AP U.S. HISTORY
SUMMER ASSIGNMENT 2015
Welcome to APUSH!
With this summer assignment, you have just committed your time and energy to Advanced
Placement United States History. Class has officially started! This will be a demanding
course, one that will challenge your mind and engage all of your faculties over the next
year. With school not starting until after Labor Day and the AP Exam scheduled for the
beginning of May, our time is very limited during the school year. The AP exam covers
information from before Columbus’s arrival in the New World through the election of
President Obama, so we’ve got to hit the ground running!
The assignments and readings must be completed by the first day of this course in
September, so don’t wait until the last minute. Also, extra credit can be earned by
completing all or part of the summer assignment prior to August 15th. The effort you put
forward this summer will set the tone for your studies next year. Procrastination and lax
attention towards the summer assignments will lead to the same tendencies during the
year. Start the year strong and set yourself up for success by putting in the time,
dedication, and attention to detail this summer.
Thank you for taking the “AP plunge” and committing yourself to an academically rigorous
program. It’s a challenging and demanding course but the rewards from successfully
completing the course are also great! There is the possibility of college credit for passing
the AP exam to start with, as well as gaining or refining analytical and time management
skills which will be incredibly valuable in college. And let’s not forget the additional value
in gaining lots of knowledge…. You can totally annihilate your friends and family when
watching Jeopardy!
Should you have questions regarding this work or the course, please do not hesitate to
contact me via email at kcowles@lbusd.org. I will be checking my email during the
summer.
I’m looking forward to the year and to meeting you!
Kristin Cowles
Instructor, AP US History
Laguna Beach High School
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REQUIRED TEXT:

These can be picked up from the library during the specified checkout period.
o Brinkley, Alan. American History: Connecting with the Past. Boston: McGraw-Hill Higher
Education, 2012.
 The Brinkley text is also available as an e-text on CONNECT.
RECOMMENDED SUPPLEMENTAL TEXT:

Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced
Placement Examination (2015 Exam). New York, N.Y.: Amsco School Publications, 2014.
o
The United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination text can be purchased
from the publisher at http://www.amscopub.com/ or purchased on amazon.com.
ONLINE RESOURCES:

Bookmark both of these sites on your computer. You will be using them often.
o Mrs. Cowles Haiku Site – www.mrscowles.com
1. This is not password protected. Login will only be required for participation in
discussions and for turning in assignments.
o CONNECT LMS – https://connect.mheducation.com/class/k-cowles-2015-2016
1. Student Access Code: AW7U-TUYY-TMG4-RBWK-NNR4
2. Go to the link and register. Once you are logged in, bookmark the website on your
browser.
ASSIGNMENTS:
1. READING & NOTES ON CHAPTERS 1, 2 AND 3 OF THE TEXT
o Students will read chapters 1, 2, and 3 in the Brinkley text (e-text available on CONNECT) and take
hand-written notes. Hand written notes are the only notes which will be accepted in AP US
History. Highlighted photocopies are NOT acceptable. These handwritten notes may be used for
the multiple choice test and in-class essay which will be within the first two weeks of school. They
will not be collected. Notes will be required on a nightly basis during the school year. Notes may
be used on the weekly multiple choice quiz. The better your notes, the more likely you will do well
on those quizzes and in the class. I suggest getting a large spiral notebook or 3-ring binder to be
used only for this class.
o You can use the e-book available on CONNECT or take notes as you do the LearnSmart modules for
these chapters. (LearnSmart walks you through the chapter and then quizzes you on it)
2. CONNECT ASSIGNMENTS: Students will complete online assignments on the CONNECT Learning
Management System.
o Use the web address and student access code to create an account on CONNECT.
o Complete all of the assignments listed under the Summer Assignments folder. (60 points total)
o All Connect assignments must be completed by 11:59pm, September 8th – the first day of school.
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3. UNIT 1A PACKET: (Unit 1B will be completed after school starts)
o The Terms, and Essential Questions must be formatted in a single document according to the
template at the end of this document. Failure to do so may result in deduction of points.
o The Unit 1A Packet must be typed and submitted to Turnitin.com by Tuesday, September 8th. The
Course ID is 9857277and the password is lbhs (all lowercase).
o Format your file in the following way: first initial last name assignment.doc (kcowlesunit1a.doc)
o Originality Requirement: No more than 10% of your assignment can match another source. Points
will be docked from your grade for every percentage point over 10% matching. (20% match = 10
points off).
o TERMS IDENTIFICATION: Students will identify terms from the assigned chapters. (The terms are
listed below) Students will write between 3 and 8 detailed sentences on the term – define it,
explain its significance, and connect it to the time period.
 An example of terms done to an AP standard:
1. Gadsden Purchase: A land deal orchestrated by James Gadsden of South Carolina
and Secretary of War Jefferson Davis in the hopes of building a transcontinental rail
line that would benefit southern states. The deal was sealed in 1853 after the
Senate approved the pact and paid Mexico $10 million. It was located on the border
with Mexico in southern parts of what are now Arizona, New Mexico, and part of
Texas. It added land to the territory taken in the Mexican War, known as the
Mexican Cession. Northern interests demanded organization of the new Nebraska
Territory in return.
 An example of a weakly defined term – not done to an AP standard:
1. Gadsden Purchase: Land purchased near Mexico for the railroads for $10 million
dollars after the Mexican War.
 SUMMER ASSIGNMENT TERMS: (please number each term) (3 points each)
1. American Indians (pre-Columbian and
16. Anne Hutchinson & Roger Williams
after contact)
17. Bacon’s Rebellion
2. Caste system
18. Dominion of New England
3. Chinook
19. Headright
4. Columbian Exchange (horses, cows,
20. King Philip’s War
sugar, silver, smallpox, corn, potatoes)
21. Massachusetts Bay Company
5. Bartolome De Las Casas
22. Navigation Acts
6. Juan de Onate
23. Virginia House of Burgesses
7. Mestizo
24. Cotton Mather, George Whitefield,
8. Metis
Jonathan Edwards
9. Mission settlements (missionaries)
25. Great Awakening
10. Portuguese Explorers
26. Indentured servitude
11. Juan de Sepulveda
27. John Peter Zenger
12. Encomienda system
28. Stono Rebellion
13. European Expansion (global perspective) 29. Primogeniture
14. Exploration and conquest of America
30. Smallpox
15. “Triangular Trade” (furs, tobacco,
Carolinas-rice, Barbados – sugar)
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o ESSENTIAL QUESTIONS: (please number each question) (4 points each)
Answer the following questions in complete sentences with relevant details and examples.
These should be at least 5 detailed sentences.
1. What was the political environment in Europe that led to the exploration and
colonization of the New World?
2. How did the political, social, and commercial incentives of the New World affect the
rivalry between Spain and England?
3. How did the geography influence the location of European colonies?
4. Although the British were late in settling colonies in North America, how did they
become the dominant force there? Include an analysis of political, social, and economic
reasons.
5. What accounts for the different types of labor used in the colonies?
6. How did the lack of hard currency, or specie, influence colonial economies?
7. Discuss the different social structures that characterized the New England and
plantation colonies during this time.
8. Analyze the emergence of cities during this time period. What influenced their location?
9. How did the English respond to their competitors in the way of settling the land in North
America?
10. Explain the English solution to the shortage of indentured servants.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION


Extra credit is possible for students who complete these assignments (all or part) prior to August 15 th.
There will be a multiple choice test and an essay on the material from the summer assignment within
the first two weeks of school. Notes/Summer Packets may be used on these assignments.
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Name
APUSH
Summer Packet
Terms Identification
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
Essential Questions
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Formatting Notes




Times New Roman or Arial
12 pt font
Single spaced – you may
put a space between each
chapter/term/question and
between each section.
Include your last name and
page number in the bottom
right corner or the top right
corner of each page.
Format your file name in the
following way: first initial
last name assignment.doc
(kcowlesunit1.doc)
Failure to follow these
formatting and naming
instructions will result in your
paper being returned for
correction and will be
considered late.
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