AP United States History
Mrs. Nimmer (bridget.nimmer@nicolet.us)
Ph - 414.351.8261
Web - www.nicolet.k12.wi.us/faculty/bnimmer/
"History isn't just a chronology, it's about people. History is human."
--David McCullough
“History is messy.”
--Mrs. Nimmer
Welcome to Advanced Placement United States History (APUSH)! This class is as
enjoyable and interesting as it is challenging. So if you are ready to shocked, dismayed,
awed, inspired, ashamed, puzzled and proud of our nation’s story and are ready to
commit yourself to an experience in reading, writing and thinking that you will never
forget, you are definitely in the right place 
By signing up for the Advanced Placement option, you are committing yourself to at least
1.5 hours of homework (on average) a night. In the seemingly insurmountable task of
covering 500+ years of history in 8 months, we move at a pretty quick pace in here. You
are responsible for larger and more complex passages of text and primary resource
readings, a higher standard of writing and an expectation for critical thinking on a daily
basis. You must be prepared for class discussions by completing assigned readings as
your experience in APUSH (and that of your classmates) will suffer with lack of
preparation. While the workload of this AP class is significant, we will build a strong
sense of trust, camaraderie and expectation of one another that will make you look
forward to coming to class every day.
You will be required to apply the effort necessary to act as an historian and develop the
ability to analyze historical evidence to determine its validity and relevance, identify
point of view and the nature of bias, and recognize the necessity of objectivity and
substantiation. The methodology of an historian involves skills that are highly
transferable; the ability to formulate generalizations, interpret and use data and to analyze
and weigh evidence from conflicting sources of information are applicable to many other
academic and practical disciplines.
Course Objectives:
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Master a broad body of knowledge
Demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology
Use historical data to support and argument or position
Differentiate between different schools of historical thought
Interpret and apply data from original documents, including cartoons, graphs,
letters, works of art, music lyrics, etc.
Effectively use analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, compare and
contrast, etc
Work collaboratively and effectively with others to produce and solve problems
Prepare for and successfully pass the Advanced Placement Exam on May 14,
2014
Enduring Understandings:
In addition to these, the American History team has identified 9 main enduring
understandings that each Nicolet student should have upon completing a course in
American History.
Students will understand that…
1. The geographical characteristics of North America have had an on-going
influence in the development and evolution of the United States.
2. The distribution of power is a product of existing documents and laws combined
with contemporary values and beliefs.
3. The migration of diverse peoples has and will continue to transform American
society.
4. The interaction of values, resources, and technology drives economic activity.
5. Religious and philosophical forces as well as intellectual ideas not only shape
moral and ethical standards, but also attempt to influence behavior.
6. The application of historical thinking skills is necessary to analyze data in
understanding events from multiple perspectives.
7. America’s international role impacts and is impacted by foreign relations and
domestic actions.
8. Competing beliefs and values have led to conflict
9. Civic engagement is a critical component of a democratic society.
Text:
Our primary text will be the Faragher, Buhke, Czitrom and Armitage text, Out of Many:
A History of the American People (6th ed.), but will also be using numerous primary and
other secondary sources to enrich our understanding.
Online Access: The text, summaries, review quizzes, flashcards and a pleothera of other
supportive materials is available online. All students will set up an account in class to
assure your access to these materials. In addition, here are instructions:
1. Register at www.pearsonschool.com/access
2. Enter the first 6 letters of your code below
3. Click on Covered Titles to Select Discipline and Title
4. Choose Student Registration
5. Accept - Pearson License Agreement
6. Access Information * Create username & password
* Enter ONE the Student Access Codes below (if one doesn’t work, that means it is full..try
the other one)
SSNAST-ASSAD-GRAND-SOUGH-ABASH-JADES
SSNAST-SMELL-GRAND-SOUGH-SOTUN-PSHAW
7. Account Information - complete your name & school information
8. Confirmation & Summary - link to login and join a class
(class) Nicolet 2013 APUSH 2 – (password) cm265094
(class) Nicolet 2013 APUSH 3 – (password) cm753958
(class) Nicolet 2013 APUSH 4 – (password) cm505428
Test: The nationally administered, College Board-sponsored AP US History Exam is
MAY 14, 2014. While I will not be “teaching to the test” per se, I will amply prepare
you for the knowledge and skills that will be required to perform at a high level on the
exam. Passing the exam with a score of “3” or higher (out of 5) at most colleges and
universities can earn college credit and exemption from taking History 101 and 102.
Despite your performance on the exam, this AP experience will prepare you for the rigors
of college by improving your writing, critical reading and critical thinking skills.
Grading:
The lowest possible scores for each grade are as follows:
A+
A
A-
97
93
90
B+
B
B-
87
83
80
C+
C
C-
77
73
70
D+
D
D-
67
63
60
Quarter Grade:
40% Tests
20% Reading Quizzes
40% Homework, Daily class work, Binder Checks, DBQs, etc
Semester Grade:
Quarter 1/3 – 42.5%
Quarter 2/4 – 42.5%
Final Exam – 15%
We will have an assessment every 2-3 weeks (see tentative schedule below) and a Binder
check on test days. It is at this point that I will be checking in Chapter Notes, Lecture
Notes and Primary/Secondary Sources that we complete throughout the unit. Binders
submitted after the test date lose one letter grade for every day that it is late.
Online Reading Quizzes:
Upon completion of reading and completing the Cornell notes for each chapter, you are
expected to complete the online POST-TEST (not “Pre-Test” or “Chapter Test”) for that
chapter. You will be able to take this quiz a maximum of 2 times, but your score will the
average of all of your attempts, not just your last attempt. This is to ensure that you are
reading the chapters BEFORE you take the reading quiz and not just taking the quiz
multiple times in a row until your score is 100% with little to know comprehension of the
material involved. These quizzes are due BEFORE YOU TAKE THE UNIT TEST.
Quizzes completed AFTER the test date will receive half the points earned on the quiz to
ensure timely completion of reading quizzes and improve your chances for success on the
unit assessments.
Absences
It is your responsibility to figure out what you missed on the days you are absent. I have
a folder in the front of the class that has “APUSH” on the front. The left side will have
the previous days’ handouts and the right side will have anything previous to the day
before. If you are absent, make a beeline for this folder, grab anything on the left (and
right) that is not familiar to you and talk to a classmate first about what we accomplished
the days you were gone. If you need more instruction or clarification, please see me a
time OTHER THAN AT THE BEGINNING OF CLASS.
If you are absent on a test day, you are expected to make up that test the day you return,
unless you make specific arrangements with me. Your test score will drop a half later
grade each day the test sits in the testing center incompleted.
Academic Integrity:
Your success in this class is dependent upon your commitment to learning and doing the
work necessary. While collaboration and study partners/groups are strongly encouraged,
it should be understood that all work submitted to me for a grade (including online
quizzes and assignments) are to be done individually unless otherwise directed.
Violations of this policy will result in no credit assigned (for all parties involved) and an
administrative referral.
Materials Required:
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2 in. binder to store past unit materials
1 – 1.5 in. binder to be brought to class each day for current hand-outs, readings,
etc.
notebooks(s) for note taking
pens (preferred for written assignments)/pencils
Highlighters for active reading
Teacher Support
I am available for support before school, after school until 3:35 and during Monday and
Thursday Resource Period (Hr 4). You can also email me at any point and I will get
back to you within one day.
Overview: As mentioned before, the history of the United States continues to grow
while the school year does not. Therefore, the following gives you an idea of the pace
and units of study we will be exploring throughout the school year.
Unit 1: Pre-Colombian and Colonial America
Est Time: 3 weeks (September 3 – Sept 20)
Chapters 1-5
Unit 2 : Revolution and Early Republic
Est Time: 3 weeks (Sept 23-Oct 11)
Chapters 6-8
Unit 3: Age of Jefferson and Jackson
Est Time: 3 weeks (Oct 14- Nov 1)
Chapters 9, 11-13
Unit 4: Slavery, Sectionalism and Manifest Destiny
Est Time: 2.5 weeks (Nov 4 – Nov 19)
Chapters 10, 14
Unit 5: Civil War and Reconstruction
Est Time: 3 weeks (Nov. 20 – Dec 13)
Chapters 15-17
Unit 6: Industrialization and Progressivism
Est Time: 3.5 weeks (Dec. 16 – Jan. 17)
Chapters 19, 20 (first half) and 2
Semester Exam – January 21 or 22
Unit 7: Imperialism and World War I
Est. Time: 2.5 weeks (Jan 27 – Feb 12)
Chapters: 20 (second half) and 22
Unit 8: Politics of Boom and Bust
Est. Time: 2.5 weeks (Feb 13 – March 4)
Chapters 23-24
Unit 9: World War II, Cold War and Post War America
Est. Time: 3 Weeks (March 5 – March 26)
Chapter 25-26
Unit 10: Stormy Sixties and Civil Rights
Est. Time 2.5 weeks (March 27-April 11)
Chapters 28-29
Unit 11: Conservative Resurgence and Modern America
Est. Time 2 weeks (April 22-May 2)
Chapters 30-31
REVIEW – May 5-13
NATIONAL AP EXAM – MAY 14, 2014