Dillard High School
AP U.S. History
2013-14 School Year
I. Instructor Information:
Mr. Trowbridge
Room 573
darryl.trowbridge@browardschools.com
II. Text: Henretta, James: America’s History, Seventh Edition
(Any other documents or readings will be provided by the
teacher.)
III. Course Objectives: Advanced Placement United States
History is taught in anticipation of the fact that, by the end of
the course, students will be able to:
·
Demonstrate a working mastery of the facts and issues of
United States history from pre-Columbian history through
modern times.
·
Complete a series of readings which will deepen the
student’s understanding of the issues presented in the
historical record.
·
Be prepared to discuss either orally or in writing the
various issues presented by the historical record.
·
·Demonstrate mastery of historical writing, including, but
not limited to, the ability to write historical essays. (Historical
writing involves the ability to analyze and interpret primary
sources, including documentary material, maps, statistical
tables, pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events, etc.
and explain the impact of the event on history, as evidenced by
the documents. The student must be able to state a thesis and
support the thesis with evidence from the historical record.
Mere memorization of historical events is insufficient.)
·
Express an opinion based on issues presented by the
historical record and effectively defend that opinion.
·
Incorporate documents from the historical record in a
historical essay and effectively argue why the documents do or
do not support the thesis of the essay.
·
Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and writing ability to
achieve a passing score on the APUSH examination. All
students will sit for the examination.
IV. Grading/Assignments:
Students will be assigned chapter readings from the textbook
not less than weekly in anticipation of topics to be discussed in
class. Additional reading material from a variety of sources will
also be provided as part of individual lessons.
Tests will be administered after every unit, with each unit
being approximately 3-4 chapters. The tests will consist of
multiple choice questions, with questions taken from past AP
US exams, as available. An essay question will also be given
which will require students to write a well structured
historical essay. Quizzes will also be given to assess
comprehension and understanding in between tests.
Students will also periodically be assigned essays for writing,
approximately one each week. Essays will be assigned more
frequently as students become comfortable with writing, and
the date for the examination approaches. Every precaution will
be taken that essays and tests are not scheduled too closely. A
number of essays will be assigned as homework, with students
normally given two to three days to complete the same. Other
essays will be written in class with a time limit imposed similar
to that imposed under actual testing conditions to acclimate
students to writing under time constraints. Whenever possible,
essays will be drawn from previous Document Based
Questions (DBQ’s) or Free Response Questions (FRQ’s).
Students will also be expected to complete a book assignment
which is due after Spring Break (3/31/14). Students are
expected to write a critique of the book on how it relates to the
American experience. The books list is as follows:
Bernstein, Carl All the President’s Men
Three-African American Classics: Up from Slavery, The Souls of
Black Folk, Narrative of the Life of Fredrick Douglas
Riis, Jacob How the Other Half Lives
Sinclair, Upton The Jungle
Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath
Stowe, Harriet Beecher Uncle Tom’s Cabin
Grading:
Homework:30%
Classwork/Participation:20%
Tests and Essays:50%
Class Participation: All students are expected to be fully
prepared and to participate actively in class discussion. Some
students are more comfortable speaking publicly than others;
therefore students who merely listen and are attentive will be
considered to be actively participating in the lesson. All
students must remain 100 per cent engaged throughout the
course of the lesson. Sleeping, inattentiveness, and distractive
behavior do not constitute active engagement, and any such
conduct will have a negative impact when grades are
determined. Cell phones are not to be used during class time
unless the teacher gives permission.
V. Due Dates: All assignments will be due at the beginning of
class on the date designated. No late work will be accepted
unless a student is absent on the due date and an excused
absence presented on the date the student returns to class.
Assignments not handed in by the start of class on the due date
will receive a grade of zero.
VI. Supply List:
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At least a 2” 3-ring binder
Lots of loose-leaf lined paper
Dividers for binder
Pens/pencils
Highlighter
VII. Academic Integrity: All work turned in for credit must be
the student’s own original work; it must not be plagiarized nor
obtained by any other dishonest or inappropriate means.
Assistance or coaching from any third person, including but not
limited to former students, parents, etc. on any work submitted
for credit is inappropriate.
VIII. Caution: One of the differences between college and high
school classes is that high school students tend to be
dependent on classes for learning. It is not possible to cover all
of the material that is tested in class. The course is for all
intents and purposes taught on a college level and it requires a
substantial amount of reading and preparation for every class.
You will have to read and learn material on your own. You will
be tested on material that is not covered in class.