AP US HISTORY I
Course Outline
I. Overview of Course
The American Pageant (APUSH) Course is designed for students who are highly motivated and able to accept
and sustain a rigorous challenge in a two-year sequence. Advanced Placement U.S. History is meant to be the
equivalent of a freshman-year college course.
Solid reading and writing skills, along with a willingness to devote considerable time to homework and study
are necessary to succeed in this program. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay
writing, and interpretation of original documents and research.
Note: Students in Honors courses must demonstrate an outstanding work ethic. Extensive independent
work is required; therefore, students enrolled in an Honors/AP course must demonstrate diligence,
responsibility, perseverance, and independent study skills in order to maintain eligibility in the program.
The curriculum is aligned with New Jersey State Content Standards, as well as the College Board Advanced
Placement U.S. History Curriculum.
Note: The AP US History Exam is taken in May by juniors who have completed the two-year AP US
History program, and is completed on an optional basis. However, taking this exam is recommended and
may lead to students earning college credits.
II. Subject Areas Covered
A. New World Beginnings, European Exploration, and English Colonization
B. English-American Colonial Society, through the French and Indian War
C. The Road to the American Revolution and the American Revolutionary War
D. Building the New Nation: Early United States Republic
E. War of 1812, Nationalism, and Jacksonian Democracy
F. Characteristics of the Economic, Social, and Cultural Evolution of the Mid-19th Century
G. Manifest Destiny, Sectional Struggles, and Secession
H. The Civil War and Reconstruction
III. Methodology
A. PowerPoint-enhanced lectures and presentation
B. Independent reading and study
C. Assigned homework and reading assignments
D. Collaborative group projects
E. Audio-visual and other multimedia materials
F. Critical and analytical papers (including DBQs) and presentations
G. Classroom discussions, debates, and speeches
H. Primary source document analysis and discussions
I. Current event discussions
IV. Instructional Objectives
A. To study and analyze the characteristics of life in the English-American colonies, and the events that
led to the ‘ground-breaking’ American Revolution
B. To study and analyze the great issues of 18th and 19th Century American history
C. To develop an understanding of/appreciation for the values and heritage of the ‘institutions’ created
during the early stages of the American Republic, and their impact on the nation today
D. To develop an understanding of nationalism and the evolution of ‘mass democracy’
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E. To develop an understanding of the ‘sectional struggles’ our nation faced, and how these struggles led
to the Civil War
F. To develop an understanding of the concept of ‘multiple causation’/‘multiple points of view’ with
regard to events
G. To develop an understanding of the process of democracy, and how it has evolved from the inception
of the nation, and continues to evolve in the present
V. Academic Expectations/Required Proficiencies
A. Students will complete all assigned readings from the text or supplementary materials
B. Students will participate in discussions, debates, speech-assignments, and collaborative group
projects
C. Students will complete critical analysis papers, DBQ essays, and other writing assignments
D. Students will successfully complete, and achieve passing grades, on all quizzes, tests, the Midterm
Exam, and Final Exam
E. Students will complete at least one major essay each marking period
VI. Texts and Other Course Materials
A. The American Pageant (text), Kennedy and Cohen
B. The American Spirit (primary source supplement), Kennedy and Bailey
C. Newspaper articles, periodicals, journals, current event articles
D. Audio-visual supplemental materials and other multimedia materials
E. Various websites (supplemental resources), including ‘CollegeBoard.com’
Revised 8/13
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