AP United States History
Syllabus Trimester One
AP U.S. History is a course that can earn students college credit. It is a three trimester
survey of American history. The course is designed to cover from the age of exploration
and discovery to the present. Emphasis is placed on analysis of documents and
primary sources, the use of critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing and
mastering a body of factual information. This is a college level class, and will be taught
as such. To be successful, students must take this class seriously and be prepared to
put in a lot of effort throughout the year.
Class Expectations:
School rules will be followed at all times. The following are guidelines that students
need to follow in order to be successful.
1. Students must have assignments completed before coming to class. Students
will not be allowed to turn in any assignment late. Also, students will not
have time to go to the library to print off assignments. They need to do that
before class. Unless told otherwise, students can not email assignments to me
for me to print out.
2. Students should regularly participate.
3. Students need to be a student of history. I will discuss this further below.
4. Students are expected to spend 30-60 minutes nightly at a minimum studying
and completing assignments.
5. Students are expected to maintain an organized binder.
6. Students are expected to respect each other in class.
7. Students are encouraged to take advantage of the Old AP tests that I have and
take them as practice throughout the semester. We will take at least two tests
together. You can also access old AP tests on line at:
http://apcentral.collegeboard.com/apc/members/exam/exam_information/2089.ht
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Assessments:
The length and type of assignments will vary. Please refer to
the class calendar for due dates. Most assignments will have a multiplier on the grade
program. So, please make sure that check the right column for points when checking
the grades. The class assessments will typically be made up of the following types:
1. History Journal: Reactions to political cartoons, maps, tables, or
artwork. Students will be given one of the preceding sources
and will write a few sentences in response. This will be a daily
bell-ringer activity.
2. Chapter Interactive Notes: 3 will be collected at random on a
test day. Students are expected to do notes for each chapter.
3. Reading Check Daily Quizzes: Students without an id properly
displayed or that are tardy are not allowed to take the quiz and
will receive a zero. Students that show up late with a pass, will
have to make the quiz up before school. Any missed quiz must
be made up during office time.(Fridays 7 AM-7:45)
4. Chapter Tests-typically a combination of short answer and
multiple choice questions
5. DBQ’s(Taken from old AP Tests)
6. FRQ’s(Taken from old AP Tests)
7. Essays
8. Weekly Postings to Class Website(TBD)
9. Participation in class discussions
10. Unit Tests
11. Research Papers or Projects(1st Tri., 2nd Tri., and 3rd Tri.)
12. Group and Individual Projects
13. End of Trimester Exams
Explanations, expectations, and guidelines will be given out with each assignment and
will be posted on the class website, when possible.
Textbooks and Readings
The following books are the core part of the class. Other books, articles, or essays will be
added throughout the class
John Mack Faragher, Mari Jo Buhle, Daniel Czitrom, Susan H. Armitage. Out of
Many: A History of the American People (Fifth Edition, Prentice Hall 2007).
-Used for all chapters
Companion website:
http://wps.prenhall.com/hss_faragher_outofmany_5/36/9243/2366341.cw/index.html
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United States History, Volume 1: Taking Sides - Clashing Views in United States
History, Volume 1: The Colonial Period to Reconstruction Mc Graw Hill 2008
Larry Madaras, James M SoRelle Taking Sides - Clashing Views in United States
History, Volume 2: Reconstruction to the Present: McGraw Hill: 2008
David Emory Shi and George Brown Tindall. America a Narrative History. W.W. Norton
Company 2007
David M. Kennedy and Thomas A. Bailey The American Spirit Volume I Eleventh
Edition to 1877 Houghton Mifflin 2006
David M. Kennedy and Thomas A. Bailey The American Spirit Volume II Eleventh
Edition Since 1865 Houghton Mifflin 2006
Upton Sinclair. The Jungle
Parental Contact:
As of right now, I have first hour prep for next year. I would prefer that you contact me
during 7:45-8:45 AM. My phone number is 219-650-5307 Ext. 7109. I can also be
emailed at: rbedwell@mvsc.k12.in.us Please call me if you have any questions about
what is going on in the class. If there is a problem, I would like to know about it. Please
let me have the opportunity to deal with an issue and hopefully come up with a solution.
Office Time:
Monday 3PM
Just as professors have set times for students to come and meet with them to discuss
class related issues, so will I. Students are encouraged to come and ask questions, or
to get extra help. I will stay after on that day to help students or other times if arranged
with me ahead of time.
AP US History Test:
Students taking this class are not required to take the corresponding AP test. However,
students are encouraged to take it. One of the main purposes of the class is to prepare
students for the AP test. Students are encouraged to start early to successfully prepare
for the test. I will draw attention to topics, events, or people that could be tested on the
AP test. At the end of each chapter, I will highlight key points from each chapter that
may be on the AP test. Students can possibly receive college credit depending on how
well they score on the test. The test takes place in May, and is administered during the
normal school day. Regardless of whether or not the test is taken, or how they perform
on the test, it has absolutely no bearing on their grade for the class.
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Dual Credit:
AP US History is a class that is eligible for dual credit from Purdue University North
Central. This is an excellent opportunity for students to get college credit for work that
they do while in high school. This credit will transfer to any state school in Indiana as a
history credit, and the students will not have to take this class over. If you transfer out of
state, or to a private college, the credits might still transfer. You would need to check
with that school to make sure. Students will meet with someone from the Guidance
Department to discuss this further.
A Student of History:
US History is everywhere around you. History can be a bit boring if you only read about
it from a book. You need to try and experience it. Since there is a limited amount of
time in class and in the school year in which to learn US History, students are
encouraged to seek out information about it on their own. I would strongly encourage
students to watch the History Channel, PBS(American Experience), or other channels
that have history based shows. There is a wealth of information available to people now
about US History. What I will teach them will serve as building blocks for future study.
Neither I, nor our book can cover everything that a student might need to know to
prepare for the AP US History test. So, students need to try and learn about it on their
own. We will go on field trips to historical places or museums to help encourage
students to seek out information about US History. U.S. History is a great passion of
mine and I have studied it for 25 years and I am constantly learning new things. I hope
that I can inspire you as a student to learn about history on your own.
Interactive Notes:
Students are required to take their notes using the Cornell Method. An example will be
provided. There is no substitute for taking good notes, this is the basis for any
humanities class. Students are encouraged to read each section first without writing
notes, then go back and write down the main ideas. For each section, students are to
write down the key points in incomplete sentences. It is easier to remember the material
if it is in chunks of information, rather than in complete sentences. Students are then
supposed to write a question off to the side that will help them later to quiz themselves
over the material. At the bottom of the page, students are to write a summary over the
section. The summary should be a brief recap of the section in a couple of sentences(13 maximum). For students to receive full credit for the notes, they will have to have
questions, summaries, and notes for each section of the chapter.
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Class Overview
This is a tentative class schedule that will be adjusted as needed. Assignments
that are listed might be modified. There will be additional assignments that might
replace or augment the current ones. Some of the chapters overlap the different
themes and will be addressed at various times throughout the course. For exact
days and specifics about the assignments or projects, check the class webpage.
Readings that are listed are to be done outside of class for homework. Extra
reading resources will be given during class and used for discussion or projects.
The Course is divided into periods of time with a focus on the following themes:
American Identity
Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing
regional
differences within the context of what it means to be an American.
Culture
Diverse individual and collective expressions through literature, art, philosophy, music, theater, and film
throughout U.S. history. Popular culture and the dimensions of cultural conflict within American society.
Demographic Changes
Changes in birth, marriage, and death rates; life expectancy and family patterns; population size and
density. The economic, social, and political effects of immigration, internal migration, and migration
networks.
Economic Transformations
Changes in trade, commerce, and technology across time. The effects of capitalist development, labor and
unions, and consumerism.
Environment
Ideas about the consumption and conservation of natural resources. The impact of population growth,
industrialization, pollution, and urban and suburban expansion.
Globalization
Engagement with the rest of the world from the fifteenth century to the present: colonialism,
mercantilism,
global hegemony, development of markets, imperialism, and cultural exchange.
Politics and Citizenship
Colonial and revolutionary legacies, American political traditions, growth of democracy, and the
development of the modern state. Defining citizenship; struggles for civil rights.
Reform
Diverse movements focusing on a broad range of issues, including antislavery, education, labor,
temperance,
women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, war, public health, and government.
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Religion
The variety of religious beliefs and practices in America from prehistory to the twenty-first century;
influence of religion on politics, economics, and society.
Slavery and Its Legacies in North America
Systems of slave labor and other forms of unfree labor (e.g., indentured servitude, contract labor) in
Native
American societies, the Atlantic World, and the American South and West. The economics of slavery and
its racial dimensions. Patterns of resistance and the long-term economic, political, and social effects of
slavery.
War and Diplomacy
Armed conflict from the pre-colonial period to the twenty-first century; impact of war on American
foreign
policy and on politics, economy, and society.
Trimester One
2 weeks
Pre-Columbian Societies:
Chapter Focus Questions:

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

Who were the migrants that peopled the Americas?
How did native cultures adapt to the regions of North America?
How did the development of farming increase the complexity of native
societies?
What was the nature of Indian culture in the three major regions of
European invasion and settlement?
Readings: Out of Many Chapter 1
-Chapter 1 Study Guide(Summer Assignment)
.
Transatlantic Encounters and Colonial Beginnings:
Themes Addressed:
Globalization
Economic Transformations
Demographics
Chapter Focus Questions:
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


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




What was the European background of American colonization?
How did the Spanish create a New World empire and extend it into North
America?
What was the large-scale intercontinental exchange of peoples, crops,
animals, and diseases?
What was the French role in the beginnings of the North American fur
trade?
How did the English create their first overseas colonies in Ireland and
America?
How did the planting of colonies by European nations compare?
What characterized the English and Algonquian colonial encounter in the
Chesapeake?
What role did religious dissent play in the planting of the New England
colonies?
What characterized the founding of the proprietary colonies?
What characterized Indian warfare and internal conflict at the end of the
seventeenth century?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapters 2 and 3
Primary Source Documents:
John Withrop: City on a Hill speech
-Chapter 2 and 3 Study Guide
-Explorer Paper
-Taking Sides Issue #4: Was the Salem Witch Hysteria due to a fear of women?
-article and follow up discussion
-Virginia vs. Mass. DBQ
Colonial North America 1690-1754:
Themes Addressed:
Religion
Globalization
Slavery and Its legacy in North America
War and Diplomacy
Chapter Focus Questions:
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

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




How did the slave system develop?
What was the history of the slave trade and the Middle Passage?
How did communities develop among African Americans in the eighteenth
century?
What connections existed between the institutions of slavery and the
imperial system of the eighteenth century?
What was the early history of racism in America?
Who similarities and differences existed among eighteenth-century
Spanish, English, and French colonies?
How did increasing European immigration affect British colonial culture?
How did contact with European customs and lifestyles change the cultures
of Indian America?
What were the patterns of work and class in eighteenth-century America?
What tensions existed between Enlightenment thought and the Great
Awakening's call for renewed religious devotion?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapters 4 and 5
-Chapter 4 and 5 Study Guide
-Ben Franklin’s Maxims: Students are to rewrite them to apply to today.
-Chapter 1-5 Quiz:
The American Revolutionary Era 1754-1789: 2 Weeks
Themes Addressed:
War and Diplomacy
Politics and Citizenship
Chapter Focus Questions:




What was the final struggle among Great Britain, France, and American
Indian tribes for control of eastern North America?
How did the aftermath of the French and Indian War influence American
nationalism?
What were Great Britain's changing policies toward its North American
colonies?
What were the political assumptions of American republicanism?
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





How did the colonists try to achieve unity in their confrontation with Great
Britain?
What were the major alignments and divisions among Americans during
the American Revolution?
What were the major military campaigns of the Revolution?
What were the Articles of Confederation and what role did the
Confederation Congress play during the Revolutionary War?
How did the states serve as the setting for significant political change?
What was the economic crisis in the aftermath of the American Revolution?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapters 6 and 7
Chapter 7: The Road to Revolution 1763-1775-American Spirit
Issue #6: Were the Founding Fathers Democratic Reformers?-Taking Sides Vol. #1
Chapter 6 Notes
Chapter 6 Study Guide Questions
Chapter 6 Vocab and People Quiz
Chapter 7 Notes
Chapter 7 Study Guide Questions
Chapter 6 and 7 Quiz
The Early Republic 1789-1815: 1 week
Themes Addressed:
Politics and Citizenship
War and Diplomacy
Culture
Chapter Focus Questions:
 What tensions and conflicts existed between local and national authorities
in the decades after the American Revolution?
 What struggles were experienced in the drafting of the Constitution and to
achieving its ratification?
 How was the first national government established under the Constitution?
 How did American political parties begin?
 What were the first stirrings of an authentic American national culture?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapter 8, Declaration of Independence, Articles of
Confederation, Virginia Constitution, Virginia Declaration of Rights, and U.S.
Constitution
9
-Chapter 8 Notes
-U.S. Constitution Study Guide
-Chapter 8 Vocab and People Quiz
-U.S. Constitution Test and Chapter 8 Test
An Agrarian Republic, 1790-1824: 1 Week
Themes Addressed:
Demographic Changes
Globalization
Politics and Citizenship
Chapter Focus Questions:




How did America’s economy develop in a world of warring great powers?
What was the role of Jefferson’s presidency and his agrarian republicanism
in forging a national identity?
How did the divisive War of 1812 end colonial dependency?
How did westward expansion become a nationalizing force?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapter 9
Chapter 10: Launching the New Ship of State, 1789-1800-American Spirit
Chapter 9 Study Guide
Chapter 9 Quiz
Transformation of the Economy and Society in Antebellum America:
4 Weeks
Themes Addressed:
Demographic Changes
Slavery and Its legacy in North America
Economic Transformations
Reform
Chapter Focus Questions:



How did the slave system dominate southern life?
What were the economic implications of "King Cotton"?
How did African Americans create communities under slavery?
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









What was the social structure of the white South?
Why was the white South increasingly defensive?
What were the pre-industrial ways of working and living?
What was the nature of the market revolution?
What effects did industrialization have on workers in early factories?
In what ways did the market revolution change the lives of ordinary
people?
How did the middle class emerge?
What new social problems accompanied urbanization and immigration?
How did reformers respond to social problems?
What were the origins and political effects of the abolitionist movement?
What was the involvement of women in reform efforts?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapter 10,12, and 13
Chapter 11: The Triumps and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic, 1800-1812American Spirit
Chapter 12: The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism-18121824-American Spirit
Issue #11: Did Slavery Destroy the Black Family-Taking Sides Vol. I
Chapter 10 Notes
Chapter 10 Study Guide
Chapter 10 Quiz
Chapter 12 Notes
Chapter 12 Study Guide
Chapter 13 Notes
Chapter 12/13 Test
DBQ: Jacksonian Democrats(1990)
Project:
Antebellum Reformer Roundtable Assignment-Students will discuss problems of the
era and how their reformer would have felt about this topic and what they would have
proposed to fix the problem.
Antebellum Reformer 2 Page Paper: Students write a two page paper about their
reformer.
The Transformation of Politics in Antebellum America: (Combined
with Previous Theme)
Themes Addressed:
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Politics and Citizenship
American Identity
Culture
Economic Transformation
Chapter Focus Questions:




What was the role of Andrew Jackson’s presidency in affirming and
solidifying the new democratic politics?
What part did the transportation revolution play in unifying the nation?
How was the basic two-party pattern of American political democracy
established?
How did writers and artists and their audiences create a distinctive
American cultural identity?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapter 11
Chapter 11 Notes
Chapter 11 Study Guide
Chapter 11 Test
Territorial Expansion and Manifest Destiny: 1 Week
Demographic Change
Economic Transformation
War and Diplomacy
Globalization
Chapter Focus Questions:



How did the political effects of expansion heighten sectional tensions?
How did the concept of manifest destiny affect continental expansion?
How was the frontier development in Oregon, Texas, and California similar
and different?
Reading: Out of Many: Chapter 14
Primary Source Document:
Document 14-2: A Newspaper Man Declares the “Manifest Destiny” of the
United States in 1845: Questions to accompany the document.
Chapter 14 Notes
Chapter 14 Take Home Quiz Packet
Donner Party Video: Reaction Paper
12
The Crisis of the Union
Themes Addressed:
Politics and Citizenship
Slavery and Its Legacy in North America
Chapter Focus Questions:



Why did the Whigs and Democrats fail to find a lasting political
compromise on the issue of slavery?
What caused the end of the Second American Party System and the rise of
the Republican Party?
Why did the secession of the southern states follow the Republican Party
victory in the election of 1860?
Readings: Out of Many: Chapter 15
Chapter 15 Notes
Chapter 15 Study Guide
Chapter 15 Quiz
1st Trimester Final Review Paper:
How had America developed from a series of struggling colonies into a power that
rivaled France and Great Britain? In doing the paper, you need to discuss the social,
political, and economic changes that took place during the 18 th and 19th Century. 3-5
Pages Long Due Nov. 19th
Final Exam: 100 Questions Multiple Choice.
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APUSH
Class Calendar
This is a tentative schedule that will/can be adjusted if needed. Please consult the website for any
changes to this. Assignments that are listed may be changed, or alternate assignments may be
added.
Week
1
Aug. 19-23
2
Aug. 26-30
3
Sept. 2-6
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
1st Day of
Class
-Pass out
Textbooks
-Rules and
Expectations
Thursday
Chapter 1
Notes
Friday
Chapter 1
Notes
Lecture
Lecture
Chapter 2
Notes
Chapter 2
Notes
Chapter 3
Notes
Chapter 3
Notes
Chapter 1
Quiz
Chapter 4
Notes
Lecture
Lecture
Lecture
Lecture
Lecture
Chapter 2
Quiz
Chapter 4
Notes
Chapter 5
Notes
Chapter 3
Quiz
Chapter 5
Notes
Lecture
Lecture
Lecture
Labor Day
Chapter 4
Quiz
Chapter 5
Quiz
14
-Chapter 1-5
Test
-Chapter 1-5
Study Guide
Questions
Due(Summer
Assignment)
Week
4.
Sept. 9-13
5.
Sept. 16-20
6.
Sept. 23-27
Monday
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Tuesday
Chapter 6
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.162-172
Wednesday
Chapter 6
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.173-182
Thursday
Chapter 6
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.183-194
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
-DBQ Intro
-DBQ Intro
-DBQ Intro
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Chapter 7
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.200-211
Chapter 7
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.212-220
Class
Discussion
Chapter 7
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.221-229
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
-DBQ Intro
-DBQ Intro
-DBQ Intro
Class
Discussion
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Chapter 8
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.236-244
Chapter 8
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.245-254
Chapter 8
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.255-262
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
Class
Discussion
-DBQ #1
1999 DBQ
Due
15
Friday
Chapter 6
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
Chapter 7
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
-Pickup
Take Home
DBQ #1
1999 DBQ
Chapter 8
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
Week
7.
Sept. 30Oct. 4
8.
Oct. 7Oct. 11
9.
Oct. 14Oct. 18
Monday
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Tuesday
Chapter 9
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.268-277
Wednesday
Chapter 9
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.278-288
Thursday
Chapter 9
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.289-301
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
Class
Discussion
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Chapter 10
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.308-319
Chapter 10
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.320-329
Chapter 10
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.330-339
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Lecture
Lecture
Chapter 11
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.346-355
Chapter 11
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.356-365
Class
Discussion
Chapter 11
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.366-375
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
16
Class
Discussion
Friday
Chapter 9
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
Chapter 10
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
Chapter 11
Test
-Chapter
Key Points
Wrap-up
(AP Review)
-Pickup
DBQ #2
1990 DBQ
Week
10.
Oct. 21Oct. 25
11.
Oct. 28Nov. 1
12.
Nov. 4Nov. 8
Monday
-Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Tuesday
Chapter 12
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.380-390
Wednesday
Chapter 12
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.391-401
Thursday
Chapter 12
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.402-411
-Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
Class
Discussion
Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
Chapter 13
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.427-438
Chapter 13
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.439-447
Chapter
Intro. Movie
Lecture
Lecture
Chapter 13
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.416-426
Chapter 14
Reading
Quiz #1
Pgs.454-464
Chapter 14
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.465-475
Chapter 14
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.476-483
Lecture
Lecture
Class
Discussion
-DBQ #2
1990 DBQ
Due
No School
Fall Break
-Pick up
Chapter
Discussion
Questions
-Chapter
Intro Movie
-Pick up
Final Exam
Review
Sheet
17
Friday
No School
Fall Break
Class
Discussion
Chapter
12/13/14
Test
Chapter
12/13/14
Key Points
(AP Review)
Week
13.
Nov. 11-15
14.
Nov. 18-22
Monday
Tuesday
Chapter
Chapter 15
Intro. Movie Reading
Quiz #1
Pick up
Pgs.490-500
Chapter
Discussion
Lecture
Questions
Review
Final Exam
Paper #1
Chapters 1Due
15 100
Questions
Wednesday
Chapter 15
Reading
Quiz #2
Pgs.501-511
Thursday
Chapter 15
Reading
Quiz #3
Pgs.512-522
Friday
Chapter 15
Quiz
Review
Paper #1
Lecture
Final Exam
Chapters 115 100
Questions
Thanksgiving Thanksgiving
Class Reading Schedule
The pages need to read by the date that is given. A 5 question Quiz will be given on that
day over the material.
Date
9-10-2013
9-11-2013
9-12-2013
9-17-2013
9-18-2013
9-19-2013
9-24-2013
9-25-2013
9-26-2013
10-1-2013
10-2-2013
10-3-2013
10-8-2013
10-9-2013
10-10-2013
10-15-2013
10-16-2013
10-17-2013
10-22-2013
10-23-2013
10-24-2013
Page #’s
162-172
173-182
183-194
200-211
212-220
221-229
236-244
245-254
255-262
268-277
278-288
289-301
308-319
320-329
330-339
346-355
356-365
366-375
380-390
391-401
402-411
Chapter
6
6
6
7
7
7
8
8
8
9
9
9
10
10
10
11
11
11
12
12
12
18
10-29-2013
10-30-2013
10-31-2013
11-05-2013
11-06-2013
11-07-2013
11-12-2013
11-13-2013
11-14-2013
13
13
13
14
14
14
15
15
15
416-426
427-438
439-447
454-464
465-475
476-483
490-500
501-511
512-522
19