Congratulations,
_________________,
You have been
admitted into AP
United States History!
Some words of advice from Ms. Peña:
1. Enjoy your summer. These few assignments should not consume all of your free time this
summer. Go to the movies, take a swim, or stroll the mall with your friends. You will wish for that free
time during the school year!
2. Explore history. If you take a vacation, see if you can stop at an historical marker along the way.
Or, do a little research about the place you are visiting. Take the time to start thinking historically.
3. Read. Try to read several books over the course of the summer. See my suggestion list on the
Weebly! You will do a ton of reading in this class next year and if you are not in the habit of turning
pages, it will be much more difficult to adjust. Read fiction, if that is your choice, but try picking up a
historical book as well.
4. Write. Keep a journal for the summer, or try to write a short story. The more you write the easier it
is to write well. You will do a lot of writing in this class. The more comfortable you are with writing the
more successful you will be.
5. Become an informed citizen. Read the newspaper. Watch CNN. Listen to NPR. Try to keep
updated on world events. Develop an opinion about Obama’s successes and failures as a president.
6. Learn your geography. Geography is going to play an important part of this course. The more
you know about geography the farther ahead you will be.
7. Watch history movies! Do you really need to watch Fast and Furious 6 again? Of course not! If
you have a free evening try to watch something historical. Visit
http://www.historyplace.com/films/index.html for suggestions or type “good history movie”
into Google and see what comes up!
8. Know the major Presidents and their major accomplishments. This will help you prepare
for the AP exam in May, so you may as well get a jump-start. Try to do them in blocks of 3:
Washington, Adams, Jefferson (pause) Madison, Monroe, Adams. Or, watch the Animaniacs on
YouTube =)
9. Explore your family history. Stuck for a conversation starter at dinner? Ask your elders what it
was like growing up during a major event in US History. Begin to understand that history is a
compilation of people’s lives, their experiences, and their decisions; we are simply a product of those
things and so much more. Just think of it as an old school reality tv show (except we already know the
ending!)
10. Ask Questions. There is no such thing as a stupid question. Today we live in a society where it's
become okay to instantly Google and find answers whereas 5 years ago, most of us didn't have the
capability to rely on our phones for such instant answers. Studies show the more you exercise your
brain, the longer you will live. Continue to challenge yourself and resist the urge by taking the easy
way out when posed with difficult challenges. The more you ask questions the more you will
understand and the more knowledge you will gain. If History's greatest philosophers (Socrates, Plato,
Aristotle) have taught me anything, it's that we know nothing until we ask the right questions to get
the knowledge we inherently have in each and every one of us.
Here's to learning together (again)!
-Ms. Peña
Welcome to AP US History!
Over summer break you are responsible for successfully completing each assignment before the first day
of class. The purpose of each assignment is to frontload information that will serve as the fulcrum for this
upcoming school year. Your junior year is the most important year colleges look at; begin APUSH by
putting your best work ethic forward and let’s have a great journey together. Should you need assistance,
you can reach me via email: mpena@laalliance.org . ALL ASSIGNMENTS MUST BE COMPLETE PRIOR TO
WALKING INTO MY CLASS ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Have a fabulous summer and see you August 5th!
-Ms. Peña
1. Check your email
Please check your email to find a message from me. Please hit the “Reply” button when
responding. You will receive MANY IMPORTANT EMAILS/UPDATES from me throughout your
time in APUSH and it is crucial that I have the correct email set up with you =)
2. Set up your Quia account
You will receive an email from me about your Quia username and password. Go to quia.com and
log-in with your username and password that I give you. On the website, you can find quizzes
you MUST take before the first day of class based on your Summer Homework. These are for an
ACADEMIC GRADE. You have 3 times to raise your score. I will take the highest score from each
quiz.
3. Sign up with Ms. Pena’s Quizlet!
Many of you already have a Quizlet account with Mr. Taylor. Please log into my Quizlet account
at: www.quizlet.com/mspena22. If you do not have a Quizlet account, please set one up.
4. Chapter Readings and Responses
Read Chapters 1-3 from America: Past and Present and complete the required assignments
BEFORE August 5th. All documents can be accessed using Ms. Peña’s Weebly:
http://mspena.weebly.com.

Read the uploaded chapters by going to Ms. Pena’s WeeblyAPUSH Summer
AssignmentClick on “Chapter 1 Reading” (same with Chapters 2 and 3).

On sheets of lined paper, answer the chapter questions which can be found in this packet
or on Ms. Pena’s Weebly APUSH Summer AssignmentClick on “Chapter Review
Questions”

Watch the Crash Course US History Videos on YouTube (Episodes 1-4)

Complete the one-pager assignments for each chapter. You will receive an assessment
grade- follow the rubric for each assignment. One pager assignments can be found on
Ms. Pena’s Weebly APUSH Summer AssignmentClick on “One Pager Assignments”

Take the Quia quizzes for Chapters 1, 2 and 3 on Quia.com BEFORE August 5th, 2013. You
are receiving an academic grade.
5. Get to Know the American Presidents
Create 30 flashcards (size 5x7) for the main presidents you will study in APUSH and follow the
guidelines according to the detailed instructions below (we will add more information as the
year progresses). Bring all flashcards on the first day of school. To receive credit, you must follow
the format according to attached instructions; each card is Part of your UNIT 1 Portfolio Grade.
You are BASICALLY copying the information on the AP US Presidents Review but putting it in
your own words, in a more concise manner. There is no excuse why this cannot be completed.
Please create flashcards for the following presidents: Washington, Adams, Jefferson, Madison,
Monroe, Quincy Adams, Jackson, Lincoln, Andrew Johnson, Hayes, Cleveland, Harrison, McKinley, T.
Roosevelt, Taft, Wilson, Harding, Coolidge, Hoover, FDR, Truman, Eisenhower, Kennedy, Johnson,
Nixon, Carter, Reagan, Bush, Clinton, W. Bush
**Go to Ms. Pena’s WeeblyAPUSH Summer AssignmentClick on “AP US Presidents
Review” PLEASE ONLY CREATE FLASHCARDS FOR THE PRESIDENTS LISTED ABOVE.
For each president, create index cards following the format below:
On the front of your index card:
1. Write the name of the president with the
years he was in office.
On the back of your index card:
List major wars or events that occurred while
that president was in office. Leave space for us
to add more information for each event.
2. Write the name of the political party on the
bottom right hand corner of your index card.
Front of Index Card
Back of Index Card
Write Key Information here in bulleted point
format.
Abraham Lincoln
(1861-65)
Please leave room to add more information.
Republican
6. Know Your Amendments!
Create a 3x5 flashcard (or smaller) for all 27 Amendments. Refer to
www.quizlet.com/mspena22 for definitions. You will have an Amendments Quiz on Quia.com
that you MUST take BEFORE the first day of school, August 5th, 2013.
7. United States History Map
Download, print, label and color the United States map that is attached. Black ink and colored
pencils are needed to understand United States geography. Follow the detailed instructions
below. You will have a quiz on the basic geography of US, geographical
purchases/territories, and geographical lines (i.e. Missouri Compromise Line).
Instructions:
1. In black ink label the fifty states. You may use the state abbreviations to do this.
2. LIGHTLY shade in and label the following bodies of water in blue: Mississippi River,
Rio Grande River, Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf of Mexico.
3. Create a key at the bottom right hand corner of the map label it as “KEY”.
4. Draw the following boundary lines in orange and shade using appropriate colors or
designs to demonstrate the following historical territorial acquisitions. Indicate the name of
each territory with date of acquisition in your key. (i.e. Louisiana Purchase may have polka
dots, Texas Annexation may have stars, etc.)
All 4 territories are below:
-Original Thirteen Colonies
-Louisiana Purchase
-Texas Annexation
-Mexican Cession
5. Draw in red the Missouri Compromise Line. Label in black ink.
6. Label Canada and Mexico in black ink.
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Summer Assignment Checklist
MUST BE COMPLETE BEFORE AUGUST 5TH :
☐ I have checked to see if you have received an email from Ms. Pena
☐ I have logged into www.quizlet.com/mspena22
☐ I have read Chapters 1-3 and answered the Chapter Questions
☐ I have watched all 4 Crash Course US History Videos on YouTube
☐ I have completed all 3 One-Pager Assignments
☐ I have created flashcards for the 27 Amendments and 30 presidents using the resources on
Ms. Pena’s Weebly.
☐ I have taken all Quia Quizzes that are available for me to take.