Syllabus for Advanced Placement European History
Teacher:
School:
City:
Mr. Lance Trebilcock
Mount Tahoma High School
Tacoma, WA 98409
Text: Western Civilization, 6th ed. By Jackson Spielvogel
Documents of Western Civilization, By Candace Gregory
Additional secondary and primary sources will accompany those found in the Spielvogel text and
Gregory documents.
Course Description:
Advanced Placement European History is offered primarily at the sophomore year, although a few juniors
and seniors may enroll to complete graduation requirements or as an elective. Students interested in
challenging themselves to a rigorous curriculum are encouraged to enroll.
This course will introduce students to cultural, intellectual, economic, political, diplomatic and social
developments of Europe since the late stages of the Middle Ages that played a fundamental role in shaping
the world in which they live. This knowledge will give the students the ability to understand the
development of contemporary institutions, the role of continuity and change in present day society and
politics, and the evolution of current forms of artistic expression and intellectual discourse. In addition to
providing a basic narrative of events and movements, the goals of the AP program in European History are to
develop (a) an understanding of some of the principal themes in modern European History, (b) an ability to
analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation, and (c) an ability to express historical understanding
in writing.
The rationale for this class comes from several angles. The original reason why AP European History was
considered was from the data that said students who take AP European History and then go on to take AP
United States History and AP Government perform much better on the AP exams than students who do not
take AP European History. Much of the creation of the United States is an extension or reaction to what was
going on in Europe from the 14th to 18th centuries. The names, ideas, and events that we study in this class
are thought to be common knowledge by those that teach history, literature, and social sciences in the
universities. This class will give students a wealth of information that will greatly aid them as they move
beyond high school and into the college setting. In addition, studies have shown that students who take the
APEH exam in May have a much higher success rate in college than those who do not take the exam.
Essential Questions, Primary Sources (typically excerpts from the original text),
Selected Activities and Exams by Unit
Unit 1: Ch. 11: The Late Middle Ages Crisis and Disintegration in the Fourteenth Century
Unit 2: Ch. 12: Recovery and Rebirth: The Age of the Renaissance
Unit 3: Ch. 13: Reformation and Religious Warfare in the Sixteenth Century
Unit 4: Ch. 14: Europe and the World: New World Encounters, 1500-1800
Unit 5: Ch. 15: State Building and the Search for Order in the 17th Century
Unit 6: Ch. 16: Toward a New Heaven and a New Earth: The Scientific Revolution and the
Emergence of Modern Science
Unit 7: Ch. 17: The Eighteenth Century: An Age of Enlightenment
Unit 8: Ch. 18: The Eighteenth Century: European States, International Wars, and Social Change
Unit 9: Ch. 19: A Revolution in Politics: The Era of the French Revolution and Napoleon
Unit 10: Ch. 20: The Industrial Revolution and its Impact on European Society
Unit 11: Ch. 21: Reaction, Revolution, and Romanticism, 1815-1850
Unit 12: Ch. 22: An Age of Nationalism and Realism, 1850-1871
Unit 13: Ch. 23: Mass Society in an “Age of Progress,” 1871-1894
Unit 14: Ch. 24: An Age of Modernity, Anxiety, and Imperialism, 1894-1914
Unit 15: Ch. 25: The Beginning of the Twentieth Century Crisis: War and Revolution
Unit 16: Ch. 26: The Futile Search for Stability: Europe between the Wars, 1919-1939
Unit 17: Ch. 27: The Deepening of the European Crisis: World War II
Unit 18: Ch. 28: Cold War and a New Western World, 1945-1973
Unit 19: Ch. 29: The Contemporary Western World, Since 1973
Unit 20: Review for the final
 Exam using old multiple choice/Free Response Section
Unit 21: Research project
Strategies:
This class will incorporate multiple strategies for the purpose of learning new material, analyzing primary
documents, comparing and contrasting different viewpoints, etc. Students will learn to use multiple graphic
organizers that will fit a variety of purposes, including the following:
 Cornell style notes
 SOAPSTONE Charts
 APPARTS
 Various Charts and webs
 Leveled Questions
Homework:
APEH will be a very demanding course. Homework is to be expected most nights, including weekends and
over vacations. Assignments must be turned in on time. Late work will be accepted to a certain point, but
those that are always late will not be able to receive grades equal to the quality of their work.
Assessments:
Assessments for this class will serve a dual purpose: 1) They will check for understanding of most recent
material introduced in class; and 2) They will provide practice for the AP Test that is administered in May.
Every other chapter will have a multiple choice test with questions similar to those found on the AP Exam,
and on alternating chapters we will practice the essay style questions with either Document Based Questions
or Free Response Questions.
First Semester Final: The final at the end of the first semester is a group activity that will require individual
preparation. It is designed to help students refresh their memory over the material learned to this point, while
providing a framework that shows the connectedness of the many individual aspects of the past. If done
well, it culminates in good discussion material.
Final Test: Prior to the AP exam, all students will take the multiple choice portion of a prior year’s exam.
This will count toward the final grade.
Advanced Placement European History Exam: This is the focus of the class to this point. Participation in
the exam is strongly encouraged. It will occur in early May. Students will have results mailed to them over
the summer from the College Board.
Second Semester Final: The Final Grade will be a classroom based assessment project (CBA) which will be
scored, and turned into the district. This is an ideal project for use in students’ portfolios.
Daily lessons and activities: All daily work will be collected. Daily work and verbal participation show
evidence of effort and involvement and are necessary components of success in APEH. It is essential to the
success of the class that students work efficiently when given time so that we can have informed discussions.
Terms: For each chapter there will be 30-50 terms for which you will need to provide a detailed definition
and the historical significance. Different methods will be assigned for the first chapters of the year.
AP History Notebook:
All notes, returned work, and handouts should be kept in a special APEH notebook. This should be a 3 Ring
Binder and be kept in an organized, sensible manner. DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY!!! There
will be a sizable grade, at least once per semester, for a notebook check. Notes taken during class should
follow the “Cornell Style” of note taking being used throughout the school.
Materials needed for the class:
 Students must purchase a copy of Modern European History, by Birdsall S. Viault (good prices can
be found on amazon.com).
 3 Ring Binder (I suggest getting one with at least a 1.5 inch binding). This notebook will be for this
class only.
 70 page spiral notebook
 Notebook dividers
 Pen and or pencil
 3 X 5 index cards (you will need 50 for each chapter that notecards are assigned).
Optional:
 A USB flash drive
 The purchase of an outside Advanced Placement Study Guide (they can be purchased at Border’s
Bookstore, but I have seen used books at Half-Priced Books and at bookstores like Powell’s in
Portland for a reduced price)
 The purchase of any outside reading materials that we may read throughout the year (Students may
be required to read books during this course that they can check out of a library or buy at a book
store).
 Highlighters, sticky notes
Grading:
All APEH assignments, quizzes, tests, and projects are graded on a point system. Students will be
able to follow their grades by looking on line. Because of the amount of work and the difficulty of
the grading scale is different from my other classes. Final grades will be earned as follows:
A
B+
BD
100%--90%
84%--80%
74%--70%
59%--50%
AB
C
E
89%-80%
79%--75%
69%--60%
Below 50%
Web Help:
Most charts and outside reading materials as well as some practice test material can be accessed from the
“Documents” link on my SWIFT site.
Teacher Contact:
If the student or the parent would like to contact me, I can be reached at school at (253) 571-3637. My
planning period will be during sixth period. Regular updates and postings are available through my website,
as well as email and phone information. My email is ltrebil@tacoma.k12.wa.us
APEH
2012-2013 Course Requirements
Student/Parent Signatures
My signature below indicates that I have read and understand all course requirements. I also understand that
this is an Advanced Placement course and it may require a greater time commitment and work load than a
more traditional social studies class. Please print out this page, sign it, and return it to Mr. Trebilcock by
Wednesday, September the 8th.
X
Student Signature
X
Parent Signature
X
X
Student Name (printed)
Parent Name (printed)
Email address:
Phone Numbers:
Email Address