AP US History
Mr. Grundfest
Use the information you have learned from United States History from 1492-1945
You may work in groups of no more than 4 students. You can show your work in written form, as a
PowerPoint, on the bulletin board or a combination of these media.
For each question, make sure you cite specific laws, events, court cases and people as specific examples
to prove your point.
1. AMERICAN AND NATIONAL IDENTITY
How has the discussion of what it means to be an American changed over time?
a. Explain how ideas about democracy, freedom, and individualism found
expression in the development of cultural values, political institutions, and
American identity.
b. Explain how interpretations of the Constitution and debates over rights,
liberties, and definitions of citizenship have affected American values,
politics, and society.
c. Analyze how ideas about national identity changed in response to U.S.
involvement in international conflicts and the growth of the U.S.
d. Analyze relationships among different regional, social, ethnic, and racial
groups, and explain how these groups’ experiences have related to U.S.
national identity.
2. POLITICS AND POWER
Has the United States become more or less democratic over the last 200+ years?
To what extent has the United States lived up to the principles embodied in the
Declaration of Independence and the Constitution?
Does our political system operate better or worse now than it did during the days
of the founding fathers?
a. Explain how and why political ideas, beliefs, institutions, party systems, and
alignments have developed and changed.
b. Explain how popular movements, reform efforts, and activist groups have
sought to change American society and institutions.
c. Explain how different beliefs about the federal government’s role in U.S.
social and economic life have affected political debates and policies.
3. WORK, EXCHANGE, TECHNOLOGY
What natural resources does America have in great supply? In limited supply?
How has this affected our economic policies through 1945?
In what ways has the government focused on establishing economic equality?
Equality of economic opportunity?
a. Explain how different labor systems developed in North America and the
United States, and explain their effects on workers’ lives and U.S. society.
b. Explain how patterns of exchange, markets, and private enterprise have
developed, and analyze ways that governments have responded to economic
issues.
c. Analyze how technological innovation has affected economic development
and society.
4. CULTURE AND SOCIETY
What methods have been used by various groups to achieve social change?
To what extent have reform movements changed the habits and laws under which
Americans live?
a. Explain how religious groups and ideas have affected American society and
political life.
b. Explain how artistic, philosophical, and scientific ideas have developed and
shaped society and institutions.
c. Explain how ideas about women’s rights and gender roles have affected
society and politics.
d. Explain how different group identities, including racial, ethnic, class, and
regional identities, have emerged and changed over time.
5. MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENT
What factors contributed to ethnic and racial diversity within the United States?
How effectively have Americans responded to the challenges of living in a diverse
society?
a. Explain the causes of migration to colonial North America and, later, the
United States and analyze immigration’s effect on U.S. society.
b. Analyze causes of internal migration and patterns of settlements in what
would become the United States and explain how migration has affected
American life.
6. GEOGRAPHY AND THE ENVIRONMENT
How has the geography of the United States affected its history and people?
How has the country’s attitudes toward s the natural environment changed over
time? Remained the same?
a. Explain how geographic and environmental factors shaped the development
of various communities, and analyze how competition for and debates over
natural resources have affected both interactions among different groups and
the development of government policies.
7. AMERICA IN THE WORLD
How have relations with foreign nations shaped the history of the United States?
Have American wars generally resulted from economic needs or political
principles?
a. Explain how cultural interaction, cooperation, competition, and conflict
between empires, nations, and peoples have influenced political, economic,
and social developments in North America.
b. Analyze the reasons for and results of U.S. diplomatic, economic, and
military initiatives in North America and overseas.
8. SYNTHESIS
What do you consider to be the three greatest achievements of the United States
through 1945?
What do you consider to be the three greatest challenges that still face the
country in 1945?