What is “AP”?
The Advanced Placement program is run by an organization called The College Board, in
conjunction with Educational Testing Service (“ETS”-- the good people who bring you
the SAT). It is designed to give motivated secondary school students exposure to collegelevel material through participation in an AP course. The College Board then offers
students the chance to show how well they have mastered this material by taking an AP
Exam, offered nationally in mid-May. Many colleges and universities participate in this
program by granting credit, placement, or both to students who have done well on the
exam. While the exam is not administered by Penncrest High School, and has no bearing
on your grade or credit for taking this course, it is expected that you will take it when it is
offered. This course will lay the groundwork for you to perform well on the AP U.S.
History Exam. See the link below for a detailed overview of the AP Exam and
Curriculum.
Materials:
Hewitt, Nancy A. & Lawson, Steven F. Exploring American Histories: A Brief Survey
with Sources.
Boston: Bedford St. Martin's, 2013
Additional primary and secondary sources will be used throughout the year as
appropriate.
Students should have with them every day:
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A notebook specific to this course alone
A folder or binder for handouts and all previous tests and quizzes
A pen (not a pencil... pencil smears. Use pencils for math!)
iPad
Course Overview: AP US History will resemble a freshman college introductory
course in American history. It will be a challenging experience, and students should
expect the workload to be comparable to what a college demands. It is assumed that
students have a high level of interest in and competence in history prior to beginning this
course. The focus will be on providing students with the analytical skills and factual
knowledge necessary to deal critically with the ambiguity inherent in the study of
history. The application of those skills will culminate with the AP United States History
examination in May. Students will work to improve reading and writing skills through
nightly reading assignments and a variety of writing assignments. Students will be
expected to participate daily in class discussions of assigned readings. The skills students
develop during this course will assist them during their college years and in lifelong
learning.
AP United States History included components of political, social, economic, cultural,
diplomatic and intellectual history. The goals of this course are to provide multiple
mechanisms to make connections from the past to the present as well as contemplating
the experiences of the varied and diverse perspectives of the American
people. Ultimately, students are preparing to take the AP United States History Exam
given each year in May. By developing the above-mentioned skills, students will prepare
for the four components of the Exam. On a regular basis, students will experience
Multiple-Choice exams, Free-Response essays (FRQs), Short-Answer Questions, and
Document-Based Questions (DBQs).
As students study and prepare for the AP U.S. History Exam, they will cover various
themes during the discussions of our nation's history. As these themes are also highly
recommended by the College Board, the student's ultimate goal is to form a well-rounded
and developed view of our past. These themes include the following:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Work, Exchange and Technology
Peopling
Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture
America in the World
Environment and Geography-- Physical and Human
Politics and Power
Identity
It is only by incorporating these concepts into our studies that we can truly appreciate our
own history.
As most students will have already taken at least one American history course, basic
factual knowledge is assumed. We will work towards perfecting the "art" of history-interpretation of sources, analysis of conflicting viewpoints, and persuasive analytical
writing.
Course Units: The list below indicates a general plan for the course regarding time and
material covered. Be advised that materials or amount of time spent on each unit may
change during the year.
Period 1:
Period 2:
Period 3:
Period 4:
Period 5:
Period 6:
Period 7:
Period 8:
Period 9:
1491-1607 (approximately 7 instructional days)
1607-1754 (approximately 14 instructional days)
1754-1800 (approximately 17 instructional days)
1800-1848 (approximately 14 instructional days)
1844-1877 (approximately 19 instructional days)
1865-1898 (approximately 19 instructional days)
1890-1945 (approximately 23 instructional days)
1945-1980 (approximately 21 instructional days)
1980-Present (approximately 7 instructional days)
After the exam, the class will complete a major research project and then prepares for the
high school final examination given in June (only for those students who elect not to take
the AP exam in May).
How Will I Be Graded?
Grades in AP US History will be much like those in most other classes-- you will
accumulate points throughout the marking period on a variety of assessments-- tests,
quizzes, essays, written homework, and projects. Your marking period grade will be an
average-- your total points earned divided by the total number of possible
points. Because this is a "college-equivalent" course, however, there will typically be
fewer grades each marking period than in some other classes. That means every
assignment carries that much more weight. It is your responsibility to keep up with all
tests and assignments and to make up any missing work promptly. There will be a
monthly calendar of assignments posted to my webpage-- you are responsible to keep up
to date, even when you are absent.
You are expected to keep up with the assigned reading on a nightly basis. There may be
quick quizzes given at the start of class to ensure that you are keeping up with your
reading and note-taking responsibilities.
If you would like to submit homework electronically, you may do so by emailing it to me
at my regular school email address: bdanson@rtmsd.org Please do not "share"
assignments with me via Google Drive unless expressly directed to do so.
The AP Exam and Final Exam
All students are encouraged and expected to take the AP Exam in May. The whole
course prepares you for that experience, and the exam is an integral part of the
course. As in all AP courses at Penncrest, students who take the AP Exam in May will be
exempt from the final course exam in June. Students who do not take the AP Exam will
be given an AP-equivalent course final exam in June.
A Note on the Use of Technology
We are extremely fortunate to have the use of iPads for all students this year. However,
because the College Board AP Exam is still a paper and pen examination, our AP-style
written tests will still be administered as handwritten activities. You are also to use a
traditional paper and pen style notebook for reading and class notes. While this
might seem retrograde or even like Ludditism, it is in fact in your best interests and will
help you to learn better. Please see the following articles for evidence: To Remember a
Lecture Better, Take Notes by Hand or Why Using a Pen and Paper.... Boosts Memory
. You will be expected to take reading notes on a nightly basis and class notes daily. We
will discuss a variety of different note-taking models so that you find a system that will
work best for you.
We will still rely on the iPad quite a bit, though. The iPad works best as a "consumption"
rather than as a "production" device, so everything that once was distributed as a paper
handout-- for your "consumption"-- including articles, primary sources and monthly
assignment calendars will now be posted to my webpage. I will frequently post links to
enrichment materials, short videos, and other materials for you to acccess on-line. I am
learning about use of the iPads as we go along, so feel free to ask me if you have a
question or problem-- I may or may not be able to help you! Feel free, also, to share any
tips or useful apps with the class as we go along. We are all going to be learning how to
best integrate this new technology together.
Simply put, my classroom expectation on the use of iPads is that they will be used when
needed, as directed. The default, however, is that they are off and away unless we are
using them for an activity or assignment. Phones, too, are to be away at all times unless
you have some personal emergency that needs to be taken care of. That happens to all of
us, myself included. If you need to take a message or make a quick call, you may ask
permission and it normally will be granted. Other than that, however, phones are always
to be off and away.
I look forward to an exciting, productive, and challenging year with you!