AP United States History

Forrest County Agricultural High School Mr. Casey Phillips 2013-2014

Overview This course is distinct from many other high school courses in that it is designed for college credit rather than college prep. It is a survey of the history of the United States from the pre-Columbian period and its colonial origins to the present day. The textbooks are college level, and the class itself is structured along the lines of a college level course. Students are required to take notes in class and on readings, keep up with reading assignments, answer questions in class based on readings, participate in class discussions, analyze primary sources, and improve their reading, writing, and testing skills. While this course covers the traditional topics of American History, the College Board has also emphasized certain themes as key elements of an Advanced Placement course. Throughout the year, standard topics of American History will be related to these themes. These themes are American Diversity, American Identity, Culture, Demographic Changes, Economic Transformations, Environment, Globalization, Politics and Citizenship, Reform, Religion, Slavery and Its Legacies in North America, and War and Diplomacy. Keys to Success The most important factor in this class is consistent effort and improvement. Do not be discouraged if you seem to be struggling at first. If you knew the material already, you wouldnt need the course. What you will learn in terms of thinking, writing, and study skills will be worth the effort! Keep up with the reading assignments. If you fall behind, you will soon find yourself thoroughly lost, and it will be very difficult to catch up. The majority of this course will be conducted in a seminar stylediscussion is the norm, and reading is the key to unlocking the discussion. Therefore, it is imperative for students to complete the assigned reading when it is scheduled. As an incentive for keeping up, daily reading quizzes will be given. Those students who are not prepared for class will experience lower grades and considerable confusion in class. The Exam The AP U.S. History exam will be given Wednesday, May 14, 2013. The exam is three hours and five minutes long. In Section I, students answer 80 multiple-choice questions in 55 minutes. In Section II, they are given 15 minutes to plan, 45 minutes to write an essay on a document-based question, and 70 minutes to answer two standard essay questions. The multiple-choice portion counts as 50% of the exam, the DBQ is 22.5%, and each of the essays is 13.75%. All students taking the AP exam will be exempt from a final exam. Grading Exams, Essays and DBQs Class Discussion, Notes and Quizzes Semester Exam 50% 25% 25%

Texts Faragher, John M., et.al. Out Of Many: A History of the American People. 5th ed. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson, 2007. [OOM] This is a college-level U.S. History textbook. It will be the primary resource used to generate class discussion. Students should read carefully and thoroughly. A website designed to help students with comprehension of the material can be found at http://www.prenhall.com/faragherap. Davidson, James W. and Mark H. Lytle. After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection. 4th ed. New York: McGraw Hill, 2000. [ATF] This is a reader designed to help students develop an understanding of historiography. Assignments will be made periodically and will be discussed in class. Bailey, Thomas A. and David M. Kennedy. The American Spirit.9th ed. Vol. I & Vol. II. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 1998. This is a primary documents resource book. Numerous readings will be assigned from here as well as many other sources. The documents will be analyzed and discussed in class to help prepare students for dealing with the DBQ. Newman, John J. and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. New York: Amsco, 1998. This is pretty much a standard AP review book. It will be useful to students when preparing for both unit exams and the AP exam in May. Course Schedule UNIT 1: Pre-Columbian-French & Indian War UNIT 2: Treaty of Paris-Constitution UNIT 3: Early National Period-Era of Good Feelings UNIT 4: Age of Jackson/Growth/Expansion UNIT 5: Causes of the Civil War-Reconstruction UNIT 6: Westward Expansion/Industrialization UNIT 7: Gilded Age/Populism/Imperialism/Progressivism Midterm Exam UNIT 8: World War I/The Twenties/The Great Depression UNIT 9: World War II/Cold War/Civil Rights Movement UNIT 10: Vietnam-Present UNIT 11: Review for SATP UNIT 12: Review for AP Exam Final Exam