2015-2016 AP U.S. History Syllabus
Mrs. Viergutz
874-5657
viergutz@skitsap.wednet.edu
Mr. Fairweather
874-5793
fairweat@skitsap.wednet.edu
Week
Dates
American Pageant Assignment
1
2
9-9-15
9-14-15
CH. 1
CH. 2
PERIOD 1: 1491-1607
(pp. 4-24)
New World Beginnings
(pp. 25-41)
The Planting of English America
UNIT TEST TO 1607
3
4
9-21-15
9-28-15
CH. 3, 4
CH. 5, 6
PERIOD 2: 1607-1754
(pp.42-77)
Colonial Society
(pp. 78-116)
Duel for N. America
UNIT TEST TO 1754
5
6
7
10-5-15
10-13-15
10-19-15
CH. 7
CH. 8
CH. 9, 10
PERIOD 3: 1754-1800
(pp. 117-134)
Road to Revolution
(pp. 135-157)
America Secedes from the Empire
(pp. 160-203)
Confederation & Constitution / Federalism
UNIT TEST TO 1800
8
9
10
10-26-15
11-2-15
11-9-15
CH. 11
CH. 12
CH. 13
11
12
13
11-16-15
11-23-15
11-30-15
CH. 14
CH. 15
CH. 16, 17
14
15
16
12-7-15
12-14-15
1-4-16
CH. 18, 19
CH. 20, 21
CH. 22
PERIOD 5: 1848-1877
(pp. 381-420)
Destruction of the Union
(pp. 421-464)
Civil War
(pp. 465-485)
Reconstruction
UNIT TEST TO 1877
PERIOD 6: 1865-1898
(pp. 488-538)
Politics of the Gilded Age / Industrialization
(pp. 539-606)
Urbanization / Agrarian Revolution
UNIT TEST TO 1898
17
18
1-11-16
1-19-16
CH. 23, 24
CH. 25, 26
19
20
21
1-25-16
2-1-16
2-8-16
CH. 27
CH. 28
CH. 29
PERIOD 4: 1800-1848
(pp. 204-225)
Jeffersonian Period
(pp. 226-247)
War of 1812-Nationalism
(pp. 248-277)
Rise of Mass Democracy
UNIT TEST 1800-1840
(pp. 278-308)
American Character / Economy
(pp. 309-337)
American Culture / Reform
(pp. 340-380)
Slavery / Manifest Destiny
UNIT TEST 1840-1860
PERIOD 7: 1898-1945
(pp. 607-635)
American Imperialism
(pp. 638-662)
T.R and Taft
(pp. 663-691)
Wilsonian Progressivism / World War 1
UNIT TEST 1898-1920
AP Practice Exam to the 1920s
22
22
23
2-17-16
2-22-16
2-29-16
CH. 30
CH. 31
CH. 32
24
25
3-7-16
3-14-16
CH. 33
CH. 34
26
27
3-21-16
3-28-16
4-4-16
4-11-16
PERIOD 8: 1945-1980
CH. 35
(pp. 820-849)
The Cold War Begins
CH. 36, 37
(pp. 850-910)
The 50’s and 60’s
SPRING BREAK – Review Outline
CH. 38
(pp. 911-931)
The 70’s
UNIT TEST TO 1980
28
29
30
31
4-18-16
4-25-16
5-2-16
CH. 39
CH. 40
CH. 41
(pp.692-719)
The Roaring 20’s
(pp. 720-741)
Politics of the 20’s
(pp. 742-768)
The Great Depression / The New Deal
UNIT TEST 1920-1939
(pp. 769-788)
World War II
(pp. 789-817)
World War II (cont.)
UNIT TEST 1940-1945
PERIOD 9: 1980-Present
(pp. 933-955)
The Resurgence of Conservatism
(pp. 957-978)
Post-Cold War America
(pp. 979-1008) Americans and A New Century
UNIT TEST TO Present
REVIEW, REVIEW, REVIEW
AP U.S. HISTORY EXAM – FRIDAY, MAY 6, 2015 – 7:25 a.m.
From mid-May to the end of the year – projects, activities, enrichment
Advanced Placement U.S. History
Overview
Advanced Placement U.S. History is a comprehensive course covering the social, political, economic and
intellectual history of the United States from the colonial period to the present. This yearlong course will make
demands on students that are equivalent to those of an introductory course in college. This class will provide both
a thorough grounding in facts and training in reading historical material analytically and critically. The course will
develop and reinforce study and writing skills used on the college level.
Expectations
1.
2.
3.
3.
4.
5.
Students must maintain pace with their required readings and assignments and will be
periodically tested to be sure they are doing so.
Each student is to keep a loose-leaf, 1 ½ inch three-ring notebook which will contain all class
work, notes, time-lines in a form recommended by the teacher, finished essays, quizzes and
tests.
Students will be required to take handwritten notes for all pages assigned to read in the
specified text(s).

notes should be kept in a bound notebook (spiral or composition)

notes will be due at the beginning of each class day or teacher specified date

notes will be included as part of the overall class grade
In addition, a student would be wise to maintain study sheets or note cards grouped in recurring
categories or themes, such as tariff policy, relations with Canada, expansions and limitations of
presidential power, etc.
All assignments must be legibly written in black or blue pen or typed. Neatness counts. Rules for
acceptable English grammar, usage and spelling will apply in this class.
It is understood that a climate of mutual respect, courtesy and cooperation will be maintained in
the classroom to allow for open exchange of ideas and the best learning environment.
6.
7.
Regular attendance is imperative for successful completion of this course. The school
attendance policy will be enforced. Excessive absences can result in a penalty “F” in the course.
The school tardy policy will be enforced.
Absent work:
 It is the student’s responsibility to check in with the teacher (on the day of the student’s return to school)
before school, after school, or during tutorial to get absent work and schedule a make-up time for missing
assessments.
 Student will have one week to make up a missed classroom assessment.
 All students will have an opportunity to do test corrections. The classroom teacher will notify students of
the window of time for these unit corrections.
Late work:
 Due to the rigorous nature of these courses, and the expectation that students come prepared to class on
a daily basis, late work will not be accepted in these classes.
Grading
Activities in which students will be evaluated include in-class essays, homework, quizzes, tests, and class
participation. Quizzes will be frequent and unannounced. Essays and tests will be timed. The final grade
will be determined as followed:
A = 100-90
A- = 89-87
B+ = 86-84
B = 83-80
B- = 79-77
C+ = 76-74
C = 73-70
C- = 69-67
D+ = 66-63
D = 62-58
Tests = 40%
Essays = 40%
Homework/Quizzes = 20%
Students who cannot maintain a C average will be encouraged to transfer to a Survey U.S. History class.
AP Exam
The Advanced Placement exams are given in May, administered by the College Board and marked by outside
graders in June. Students who earn high grades on the AP exam usually receive college credit and/or
recommendation to upper level classes. The year’s AP U.S. History exam is Friday, May 6, 2015. Although students
in this class need not take the exam to fulfill requirements for this class, they should understand that one of the
objectives of this course is preparation for the AP U.S. History exam. Taking the test is a valuable learning
experience.
Cheating
Cheating in this or any class in inexcusable and will be dealt with according to school policy!!
Themes of Study and Historical Periods
The course is structured chronologically, divided into 11 units. Each unit includes one or more of the nine periods
and/or key concepts outlined in the AP U.S. History curriculum framework. These nine periods are: 1491-1607;
1607-1754; 1754-1800; 1800-1848; 1844-1877; 1865-1898; 1890-1945; 1945-1980; and 1980-present. In addition
to the elements of the course listed above and the nine historical periods, throughout the year seven specific
themes will be addressed and examined. These themes include identity; work, exchange, and technology,
peopling, politics and power, America in the world, environment and geography – physical and human; and ideas,
beliefs, and culture.
Writing Focus
Historical work at a collegiate level requires students to write proficiently. For this reason, writing is emphasized in
every unit of this course. Assessment of essays are measured by the following: the degree to which they fully and
directly answer the question, the strength of thesis statement, level and effectiveness of analysis, amount and
quality of supporting evidence, and organizational quality. In addition to these standards, DBQs are graded on the
basis of the degree to which a significant number of the documents have been used to support the thesis, and the
amount and quality of outside information included in the response.