United States Advanced Placement Summer Reading Assignment - 2015
Greetings! I am very excited for us to explore American History together over the course of the next school
year. Success begins with a thoughtful approach to your summer reading assignments. Additionally, I
encourage you to read books/articles and watch films about American History on topics that interest you. You
will have two summer reading assignments that will be collected Day 2 of the first cycle. Be prepared to discuss
these readings when we meet in September.
Happy Reading!
Dr. Pellecchia
spellecchia@stjohnsprepschool.org
(I will check my email at the end of June, July, & August.)
Assignment 1: Reflection Essay
Please read The Autobiography of Malcolm X by Malcolm X as told to Alex Haley. This text is a fascinating
American story of poverty, racism, anger, power, education, transformation, and enlightenment that is sure to
provoke thought and discussion. You can purchase this book at your local bookstore or online at amazon.com
or any other major book distribution web site. Your assignment is to write a 3 to 4 page reflection paper. Your
paper should be typed, double-spaced, 12 point Times New Roman font. You should not write a book report
that sums up the content of the text. Rather, I am interested in hearing your thoughts and reactions to this text.
You should make references to the text to support and illustrate your points.
Questions that should be answered in your essays include (I do not expect you to answer all of them, but they
should serve as useful prompts to get you started.):
-Did you like the book? Why or why not?
-Were you inspired by any of the people in the book?
-What does this book reveal about the historical context of when Malcolm X lived?
-Did the book change any of your attitudes toward the characters or towards society?
-Did this book challenge your assumptions? Did it alter how you view history and society? If so, how?
-Were there any personality traits or motivational ideas that impressed you?
-Did you like the way the author presented the material? Why or why not?
-Is the book “important”? Why or why not?
-How does this book and its content relate to you personally and our society as a whole?
Assignment 2: Pre-Columbian Societies Webquest
We open our study of American history with Pre-Columbian societies.
Please complete the following Webquest to get an introduction to this topic. All answers should be typed up.
You will use the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History site to do part of this webquest. You should
register using your SJP email address. SJP is an affiliate school of the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American
History so you can get a free subscription to the site. Please email me if you have any problems accessing the
site.
Register Here:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/community/user/register
I. Introduction: America Before 1620
Visit Gilder Lehrman’s History by Era Site at the following address:
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/americas-1620
a. Explore the Timeline. Click on each point and read text for an overview of the era.
b. Read introduction by Christopher L. Miller “The Americas to 1620” (be sure to follow prompts to read
the entire essay)
c. Scroll down to “Sub Eras” and click on “American Indians”
d. Read Intro by Elliott West (be sure to follow prompts to read the entire essay)
e. Scroll down to “Essays” and read the following essay:
- “The Columbian Exchange” by Alfred Crosby
Be prepared to discuss these essays.
II. Watch the following lectures and answer the accompanying questions. Please answer all questions in
complete sentences.
- “America before Columbus” Charles C. Mann at Brown University
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/multimedia#3312
- “How was North America settled before European colonization?” Peter Mancall in New York
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/multimedia#15716
1. What were some of the inaccuracies of the picture in Mann’s 10th grade textbook? What does it reveal
about popular perceptions/images about Native Americans?
2. What did Mann learn about early Americans while in school? Based on the recent research by
anthropologists and archaeologists, in what ways was what he learned wrong?
3. What does Mann suggest is a better paradigmatic image to understand who the early Americans were?
Why?
4. How did Tenochtitlan compare to Venice? How do Tenochtitlan and other cities such as Cahokia and
Teotihuacan challenge popular images of Native Americans?
5. What are the differences between the “Old World” and the “New World?” Compare a European and
American household. What was the “epidemiological imbalance” that Mann describes? According to
Mann, what is the “most important” fact in world history?
6. Both Mann and Mancall describe the fact that people including early Europeans came to think of the
Americas as a “wilderness”? Why is that so? Why is that false?
7. What evidence is there of the existence of a large population in the Pre-Columbian Americas?
8. What are some of the marks of early Native American societies around us today?
9. According to Mancall, in what ways was the “New World” really an “Old World”?
III. Independent Research – Comparison of Native American Nations
You will each research the culture of one Native American Nation of your choice. We will share our findings as
a class, so be prepared to discuss what you discovered. We will compare and contrast these cultures. Please
record your answers in the outline form below responding in complete sentences. Try to support your points
with rich details.
1. Choose one of the following cultures:
a. Natchez
b. Navajo
c. Iroquois
d. Anasazi (Pueblos)
2. Research about the Native American culture:
Examine the following aspects of the nation:
e. Delaware (Lenape)
f. Choctaws
g. Creek
i. Pequots
a. Social structure—
1. How is the society organized?
2. Is it communal or hierarchical?
3. Is it matrilineal or patrilineal?
b. Political structure/leadership—
1. Who has power?
2. How are tribal decisions made?
3. What role do religious leaders play in decisions?
c. Economic subsistence and trade—
1. How did they survive? Agriculture/hunter-gatherer
2. Describe the geography of where this tribe lived. How did they adapt to their environment?
3. Did they trade with other groups? Who?
d. Dwellings
e. Origins Story
If possible, find an origins story for the culture. What does it reveal about the values and beliefs of the culture?
If you cannot find an origins story, find an artifact from the online exhibit and explain what it reveals about the
culture.
f. In an organized paragraph, synthesizing what you have learned, answer the following question that addresses
the APUSH Theme of Environment and Geography — Physical and Human:
How did interactions with the natural environment shape the institutions and values of the group that
you have selected to study?
Suggested Resources:
You are encouraged to use the following resources. However, you will probably find it necessary to consult
additional, reliable sources. Please cite all sources that you use in a list and attach.
For a brief overview of the different cultures of Pre-Columbian America:
http://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-by-era/american-indians/resources/cultures-americas-1200bc%E2%80%93ad-1600
Visit the Virtual Exhibit “The Infinity of Nations” of the Museum of the American Indian:
http://nmai.si.edu/exhibitions/infinityofnations/
Collections Search to look for artifacts:
http://www.americanindian.si.edu/searchcollections/home.aspx
Additional Resources from the Museum of the American Indian:
http://nmai.si.edu/explore/forfamilies/resources/
Resource for Origins Stories
www.indigenouspeople.net/legend.htm