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AP World History
| 17 November 2009
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Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH) Syllabus
Course Description:
This course will cover the entire scope of United States history from the early exploration of North America to the election of Barack Obama to the presidency of the United States. This is a survey course in that we will examine a variety of subjects in a general manner as opposed to studying a specific aspect of American history in great detail.
This class is designed to prepare the motivated student for:
1.) the Advanced Placement Exam in United States History
2.) a college-level curriculum in U.S. History
3.) the verbal section of the SAT and the U.S. History section of the SAT II
4.) research and writing skills necessary for a college freshman.
The AP Exam:
The United States History exam will be administered on Friday, May 7, 2010 at the school. The cost to students will be approximately $86.00. While the test is not mandatory for all students, it is a requirement for those who wish to earn an “A” grade for the second semester. A student who scores a 3, 4 or 5 on the test, can receive college credit for one or more United States History courses.
Student Commitment:
This is a difficult course. The amount of reading and writing required of AP United States History students is far above those taking the regular United States History course. Successful students will have to manage their time and resources wisely in order to avoid being swamped. It is my opinion that the efforts of these students will be rewarded in one or more of the following areas:
1. college credit
2. increased scholarship opportunities
3. better chances at acceptance to the college or university of their choice
4. a much more thorough understanding of the subject and the skills necessary to succeed
in their post secondary education.
Late Assignments:
Assignments are due on the date requested except in case of illness or other valid reasons. Late papers will receive half credit for a week after they were due. After that they have no grade value.
Tardies:
For every tardy after the third tardy in a class, the student will lose 2% of their overall quarter grade for that particular class (every quarter gives the student three excused tardies in each class).
Student Handbook:
All of the rules and policies in the student handbook will be followed in this class.
Student Work:
Students will be expected to successfully complete the following assignments: vocabulary quizzes, essays, document based essays, essay outlines, unit exams, primary source analysis, and an end of the year Power Point research presentation on the subject of their choice. In addition, students will be expected to complete numerous outside readings on a variety of topics, including historiography, and participate in classroom discussions.
Grading Scale:
A 91.50% and up C 71.5 – 77.49%
A- 89.50 – 91.49% C- 69.5 – 71.49%
B+ 87.5 – 89.49% D+ 67.5 – 69.49%
B 81.5 – 87.49% D 61.5 – 67.49%
B- 79.5 – 81.49% D- 59.5 – 61.49%
C+ 77.5 – 79.49% F 0 – 59.49%
Grades are generally posted on Edline every Monday. If parents or students have a question at any time they can contact me by phone at school or via the school E-mail.
Makeup Work:
As always, it is the student’s responsibility to pick up any work they may have missed during an absence. Quizzes can be made up for illness and doctor appointments only. I throw out one student quiz score each quarter. Makeup exams are administered when a student returns to class after an EXCUSED ABSENCE. They will be given an alternate exam, but their absence must be cleared when they return. If an illness or family emergency necessitates a student missing several consecutive days of class, requests for homework should be made as soon as possible.
Teacher Conferences:
If a parent would like to meet with me concerning their child, please call to schedule a conference or contact me via the school E-mail.
Objectives:
1 The student will be able to analyze and interpret primary and secondary source documents.
2 The student will be able to understand an analytical prompt/question and create a competent and well-organized response.
3 The student will be able to use historical data, audio files, visual images, film, and maps to support a position on a historical prompt/question.
4 The student will be able to appreciate and understand America’s political, economic, cultural, diplomatic, and social history.
5 The student will be able to develop and improve writing, research, and reading skills using a variety of strategies.
6 The student will be able to improve critical and higher-ordered thinking skills, with special emphasis on analysis.
7 The student will be able to prepare for and earn a 3 or higher on the AP US History exam on May 7, 2010.
Expectations:
1 Due to the nature of the course, students will be required to do the bulk of the reading outside of class.
2 Tests both subjective and objective are usually given every two or three weeks.
3 Additional reading assignments besides those in the textbook will be assigned periodically. Specifically, weekly primary source readings will be assigned and discussed to support each chapter.
4 There is a heavy emphasis on writing in this class because half of the AP Exam is based on essay writing.
5 Students will be expected to complete a seminar project after the AP National exam in early May. Seminar projects will be assigned the week following the National Exam.
Themes:
1 American diversity=[CR5]diversity
2 Development of a unique American identity=[CR5]identity
3 Evolution of American culture=[CR5]culture
4 Demographic change over the course of American history=[CR5]demographic
5 Economic trends and transformations=[CR5]economics
6 Environmental issues=[CR5]environmental
7 Development of political institutions and the components of citizenship=[CR5]politics/citizenship
8 Social reform movements=[CR5]social
9 The role of religion in the making of the United States and its impact in a multicultural society=[CR5]religion/multicultural
10 History of slavery and its legacies in this hemisphere=[CR5]slavery/legacy
11 War and diplomacy=[CR5]war/diplomacy
12 Place of the United States in an increasingly global arena =[CR5]global arena
Resource Requirements:
Textbook:
Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant, 14th ed.
Boston.: Wadsworth, 2010.
Primary Document Readers:
Kennedy, David M., and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Spirit, Volume 1: To 1877, 11th
ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Kennedy, David M., and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Spirit, Volume 2: Since 1865,
11th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2006.
Selected Supplemental Reading (but not limited to):
Common Sense, Thomas Paine
The Jungle, Upton Sinclair
American Scholar, Ralph Waldo Emerson
Civil Disobedience, Henry David Thoreau
Uncle Tom’s Cabin, Harriet Beecher Stowe
Letters from Birmingham Jail, Martin Luther King Junior
Grapes of Wrath, John Steinbeck
Democracy in America: Alexis de Tocqueville
The Things They Carried, Tim O’Brien
Assessments:
Achievement will be assessed in 3 ways:
1) Multiple Choice Tests
2) Essay Tests
Document Based Questions (DBQ)
Free Response Questions (FRQ)
3) Class work/homework
These are the three elements on the AP test given in May:
1) 80 Questions on the Multiple Choice test
2) Free Response Questions: students will be required to choose one of two essays.
3) DBQs: Document-based Questions use primary and secondary sources in addition to historic evidence to construct a response.
Essays will be assigned as both in-class and out-of-class assignments.
Students will have a midterm exam at the end of the first semester and a seminar project at the end of second semester.
The AP exam in May is optional but all students are strongly encouraged to take the AP National Exam! Passing AP US History is separate from the College Board’s AP Test.
Extra Credit:
Students who wish to improve their course grade and/or broaden their understanding of US History may wish to take advantage of extra credit assignments. These assignments are not busy work! Extra credit assignments will improve students’ analytical skills and writing skills, better preparing students for the College Board Exam.
Materials:
Students will be expected to have a notebook specifically for AP US History and a large three ring binder or folder to organize important assignments and study guides.