North County High School
Advanced Placement United States History—2014-15
School Year Summer Assignment
A People’s History of the United States
by Howard Zinn
Welcome to Advanced Placement US History (APUSH)! The 2014-15 school year
will be a very busy one as we prepare for the Advanced Placement exam in May 2015.
APUSH is a rigorous college-level course that will require extensive background
knowledge in US History.
Since this is a college-level course that requires extensive knowledge in US History
we cannot waste any time in preparing, and need to hit the ground running in August.
To do this, every APUSH student will be required to complete the following
assignments throughout the summer. Complete assignments are due the week school
begins in August 2014.
The assignments are listed below. The People’s History of the United States can be
found at local libraries, bookstores and on various websites. A print version of the book
if preferable, but you can also use the website below which contains the entire book.
The reading questions are attached, but you may also email Ms. Owens
(maowens@aacps.org) for an electronic version. All assignments must be completed as
specified for credit. Have fun!!!
A People’s History of The United States can be found online:
http://www.historyisaweapon.com/zinnapeopleshistory.html
Directions and Rubric for Summer Reading Assignment:
Assignment #1: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
1. Read the first two chapters of the novel.
(30 pts)
2. Answer the following questions (there are some for both chapters) in complete
sentences in blue or black ink only in your own handwriting (typed assignments
will not be accepted). Please put your name (first, last) in the upper right hand
corner, followed by the date. EACH QUESTION IS WORTH 1 POINT!!
3. Students will be tested on material from Zinn’s book. Students might be allowed
to use their responses to the questions on the assessment. 
Assignment #1: A People’s History of the United States by Howard Zinn
(1 point for each question = 30 possible points)
Chapter 1: Columbus, the Indians, and Human Progress
1. How did the Arawaks greet Columbus and his men? (Use the excerpts from Columbus’ journal)
2. What were the Arawaks known for and why was this remarkable to the Europeans?
3. Why had the Spanish monarchs financed the Columbus expedition?
4. How did gold earrings lead to the Arawak’s downfall?
5. Evaluate the ways that Columbus attempted to pay back his dividends.
6. What way(s) did the Arawaks fight Columbus’ actions?
7. What were encomiendas?
8. Who was Bartolome de las Casas and his significance?
9. Describe the treatment of women in the Arawak culture?
10. Explain Zinn’s statement of, “Total control led to total cruelty.”
11. Why is Zinn critical of “Columbus Day”?
12. Why is Zinn critical of Harvard Historian Samuel Eliot Morison?
13. How does Zinn argue that past historians (and teachers!) have justified Columbus’ genocide of the
Arawaks?
14. What “lens of history” does Zinn examine history through? Which “lens” does he avoid? Why does
he feel this is necessary?
15. Describe Cortes’ conquest of the Aztecs.
16. Describe Pizarro’s conquests.
17. How were the English colonial settlements similar to that of the Spanish?
18. How did the Pilgrims and Puritans respond to the “Indian problem”?
19. What was the Pequot War?
20. What, does Zinn argue, is the sacrifice of human progress?
21. Describe the Native American peoples of the North and South American continent that Columbus
considered “inferior”.
Chapter 2: Drawing the Color Line
22. What is significant about J. Saunders Redding’s description of the arrival of a ship in 1619?
23. How did slavery develop? How did racism develop along with it?
24. What elements of helplessness led to the Africans continued enslavement?
25. Describe the African civilization during the time of colonization.
26. Describe the conditions on a slave ship and the treatment of slaves early in the colonies.
27. Describe slave resistance.
28. What did slave owners consistently avoid? What methods did they use to avoid it?
29. When was the first large scale slave revolt? Why was it significant?
30. Why was it feared that whites would join slave revolts? How was this prevented?
Assignment #2: United States Maps
PART A: LABELING MAP
1.
In black ink label the fifty states IN BLACK INK. You may use the state abbreviations to do this.
(10 points)
Students will be expected to label the 50 states on a map on the first day of class
without the use of their map.
2. Label the following bodies of water IN BLUE INK (you may have to
draw in the rivers):
(1 point each- 6 points total)
a. Five great lakes (HOMES!!!)
b. Mississippi River
c. Rio Grande River
d. Atlantic Ocean
e. Pacific Ocean
f. Gulf of Mexico
4. Draw the following mountains in BROWN and label in BLACK ink: Appalachian
and Rocky.
(1/2 point each- 2 pts total)
5. Draw the following boundary lines in orange and shade using appropriate colors
or patterns to demonstrate the following historical territorial acquisitions.
CREATE A KEY AND INDICATE THE APPROPRIATE COLOR OR PATTERN IN
YOUR KEY.
(1/2 point each- 4 pts total)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
Original Thirteen Colonies
Treaty of Paris, 1783
Acquisitions from Spain in 1810, 1813, and 1819
Louisiana Purchase
Texas Annexation
Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo
Oregon Treaty
Gadsden Purchase
6. Draw in RED the Missouri Compromise Line. Label it in black ink next to your
line. (1 point)
Part B: Answer the following geography questions below:
(You may use state abbreviations when applicable)
1. List all the states that are considered part of the original 13 colonies.
each – 6.5 points total)
a.
h.
b.
i.
c.
j.
d.
k.
e.
l.
f.
m.
(1/2 point
g.
2. List the three major regions of the 13 original colonies (3 points)
a.
b.
c.
3. List ALL fifteen slave holding states in the United States in 1860.
– 15 points total)
a.
i.
b.
j.
c.
k.
d.
l.
e.
m.
f.
n.
g.
o.
h.
(1 point each
4. List five places that are currently U.S. territories. (1/2 point each – 2.5 points)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
APUSH GRADING RUBRIC
STUDENT NAME: _______________________________________________
PART 1:
PART 1: READING ASSIGNMENT
PART 1: READING ASSIGNMENT
Peoples’ History of the
United States Reading
Chapter 1 – (21 points)
Chapter 1 – (____________ points)
Questions
Chapter 2 – (9 points)
Chapter 2 – (____________ points)
________________POINTS EARNED
30 TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS:
PART 2: MAP ACTIVITY
50 TOTAL POSSIBLE POINTS
PART A: LABELING ACTIVITY
(23 POSSIBLE POINTS)





GRADE SCALE:
72 – 80 = A
64 - 71 = B
56 – 63 = C
48 – 55 = D
47 or below = E
Comments:
50 states (10 points)
Bodies of water (6 points)
Mountains (2 points)
Territorial Acquisitions (4 points)
Missouri Compromise (1 point)
PART 2: MAP ACTIVITY
PART A: LABELING ACTIVITY





50 states (_____________points)
Bodies of water (_________ points)
Mountains (__________ points)
Territorial Acquisitions (________ points)
Missouri Compromise (_____ point)
________________ (23 POSSIBLE POINTS)
PART B: GEOGRAPHY QUESTIONS
(27 POINTS POSSIBLE)
PART B: GEOGRAPHY QUESTIONS








13 colonies (6.5 points)
3 major regions (3 points)
15 slave states (15 points)
5 U.S. territories (2.5 points)
13 colonies (_________ points)
3 major regions (________ points)
15 slave states (___________ points)
5 U.S. territories (___________ points)
(_________________27 POINTS POSSIBLE)
FINAL GRADE =
Out of 80 TOTAL PROJECT POINTS
Some Final Words of Advice:
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. History is all around you if you allow yourself to see it!
3. Read. Try to read several books over the course of the summer. 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. There
are some real page-turners about American history. Ask at the library or look on line to steer
you in the right direction.
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. Try to keep updated on the world’s events.
6. Learn your geography. Geography is going to play an important part of this course. Do you
know all 50 states? Learn them. Can you find the major mountain ranges of the US on a map?
What about rivers, oceans and lakes? Memorize them! How about other continents: do you
know the locations of countries in Latin America? Europe? Asia? The more you know about
geography the farther ahead you will be.
7. Watch history movies! Do you really need to watch Ironman 3 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. Memorize the Presidents and their major accomplishments. This will help you prepare for the
AP exam 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 …
9. Explore your family history. Stuck for a conversation starter at dinner? Ask your elders what it
was like growing up. Do they remember any significant events in American
history? How were they affected? You’ll be surprised how interesting
people’s lives really are.
Enjoy your summer and get ready for
a challenging and rewarding year in
AP U.S. History!
Ms. Owens & Mr. Wierzbicki