AP United States History Eleanor Roosevelt High School Course Syllabus

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Berenice Hicks
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1 AP United States History Eleanor Roosevelt High School Course Syllabus Course Description AP United States History is designed to provide students with the opportunity to experience the rigor of a college-level American History course. An emphasis is placed on interpreting documents, mastering factual information, and writing critical essays. Study includes an overview of the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual, and artistic themes in American history from the beginning of the peopling of the Americas to the present. Some of the major topics included in this course are: life and thought in colonial America, revolutionary ideology, constitutional development, Jeffersonian and Jacksonian Democracy, Manifest Destiny, the Civil War, immigration, Progressivism, World War I, the Great Depression, World War II, and the Cold War. This course will also emphasize key themes throughout the year, including: American diversity, American identity, American culture, demographic changes, economic trends, development of political institutions and the components of citizenship, social reform movements, the role of religion in the making of the United States, the history of slavery and its legacies, and the place of the United States in an increasingly global arena. Course Planner and Text The course planner is meant to be a guide to help students plan and anticipate the pace of study and general requirements of the course, including the testing schedule. All dates are subject to change as the need arises throughout the year. The course text is only one of many resources used throughout this course. Other resources are listed below and the instructor reserves the right to change or add material as needed. Course supplemental readings will be assigned for in-class examination and through the course blog as time permits; we may not cover all supplemental readings each unit. Students are responsible for printing out readings and completing the readings before the date of class discussion. Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas Bailey. The American Pageant. 13 th ed. Boston, Mass.: Houghton Mifflin Co., 2006 Schmalbach, John M., and John. J. Newman. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. 2 nd Revised ed. New York, NY.: Amsco School Publications, Inc., Remini, Robert V., A Short History of the United States,1 st ed. New York, NY. Harper Collins Publishers, Semester One August Unit 1: Early American History: Contact to Colonization Contact: Europeans and Amerindians Southern Colonies New England Colonies Middle Colonies 18 th Century Colonies Colonial Wars Chapters 1-6, The American Pageant Chapters 1-3, AMSCO Review Book Chapter 1-2, Short History of the United States Various readings chosen by the instructor Assessments Chapter Quizzes Unit 1 Quiz August 25 September 2 Unit 2: The American Revolution

2 Road to the American Revolution The American Revolution Chapters 7-8, The American Pageant Chapters 4-5, AMSCO Review Book Chapter 2, Short History of the United States Various other readings chosen by instructor Assessment Chapter Quizzes Unit 2 Quiz September 6-14 Unit 3: Testing the New Nation The New Nation: The Critical Period The Federalist Era Chapters 9-10, The American Pageant Chapters 6, AMSCO Review Book Chapter 3, Short History of the United States The Federalist Papers Harold C. Syrett, The Papers of Alexander Hamilton Julian Boyd, The Papers of Thomas Jefferson Excerpt from Washington s Farewell Address Assessment Unit 1-3 Exam, 80 question AP-style exam Unit 1-3 FRQ (Free-Response Essay) Remainder of course planner/calendar will be given out at a later date, these dates are approximate and instructor reserves the right to change dates at any time. Students will be promptly informed of date changes. AP Exam is scheduled for Friday, May 6 th, 2011!!! Teaching Strategies Although this class is primarily lecture-based, the course will also implement a significant amount of cooperative-based learning activities, role-playing exercises, and various other experiential activities in order to immerse the student in the content. Participation is necessary during all classroom activities, especially during lecture. The instructor will implement various strategies into each unit depending on a number of factors including student performance and time. Student Evaluation Your grade will be based on the following evaluations: Quizzes and class polling (using Edugame remotes) will be done weekly o The instructor reserves the right to give unscheduled assessments any time it is deemed necessary Multiple Choice Tests Free-response Essays Document-based Essays Notebook of all class assignments o Collected periodically throughout the semester Cornell Notes Identifications The Advanced Placement Exam

3 The AP United States History Exam is comprehensive, covering material from the entire school year. Students are expected to enroll and take the Advanced Placement Exam in early May, The exam is 3 hours and 5 minutes in length. It is divided into 3 parts: a multiple choice section, (80 questions); a document-based essay designed specifically to test students ability to work with original historical documents; and free-response essays on topics of major historical significance. Students are encouraged to explore the AP website, for additional information. Reading In this course you will have to read for content. In class we will work with the knowledge you have gained from the text. If you fall behind in the reading you will seriously hurt your grade in the course and your chances of passing the exam. You will find this class moves at a fast pace approximately pages per week from a college-level textbook in addition to supplemental readings. Because we have so much material to cover, we will not be spending a lot of time on any one unit. If you do not understand the material, it is your responsibility to make an appointment to come in before or after school for extra help. Student study groups are also highly recommended. How to Read the Textbook Approach each reading assignment systematically. A good system to use is the SQ3R system. SQ3R stands for Survey, Question, Read, Recite, and Review. First, survey the chapter and ask yourself questions about it. Start with the chapter title; what does it mean? What is it getting at? What is likely to be the main point, or the big picture, of the chapter? Continue surveying the rest of the chapter. Look over the headings and subheadings; examine maps, illustrations, and special features; read the summary at the end of the chapter; look over the Identifications and Discussion Questions. Where does the chapter seem to be going? What do you already know about the topic? What questions do you have about the material after surveying it? Next, read to answer the questions you came up with while surveying; read to uncover the main ideas and supporting evidence; read to be able to complete your notes, the Identifications and Discussion Questions. After reading a section (not the whole chapter, just a section, denoted by the tan headings), recite in your own words what it is about; summarize it orally or in writing. Last, after reading an assignment, review what you have read. As you move forward through the course, periodically revisit and review earlier completed assignments. Active reading and studying takes more time than passive reading, but you will learn a lot more and will cut down the time you need to prepare for tests. Notebook You will be required to have a 2-inch notebook for this course. The 2-inch notebook will have your homework, quizzes, essays, and other assignments in it. It should be separate from your other class notebooks. You will need to keep, in order by date, all materials, notes, and handouts from the class. You should also keep a calendar in this notebook with important due dates and reminders. The notebook will be graded for completeness and thoroughness. Identifications In order to perform well on essays, students must have a working knowledge of a large number of people, places, and events. Students will be given a list of identification terms for each chapter that they must know and e able to incorporate into their writing. Grading Policy Tests and Quizzes 50% o Includes all assessments: Multiple Choice Tests, DBQ s and FRQ s Classwork and Homework 40% o Includes Study Guide Answers, Review Book Answers, Identifications, Textbook and Lecture Notes, and all other work included in class notebook. Discussion and Participation 10% Questions or Problems Communicate with me whenever you have questions or if you are having any problems with the course. I will be available for help at your request, including for after-school tutoring sessions. is usually the best way to get in touch with me outside of school. A Note to Parents

4 The Advanced Placement United States History course is like no other that your son/daughter has probably ever taken. Advanced Placement (AP) courses offer students the opportunity to participate in a college-style learning environment, surpassing what is traditionally offered in an Honors course. It should be understood that AP courses are challenging. They are intended to be the equivalent of first-year college courses. Therefore, students who have traditionally participated in honors courses may find AP courses to be difficult at first. However, the fifty-year existence of the AP US History program beginning in 1956 attests to the fact that students can rise to the challenge. Most students will find this course to be an engaging educational experience that, in many cases, may fill a void that has been lacking in their previous educational pursuits. I am confident that students will find this AP course to be an extremely rewarding experience. The skills that students gain from taking AP courses will better prepare them for college, regardless of whether they pass the AP exam. Feel free to contact me whenever you have any questions or concerns. Please read and review all parts of this syllabus before signing it. Thank you. One of the best standard predictors of academic success at Harvard is performance on Advanced Placement Examinations. William R. Fitzsimmons Dean of Admissions and Financial Aid Harvard University even a 2 out of a possible 5 points on an AP exam correlates with better college performance Jay Matthews Washington Post January 29, 2007

5 Special Note on cell phones and i-pods. o District policy states that i-pods and other music players are not allowed at school. It is expected that students will not bring these to school. If a student uses these in class and learning is disrupted, appropriate consequences will result. o Text messaging during class time is absolutely prohibited. Persistent text messaging during class-time will have a negative effect on your child s grade in this course. Special Note on videos/movies shown in class. o From time to time clips will be used from various sources, including rated PG-13 and R movies. All clips are educationally appropriate and relate directly to classroom instruction and objectives. If you do not wish to allow your student to view these clips, please indicate this next to your signature and I will excuse your child from the viewing. I have read and understand all parts of the Syllabus and Course Outline for AP US History. Student Date Parent Date Contact Information Please provide me with any and all contact information, including all names of parents/guardians, all relevant home and cell numbers, and all relevant s. Just list them below, thank you for your cooperation.

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