AP U.S. History
Mr. Meyers
Name_________________________________________
Advanced Placement United States History
Mr. Josh Meyers
Contact Information
email:
web:
work:
cell:
office:
joshmeyers@claytonschools.net
http://www.clayton.k12.mo.us
854.6600
922.5652
Room 114
Introduction
Welcome to Advanced Placement United States History! You are about to embark upon a journey through
a college-level course. It will be demanding. Whether you are working on a research paper, taking notes
from the text, analyzing primary source documents, or preparing for class discussion, the standards of
excellence will be high. However, with the proper work ethic, a passion for history, and a true love of
learning, you will succeed. Two key aspects of your success will be to SEE ME IF YOU NEED HELP and to
BE PREPARED DAILY. My contact information is listed above. Do not hesitate to contact me whenever
you feel like you need a little extra support. Homework will be assigned daily. Do not get behind!
While this is a college level course, I will never lose sight of the fact that you are high school students.
Most college professors will not see you daily, or have the time to get to know you as learners and as
individuals. It is my hope that we will develop a very close professional relationship, and I look forward
to watching you grow into amateur historians. For many of you, this class will be the most challenging
you have ever had. I look forward to meeting that challenge with you.
Advanced Placement: An institution called The College Board offers the Advanced Placement program.
It is a collaborative project between colleges and high schools that attempts to provide students a college
level experience that will help prepare them for post-secondary success. Advanced Placement offers
thirty-seven different high school courses in countries around the world. Each course ends with an exam.
Students who take the Advanced Placement United States History exam at the end of the school year may
qualify for college credit in U.S. History at participating colleges and universities. It is my expectation that
every one of you will take the exam and every one of you will earn a score of three or higher. More
specific information regarding the Advanced Placement exam will be provided throughout the course.
Mr. Meyers’ Course Objectives: Below are my overarching objectives for you as learners this year:
1. Develop an appreciation for the study of history and historical inquiry.
2. Refine your understanding of American History from social, political, economic, cultural, religious,
and intellectual viewpoints.
3. Identify major themes and concepts that underlie the American story.
4. Improve your reading, writing, note-taking, research, discussion, and critical thinking skills in
order to maximize your ability to analyze historical arguments.
5. Connect the historical development of America with the present day.
6. Understand your relationship with the American story.
7. Successfully complete the Advanced Placement United States History exam.
The AP U.S. History Curriculum Framework: The curriculum framework for APUSH has undergone a
substantial overhaul for the 2014-2015 school year. The changes to the curriculum will be reflected in the
changes to the AP exam. Below is a brief summary of the framework.
Part 1: Historical Thinking Skills (Note: these will be imbedded within every unit)
I-
Chronological Reasoning
A. Historical Causation (cause and effect, causation vs. correlation vs. coincidence)
B. Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
C. Periodization (why and how do historians create “periods” or eras of history)
II-
Comparison and Contextualization (being able to compare events and place them in historical
context)
III-
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
A. Historical Argumentation (analyzing arguments, creating / defending a position / thesis)
B. Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence (evaluate and analyze effectiveness of
sources)
IV-
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis (break down old and build new historical
interpretations)
Part 2: Thematic Learning Objectives (Note: these will be imbedded within every unit)
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Identity (how and why individual and group identities develop and change over time)
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Work, Exchange, and Technology (largely economic development)
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Peopling (demographics, movement, and adaptation to new social and physical environments)
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Politics and Power
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America in the World (this is about context)
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Environment and Geography (Physical and Human)
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Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture
Part 3: Concept Outline
The Concept Outline is broken down by key concepts within
key periods. Due to the number of key concepts they are not
listed below, but will be made explicit throughout the year.
An example of a Key Concept for Period 1, 1491-1607 is:
Contacts among American Indians, Africans, and Europeans
Challenged the worldviews of each group.
Course Units:
NOTE: This will be overhauled throughout the year.
Unit 1: Colonization (Prehistory-1756)
Unit 2: Revolutionary America (1756-1783)
Unit 3: Drafting the Constitution (1783-1788)
Unit 4: The Federalist Era (1788-1800)
Unit 5: The Age of Republican Nationalism (1808-1828)
Unit 6: The Age of Jackson (1828-1844)
Unit 7: The American South and Manifest Destiny (1820-1850)
Unit 8: The Civil War Era (1850-1865)
Unit 9: Reconstruction (1863-1877)
Unit 10: The Transformation of the West (1865-1896)
Unit 11: Big Business in the Gilded Age (1865-1890)
Unit 12: Politics and Society in the Gilded Age (1877-1900)
Unit 13: The Progressive Era (1900-1920)
Unit 14: U.S. Foreign Policy (1865-1920)
Unit 15: The Period Between the Wars (1920-1939)
Unit 16: World War II and the Cold War (1929-1950)
Unit 17: America in the Fifties and Sixties (1950-1969)
Unit 18: America in the Seventies and Eighties (1970-1990)
Assessment: The major ways your learning will be assessed are below. Percentages are approximate,
and grades are not weighted.
Daily Homework and Reading Quizzes:
50%
Homework could include readings, research, and primary source analysis. Quizzes could be over text
readings and several nonfiction books that will be assigned throughout the course. Expect to have your
homework assessed daily.
Exams:
50%
There will be anywhere from 12 to 18 unit exams, which would include some combination of multiple choice,
free response essay, and document analysis- test performance will be the most critical determinant of your
grade and your final AP score.
Required Texts
Textbooks
America’s Past and Present, Divine and Breen 5th ed.
A Short History of the United States, Robert V. Remini
Nonfiction
Love and Hate in Jamestown, David A. Price
Mayflower, Nathaniel Philbrick
The American Revolution, Gordon Wood
1831: Year of Eclipse, Louis P. Masur OR Andrew Jackson, Robert V. Remini
Celia, A Slave, by Melton A McLaurin
*Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine, and the Murder of the President, by Candice Millard
The Imperial Cruise: A Secret History of Empire and War, James Bradley
Triangle: The Fire That Changed America, David von Drehle
**The Perils of Prosperity, 1914-32, William E. Leuchtenburg
American Dreams: The United States Since 1945, H.W. Brands
Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam, Princeton Review
*Possible Extra Credit Book
**Subject to Change
Selected Readings
A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
A History of the American People, Paul Johnson
Various Primary Source Documents
Required Materials:
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A three-ring binder specifically for this class
Loose-leaf paper, college-rule
Manila folders to store previous unit materials
Blue or black ink pens
Highlighter(s)
Class Rules:
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Be respectful (to me, your classmates, your surroundings, yourself)
Don’t be late or miss class if at all possible (you will suffer the consequences)
Turn your work in on time (late assignments may not be accepted)
See me right away if you need help (no excuses- you can reach me if need be)
Questions?
Homework: Be prepared to turn in your note-taking sheets from Love and Hate in Jamestown and
Mayflower. Your in-class essay question tomorrow will be:
What were the most important similarities and differences associated with the founding and early years of
the Jamestown and Plymouth colonies? Identify major themes from the books and be able to illustrate those
themes with specific anecdotal information taken from the books.