Advanced Placement United States History Students, 2014-2015
Welcome and Course Outline
Dear Incoming Sophomore Student,
Welcome to Advanced Placement United States History at Heritage High School.
This year long course is a college-level survey of United States history. The course
includes nine units (see course outline). In addition to these units, the course will
emphasize seven key themes throughout the year, themes that have been identified by the
College Board as critical to the study of Advanced Placement United States History.
They include American identity, peopling, work, exchange, and technology, politics and
power, environment and geography, America and the world, and ideas, beliefs, and
culture.
As well as providing a basic narrative of events and movements in United States
history through these topics and themes, the objectives of Advanced Placement United
States History are to develop:
A. An understanding of some of the principal themes in United States history
B. An ability to analyze historical evidence and historical interpretation
C. An ability to express historical understanding in writing
Advanced Placement United States History is a college level course of significant
complexity and depth. Due to the depth of content and level of critical thinking required
of this course, you should enjoy both reading and writing and be willing to spend a large
amount of time doing both. During the course your critical thinking skills will be
developed through an emphasis on analysis and evaluation. You will write essays that
require the integration of course content, as well as those that are document-based.
Throughout the course you will be expected to master a large body of content.
This year long course is a college-level survey of United States history beginning
with the colonization of the Americas and concluding in the early 21st century. Each
student will need to purchase a copy of the textbook—The American Pageant by David
Kennedy, published by Holt McDougal, approximately $90, (ISBN-10: 0547166540).
We will be using the 14th edition. Please verify that the edition you are purchasing has
sample review questions at the end of each chapter (if possible). You will find the
textbook available at several online book sellers, including Amazon.com. Also, an
additional resource, that we highly recommend purchasing by the end of first semester, is
a copy of Fast Track to A 5 for the AP United States History Examination, for
approximately $25, (ISBN-13: 9780618479399).
Given the large amount of content that must be mastered in a relatively short
amount of time students will be required to read and take notes on Chapters 1 through 6
over the summer. Please use the Cornell notes format if you have used it in other classes.
If not, you will be introduced to this type of note taking early next year. Within the first
week of classes where will be a 70 question multiple choice test over the content of these
chapters and you will be required to bring your completed Cornell notes on the day of the
exam.
You should also supplement your summer reading by watching (if parents permit)
the film, “Last of the Mohicans” starring Daniel Day-Lewis (1992). This film gives
viewers an engaging and entertaining glimpse into the French and Indian War.
References will be made to the film and students are expected to have watched the film.
If parents or you are uncomfortable viewing the film, please communicate with me via
email. Highly recommended, but not required, would be the HBO series entitled “John
Adams”.
This class is a college level course of tremendous complexity and depth. Due to
the depth of content and level of critical thinking required of this course, you should
enjoy both reading and writing and be willing to spend a large amount of time doing
both. During the course your critical thinking skills will be developed through an
emphasis on analysis and evaluation. You will write essays that require the integration of
course content, as well as those that are document-based. Throughout the course you will
be expected to master a large body of content.
Please take the required summer work seriously because it will serve as an
early indication of your desire to succeed in this rigorous course. But don’t let this make
you apprehensive. As long as you always work hard and put in honest effort, you will be
most welcome in Advanced Placement United States History.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions or concerns regarding the course.
Mr. Dave Collins: dcollins@lps.k12.co.us
Have a wonderful summer, and I look forward to meeting you in August.
Sincerely,
Mr. Collins
Units and Overall Themes of the AP US History Course
Unit 1.
Pre-Columbian Native American Society, the Columbian Exchange, and the Clash
of Cultures (1491-1607)
Unit 2:
European Colonial Era (1607-1754)
Unit 3:
The American Revolution (1754-1800)
Unit 4:
American Democracy and Westward Movement (1800-1848)
Unit 5:
Sectionalism, the Civil War, and Reconstruction (1844-1877)
Unit 6:
Industrialization, Urbanization, and Immigration (1865-1898)
Unit 7:
American rise to World Power (1890-1945)
Unit 8:
America as a Cold War Superpower (1945-1980)
Unit 9:
The Conservative Movement and Global Power (1980-the present)