1920’s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new AND in what ways was the tension manifested?
Possible Assessment: multiple and identification test. In class essays: The “noble experiment” of Prohibition did more harm than good. Assess the validity of this statement. What part did African American artists, writers, and musicians play in the new culture of the 1920’s? How does one explain this burst of cultural creativity at a time when most blacks were still oppressed and segregated?
Possible DBQ & Assessment: FDR and the New Deal; Hoover is commonly referred to as a conservative and FDR as a liberal. Assess the validity of those descriptions.
How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between 1920 and 1941? Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1920-1941 to construct your response.
Unit 8: 1945-1980 (7 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 25: “Cold War America”
Chapter 26: “Triumph of the Middle Class”
Chapter 27: “Walking into Freedom Land: The Civil Rights Movement”
Chapter 28: Uncivil Wars: Liberal Crisis and Conservative Rebirth”
Chapter 29: The Search for Order in an Era of Limits”
AMSCO pages 556-649
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Oral Interview Assignment: Students must interview at least five adults over the age of 50. Starting point for each interview is the question: “Were the 1960s the Best of Times or the Worst of Times”? Research paper (2-3 pages) on one of the Cold War Conflicts. Speed dating activity: research a prominent person from the Civil Rights movement and be prepared to participate in a Speed Dating class activity and complete a reflection essay.
Possible LEQ: Describe THREE of the following and analyze the ways in which each of the three has affected the status of women in American society since 1940.
Changing economic conditions The rebirth of an organized woman’s movement
Advances in reproductive technology The persistence of traditional definitions of women’s role
Assess the success of the United States policy of containment in Asia between 1945 and 1975.
Possible DBQ: Analyze the changes that occurred during the 1960’s in the goals, strategies, and support of the movement for African American civil rights.
The United States decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union in the post-Second-World-War era rather than a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender.
Possible Assessment: Timed AP style exam. In what ways is 1968 considered a turning point in American history?
Unit 9: 1980-present (1 Week)
Henretta--Chapter 30: “Conservative America in the Ascent”
Chapter 31: “Confronting Global and National Dilemmas”
AMSCO pages 653-729
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Rate the Presidents, Eisenhower to Reagan. Students will brainstorm as a class the criteria for Modern Presidential Leadership and evaluate the administrations of Eisenhower to Reagan based on that criteria.
Possible Assessment: take home essay: Would you have “liked Ike” in the 1950’s? Why or why not? Which of his a) personal qualities, b) domestic programs, c) foreign policy decisions do you find most admirable? For what may he be criticized?
Catch up and Review
Online Textbook Reading Quizzes
Thematic Review
Practice multiple-choice tests
Practice LEQ
Practice SAQs
Full length practice AP Exams will be offered every Saturday in April.
A full-length AP Test (55 multiple choice questions, 1 DBQ, and 1 LEQ, and 4 SAQ questions) will be administered as a final exam for the class and as practice for the College Board A.P. United States history Exam.
Special Projects
Class presentations on “Microscope” topics
Presidential Profiles to be complete throughout the year
Vocabulary lists will be distributed in Google Classroom on a regular basis
Final research project on topic of choice.
Current Events
In order to cover the most recent history, we will be covering current events every Monday. Students are required to come prepared on Monday with an article dealing with an issue in which America is a central player. Students should have a brief summary of the article prepared to share with the class and be prepared for a synthesis discussion.
Paula Bushaw-Ashby
Skyline High School
[email protected]
[email protected]
Course Description
Advanced Placement United States history is a comprehensive survey of U.S. history comparable to the college course, which includes the study of political institutions, social and cultural developments, diplomacy, and economic trends in U.S. history from 1491 to present day. The course will be taught using a variety of techniques—cooperative learning, lecture/discussion, student presentations, Socratic seminars, and simulations. Taking class and reading notes are essential to student success. Students must keep a separate binder to collect all primary and secondary sources, tests, notes, etc., for study/review purposes. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, analytical and interpretive essay writing, interpretation and analysis of a wide variety of primary and secondary sources, and the ability to draw upon factual knowledge to exercise analytic skills intelligently. This course fulfills the U.S. history requirement for the 11th grade.
The course is a three-trimester sequence, which prepares students to take the College Board Advanced Placement U.S. history Test on May 6, 2016. Since this course is directly tied to the AP program, it must be intellectually challenging, academically rigorous, and it must not only address all of American history in a fairly traditional, chronological manner, but also prepare students for the type of historical thinking skills and writing they will be assessed on the AP exam. Although the course is organized topically/chronologically seven themes will be emphasized throughout the year (see attached detailed theme descriptions):
Themes
Description
American and National Identity
Focuses on how and why definitions of American and national identity and values have developed, as well as on related topics such as citizenship, constitutionalism, foreign policy, assimilation, and American exceptionalism.
Politics and Power
Focuses on how different social and political groups have influenced society and government in the United States, as well as how political beliefs and institutions have changed over time.
Work, Exchange and Technology
Focuses on the factors behind the development of systems of economic exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government.
Culture and Society
Focuses on the roles that ideas, beliefs, social mores, and creative expression have played in shaping the United States, as well as how various identities, cultures, and values have been preserved or changed in different contexts of U.S. history
Migration and Settlement
Focuses on why and how the various people who moved to and within the United States both adapted to and transformed their new social and physical environments.
Geography and the Environment
Focuses on the role of geography and both the natural and human-made environments on social and political developments in what would become the United States.
America in the World
Focuses on the interactions between nations that affected North American history in the colonial period, and on the influence of the United States on world affairs.
Historical Thinking Skills: These skills will be assessed in class and on the AP exam. Students need repeated practice with primary and secondary sources in order to show mastery. These skills include analyzing evidence, interpretation, comparison, contextualization, synthesis, causation, patterns of continuity and change over time, periodization, and argumentation (see attachment for detailed description).
Sources:
Primary Textbook:
Henretta, James A., Hinderaker, Eric, Edwards, Rebecca, Self, Rober O., American’s History 8th ed. Boston, Mass: Bedford/ St. Martin., 2014.
*This textbook will be supplemented by numerous additional primary and secondary source readings provided by the instructor.
Wood, Ethel. AP United States History: An Essential Coursebook. WoodYard Publications. 2nd ed., 2014.
Newman, John., Schmalbach, John, M., United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination, AMSCO Publication, 3rd ed. 2015.
Secondary Sources will include, but not limited to:
Lamb, Brian. Booknotes: Stories from American History. Penguin Books. 2002.
Zinn Howard. A People’s History of the United States.
Garraty, John, A., Historical Viewpoints. Vol 1 & 2. Longman Publisher. 9th Ed. 2003.
Primary Sources will include, but not limited to:
Bailey and Kennedy, The American Spirit, Volumes I and II. D.C. Heath and Company. 2006. Eleventh Edition.
Oates, Stephen B. Portrait of America, Volumes One and Two. Houghton Mifflin Co. Seventh ed. 1999.
Rosenzweig, Roy, Lichtenstein, Nelson. Who Built America? Vol 1 & 2. Bedford/ St. Martin. Third ed. 2008
Dollar, Charles, Reichard, Gary, W., American Issues: A Documentary Reader, Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2002.
Stacy, John. Heller, Stephen. Documenting United States History: Themes, Concepts, and Skills for the AP* Course. Bedford/ St. Martin. 2016.
Supplies:
Blue/black/red pens Loose leaf paper (no spiral paper)
2 -3 inch binder with 4 dividers Highlighter
3 x 5 note cards jump drive
Post Its (standard size)
Homework and Grading Policies: Please keep in mind that homework demands for an AP class are great, yet they will vary from day to day. Students are responsible for checking PowerSchool for grades.
· Part-time jobs and extracurricular activities may not be used as excuses for late or missing work. Daily homework must be submitted electronically or have ready at the beginning of class on the day it is due.
· Late papers will be accepted as long as the assignment is turned in within 24 hours. You will not earn more than 50%. Late work turned in after that period will be looked at, but no additional points will be assigned. You are allowed one late assignment pass (LAP).
· AP courses have a weighted grade scale which means you earn more points toward your GPA. A=5 pts, B=4 pts, C=3 pts, D=2pts, F=0 pts.
Class assignments will be weighted according: assessments 40% (tests, DBQ’s/essays, major projects), Classwork 30%; notebook 20%; quizzes 10%
Not all assignments will be collected. Some will be assigned and needed for class discussion or an activity and will be graded during your binder check. All assignments are valuable skills/knowledge you will need to be successful on the AP Exam and the class.
Academic honesty- Using another’s work or lending another person your work is cheating-so is cutting and pasting from the Internet and claiming it be your original work. Cheating and all other forms of academic dishonesty will not be tolerated and will result in a zero on the assignment. Please refer to the student handbook.
Absences and make-up work: If a student is absent from class and work is missed, the student has one day per verified absence. It is the student’s responsibility to find out what was missed and arrange for extra help if needed. You can access information on the Google Classroom.
Cell Phone Policy
Cell phones may be used in class with my permission. Cell phones used during a test or quiz will result in a confiscated phone and a zero on that assessment.
Course Outline: This is a rough outline and timeline for each section. Delays may occur.
Material listed below will be covered prior to the Exam. Expect to read approximately one to two chapters a week plus supplemental readings, documents, biographies outside of class. We will try to stay on schedule.
Abbreviations:
DBQ-Document Based Question
LEQ-Long Essay Question
SAQ-Short Answer Question
Unit 1: 1491-1607 (1 Week)
Henretta-- Chapter 1: “Colliding World”
Chapter 2: “American Experiments”
AMSCO pages 1-22
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments and Activities:
Students will be introduced to the SAQs and will practice answering questions in their composition books.
Possible Assessment: Reading quizzes; In class multiple choice exam (10 questions/introduction to a variety of AP-style multiple choice questions). Short Asnswer Questions test covering key documents.
Unit 2: 1607-1754 (2 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 3: The British Atlantic World”
Chapter 4: “Growth, Diversity, and Conflict”
AMSCO pages 23-67
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Class presentations on microscope study of different colonies and development of the thirteen colonies; introduction of the LEQ. Students will create a comparison chart examining the following information for each of the Thirteen Colonies: when, why, and who founded, type of colony, geography, economy, political structure, social characteristics, key individuals associated with early development, role of women, relationship with Native Americans. How to do the DBQ-in class discussion and step by step process followed by writing the DBQ on New England and Chesapeake Colonies
Possible LEQ: Compare and contrast the ways in which economic development affected politics in Massachusetts and Virginia in the period from 1607 to 1750.
Possible DBQ: Although New England and the Chesapeake region were both settled largely by people of English origin, by 1700 the regions had evolved into two distinct societies. Why did this difference in development occur?
Possible Assessment: In class multiple choice test and one in class essay. Students may choose one of the following essay prompts:
Evaluate the impact of the Great Awakening in the English colonies in North America.
Compare and contrast the status of women in the South with that of New England.
Unit 3: 1754-1800 (2 ½ Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 5: “The Problem of Empire”
Chapter 6: “Making War and Republican Governments”
Chapter 7: “Hammering Out a Federal Republic”
Chapter 8: “Creating a Republican Culture”
AMSCO pages 68-127
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Socratic Seminar; Students will create an annotated timeline tracing the events between 1763 and 1783; Forum discussion-causes of the Revolutionary War; Literature Circle-Analyzing The Constitution.
Possible LEQ: Evaluate the relative importance of the following as factors prompting Americans to rebel in 1776:
Parliamentary taxation Restrictions of civil liberties
British military measures The legacy of colonial religious and political ideas (1992)
Possible DBQ: To what extent had the colonists developed a sense of their identity and unity as Americans by the eve of the Revolution?
Possible Assessment: Multiple choice and short answer test. Unit SAQs.
Unit 4: 1800-1848 (4 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 9: “Transforming the Economy”
Chapter 10: “A Democratic Revolution”
Chapter 11: “Religion and Reform
Chapter 12: “The South Expands: Slavery and society”
AMSCO pages 130-226
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller).
Possible Major Assignments: Evaluating Jefferson-small group discussion; Biography paper: Students will be assigned one of the Founding Fathers and will complete a biography analysis paper evaluating his/her role in the formation of the new nation. Simulation Game; Who Am I? Students will draw the identity of an antebellum reformer and they must come to class prepared to present his persona to the class in a creative manner; Political cartoon analysis; Jacksonian Debate. Students will create a journal relating their experiences as a slave in the Deep South during the 1830’s. Entries must reflect an informed knowledge of slave working conditions, slave culture, slave family issues, slave frustrations, etc.; Jigsaw: Life in Slavery; Small group activity: Slavery Two Experiences (documents analysis).
Possible LEQ: Settlers in the eighteenth century American backcountry sometimes resorted to violent protest to express their grievances. Analyze the causes and significance of TWO of the following.
March of the Paxton Boys Regulator movement
Shays’ Rebellion Whiskey Rebellion
“Andrew Jackson’s election in 1828 was the consequences of the rise of democracy rather than the start of a new democratic age.”
Assess the validity of this statement.
Possible DBQ: With respect to the federal Constitution, the Jeffersonian Republicans are usually characterized as strict constructionists who were opposed to the broad constructionism of the Federalists. To what extent was this characterization of the two parties accurate during the presidencies of Jefferson and Madison?
"Reform movements in the United States sought to expand democratic ideals." Assess the validity of this statement.
Possible Assessment: In class multiple choice test; Take home essay writing prompts:
Discuss the United States as it existed under the Articles of Confederation. What were the strengths and weaknesses of the Confederation government and how did the Constitution attempt to correct those flaws?
Analyze BOTH the purpose of and the opposition to THREE of the following five elements of Alexander Hamilton’s financial plan:
Assumption of States debts An excise tax
Protective tariffs The Bank of the United States
Funding of government war bonds
Identification Test: students will identify (who, what, when, why, how) and give the significance of ten to fifteen items selected from unit readings and class discussions. Examples: Nicholas Biddle, the Irish potato famine, Lowell Mill girls, etc.. Essay: analyze the ways in which supporters of slavery in the 19th century used legal, religious, and economic arguments to defend the institution of slavery.
Unit 5: 1844-1877 (4 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 13: “Expansion, War, and Sectional Crisis”
Chapter 14: “Two Societies at War”
Chapter 15: “Reconstruction”
Chapter 16: “Conquering a Continent”
AMSCO pages 229-315
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Lincoln- in His Own Words”-an evaluation of Lincoln as a speaker and an evaluation of his major speeches, including the “House Divided” speech, his inaugural addresses, the Emancipation Proclamation and the Gettysburg Address; Forum discussion-the Civil War; Fishbowl-Reconstruction.
Possible Assessment: Take home DBQ: To what extend did Reconstruction bring the Southern Negro the equality and freedom that slavery had denied them?
Unit 6: 1865-1898(5 weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 17: “Industrial America”
Chapter 18: “The Victorians Make the Modern”
Chapter 19: “Civilization’s Inferno: The Rise and Reform of Industrial Cities”
Chapter 20: “Whose Government? Politics, Populists, and Progressives”
AMSCO pages 318-404
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: From The Good Old Days- They Were Terrible!, an analytical reading assignment examining one of the major areas of life in America during the gilded Age: Health, Transportation, Food and Drink, Traffic, Air and Water, etc. (Student presentations). Computer lab Activity: The Cartoons of Thomas Nast. Students will create a chart listing the major reforms of the Progressive Era. Each reform must be identified/defined; each reform must be grouped according to type (social, economic, political, or environmental); each must be identified with the Progressive president responsible for its implementation; each must be evaluated for its success both short-term and long-term. Map and research assignment: students will chart major geographic features of the trans-Mississippi west, as well as important locations associated with the mining frontier, the Cattle Kingdom, the western railroads, the Indian conflicts. Students must relate the significance of each item labeled on the maps in written form attached to the map assignment. Speed dating activity: research a prominent person from the Progressive Era and be prepared to participate in a Speed Dating class activity and complete a reflection essay.
Possible LEQ: “The United States in the Gilded Age (1865-1900) was a materialistic society, sterile in all forms of artistic expression.”
How and why did transportation developments spark economic growth during the period from 1860 to 1900 in the United States?
Possible DBQ: To what extent and for what reasons did the policies of the federal government from 1865 o 1900 violate the principles of laissez-faire, which advocated minimal governmental intervention in the economy? Consider with specific reference to the following three areas of policy: railroad land grants, control of interstate commerce, and antitrust activities.
Evaluate the effectiveness of Progressive Era reformers and the federal government in bringing about reform at the national level. In your answer be sure to analyze the successes and limitations of these efforts in the period 1900-1920.
Possible Assessment: Multiple choice test (35 questions). Take home essay: Describe the patterns of immigration in TWO of the periods listed below. Compare and contrast the responses of Americans to immigrants during these periods.
1820-1860
1880-1924
1965-2000
Unit 7: 1890-1945 (7 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 21: “An Emerging World Power”
Chapter 22: “Cultural conflict, Bubble, and Bust”
Chapter 23: “Managing the Great Depression, Forging the New Deal”
Chapter 24: “The World at War”
AMSCO pages 408-552
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible LEQ: Compare and contrast the foreign policies of Theodore Roosevelt and Woodrow Wilson.
Possible Major Assignments: Read excerpt from Middletown; list economic and social impacts of the automobile in American life. Class Debate; map and research assignment identifying the areas that the United States acquired or obtained significant influence in between 1865 and 1917. Students will research and briefly explain the circumstances behind American acquisition of territories in the Caribbean and Pacific regions. Oral History interview of someone who lived through the Great Depression. After an introduction to Studs Terkel’s Hard Times, An Oral History of the Great Depression, students will interview family members, friends, and/or individuals with my approval. They will write their findings in a style comparable to those found in Hard Times. Students will complete an activity based on various “stations” of information about World War II on the Home Front: rationing, propaganda, etc.
Possible DBQ: To what extent was the American expansion of the late nineteenth century a continuation of or departure from earlier expansion?
The 1920’s were a period of tension between new and changing attitudes on the one hand traditional values and nostalgia on the other. What led to the tension between old and new AND in what ways was the tension manifested?
Possible Assessment: multiple and identification test. In class essays: The “noble experiment” of Prohibition did more harm than good. Assess the validity of this statement. What part did African American artists, writers, and musicians play in the new culture of the 1920’s? How does one explain this burst of cultural creativity at a time when most blacks were still oppressed and segregated?
Possible DBQ & Assessment: FDR and the New Deal; Hoover is commonly referred to as a conservative and FDR as a liberal. Assess the validity of those descriptions.
How and for what reasons did United States foreign policy change between 1920 and 1941? Use the documents and your knowledge of the period 1920-1941 to construct your response.
Unit 8: 1945-1980 (7 Weeks)
Henretta--Chapter 25: “Cold War America”
Chapter 26: “Triumph of the Middle Class”
Chapter 27: “Walking into Freedom Land: The Civil Rights Movement”
Chapter 28: Uncivil Wars: Liberal Crisis and Conservative Rebirth”
Chapter 29: The Search for Order in an Era of Limits”
AMSCO pages 556-649
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Oral Interview Assignment: Students must interview at least five adults over the age of 50. Starting point for each interview is the question: “Were the 1960s the Best of Times or the Worst of Times”? Research paper (2-3 pages) on one of the Cold War Conflicts. Speed dating activity: research a prominent person from the Civil Rights movement and be prepared to participate in a Speed Dating class activity and complete a reflection essay.
Possible LEQ: Describe THREE of the following and analyze the ways in which each of the three has affected the status of women in American society since 1940.
Changing economic conditions The rebirth of an organized woman’s movement
Advances in reproductive technology The persistence of traditional definitions of women’s role
Assess the success of the United States policy of containment in Asia between 1945 and 1975.
Possible DBQ: Analyze the changes that occurred during the 1960’s in the goals, strategies, and support of the movement for African American civil rights.
The United States decision to drop an atomic bomb on Hiroshima was a diplomatic measure calculated to intimidate the Soviet Union in the post-Second-World-War era rather than a strictly military measure designed to force Japan’s unconditional surrender.
Possible Assessment: Timed AP style exam. In what ways is 1968 considered a turning point in American history?
Unit 9: 1980-present (1 Week)
Henretta--Chapter 30: “Conservative America in the Ascent”
Chapter 31: “Confronting Global and National Dilemmas”
AMSCO pages 653-729
Selected readings and documents from Oates, Bailey, and Dollar
Document analysis from Documenting United States History (Stacy and Heller)
Possible Major Assignments: Rate the Presidents, Eisenhower to Reagan. Students will brainstorm as a class the criteria for Modern Presidential Leadership and evaluate the administrations of Eisenhower to Reagan based on that criteria.
Possible Assessment: take home essay: Would you have “liked Ike” in the 1950’s? Why or why not? Which of his a) personal qualities, b) domestic programs, c) foreign policy decisions do you find most admirable? For what may he be criticized?
Catch up and Review
Online Textbook Reading Quizzes
Thematic Review
Practice multiple-choice tests
Practice LEQ
Practice SAQs
Full length practice AP Exams will be offered every Saturday in April.
A full-length AP Test (55 multiple choice questions, 1 DBQ, and 1 LEQ, and 4 SAQ questions) will be administered as a final exam for the class and as practice for the College Board A.P. United States history Exam.
Special Projects
Class presentations on “Microscope” topics
Presidential Profiles to be complete throughout the year
Vocabulary lists will be distributed in Google Classroom on a regular basis
Final research project on topic of choice.
Current Events
In order to cover the most recent history, we will be covering current events every Monday. Students are required to come prepared on Monday with an article dealing with an issue in which America is a central player. Students should have a brief summary of the article prepared to share with the class and be prepared for a synthesis discussion.
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