Welcome to Advanced Placement United States History!

Mrs. Suzanne Wooton and Mrs. Tiffany Ellis

Suzanne.wooton@dvusd.org
Tiffany.ellis@dvusd.org
www.wootonushistory.weebly.com
www.ellishistorynerd.weebly.com
Summer assignment/Reading Requirements- Are you ready for some HISTORY?
Welcome to AP US History with Mrs. Wooton and Mrs. Ellis! The 2014-2015 school year will be a very busy one as we
prepare ourselves for a rigorous Advanced Placement examination in May. APUSH is a college-level course that will
require you to have extensive background knowledge in US History. Congratulations on making the commitment!
We will be focusing on specific skills, which will not only help you on the AP Exam, but also in other courses, college, and
jobs. One specific skill we must focus on is writing, writing, and more writing! On the new AP Exam you will be required
to write one document based essay (DBQ), 1 long essay question, and 4 short essay questions in addition to the multiple
choice questions. Readers from all over the nation will judge these essays, so you must be prepared with the skills
necessary to write well-structured, specific answers.
It is imperative that we get off the ground running in August. In order to make sure we fully address the lengthy
curriculum, every APUSH student will be required to complete the following summer activities by the first day of school,
August 11, 2014.
1) Go to www.wootonushistory.weebly.com and www.ellishistorynerd.weebly.com at least once over the summer to
see news items, resources, etc. Become familiar with the websites as you will get much information from them!
2) Read the first THREE chapters (1-3) of the assigned textbook, The American Pageant. The book is available in the
bookstore for checkout the last week of school. On the AP Resources page of my website are numerous links to help you
get the information online. Your notes are due August 11, 2014.
You will need to complete handwritten notes outlining these chapters (no typed, ONLY handwritten). It is essential that
college-bound students learn to interact with text in a positive and productive manner. Learning to identify key
information in a text is a skill that will serve any student of the social studies for years to come. Over the course of this
year you will become an expert at reading many pages of text and organizing key information into an outline format of
your choosing. The AP US History exam is incredibly thorough, and students are often tested on both popular and
obscure knowledge of U.S. History. It is essential that we get this head start and be very thorough in the readings.
Your outlines must be handwritten. We recommend using a pen with black ink. While we recommend using either a
Harvard Outline or Cornell Notes, you are encouraged to find your own style for note taking. Whatever works best for
you is the best choice.
Dont try to write down every detail, think of the big ideas then flesh them out so that you understand them.
Be careful about writing in pencil- it fades!
Use symbols, highlight, arrows, to help you make connections and draw your attention!
DO- summarize your notes at the end of every section!
You should have NO MORE than 2-3 pages per chapter! You can use handwritten notes on most reading quizzes.
3) Summer Book Assignment: Select ONE of the approved books listed to read. Then prepare the following:
1. In essay form discuss the political, social, economical, and cultural aspects discussed in the book of your
choice. This is how the APUSH essay is structured, so becoming familiar with the format early is beneficial, and will help
you build a well-structured essay. Include the following information at the top of your first page: Your name, Author,
Title of Book, place of publication, publisher, date of publication.

Include in your essay answers to the following: Why did the author write the book? (what is the author
expressing concern for, deepening your understanding of, or sharing new evidence about- what is the message) ; What
did you learn about the time period? How does this event/era connect with today? Did you have any disagreements
with the authors evaluation or analysis?
Attached are instructions for essay writing, and the AP US History free response essay rubric. Use these
as guidelines. A sample list is below, go to the Summer Assignment page at www.wootonushistory.weebly.com for a
complete listing.
Go to www.turnitin.com and enroll into the summer assignment classClass ID- 7992960
Enrollment Password- wootonapush
You will submit your essay to here before August 8, 2014. Submissions before July 28, 2014 will receive
feedback and you will have time to revise before the essay due date.
Sample list of books:
David McCullough. 1776. Simon & Schuster, 2006.
Joseph Ellis. Founding Brothers: The Revolutionary Generation. Vintage, 2002.
Frederick Douglass. Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave. Signet Classics, 2005.
Walter Borneman. 1812: The War that Forged a Nation. Harper Perennial, 2005.
Kevin Boyle. Arc of Justice- a Sage of Race, Civil Rights, and Murder in the Jazz Age. Henry Holt and Company, 2004
See the Summer Assignment page of www.wootonushistory.weebly.com for the complete lists and details on the
assignment.
TOP TEN THINGS TO KEEP IN MIND:
1. Enjoy your summer. Reading a book, watching some movies, three chapters of outlining, and a trip to Office Max should not
consume your free time. Go climb a tree, take a swim, or stroll the mall with friends. You will wish for that free time during the year!
2. Explore history. If you take a vacation, see if you can stop at a 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 can see it! If you are not traveling
physically, you can always do so virtually! Many museums and historical places are online!
3. Read. Try to read several books over the course of your summer. You will do a ton of reading in this class this 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 really wonderful page-turners about American history.
4. Write. Keep a journal for the summer, or try writing 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 Junior Citizen! Read the newspaper (and not just the sports section!). Watch CSPAN. Try to keep updated on
the worlds events. Develop an opinion about the governments successes and failure. Most of what we learn in this class will
directly relate to what is happening the world today.
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 U.S. on a map? What about rivers, oceans and lakes? Memorize them! The more you
know about our geography the farther ahead you will be.
7. Watch history movies! Do you really need to watch Spiderman 2 again? Of course not! If you have a free evening and would like
to watch a movie try 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. You will need to do this anyway before May so you might as well get a jumpstart on it. Try to do them
in blocks of three: Washington, Adams, Jefferson (pause) Madison, Monroe, Adams
9. Explore your family history. Stuck for a conversation starter at dinner? Ask your parent or guardian what it was like when they
were growing up. Or ask a grandparent or elderly friend about the Vietnam Era, or World War II. Youll be surprised how interesting
peoples lives really are.
10. Think Like a Pirate! When looking at history, always keep in mind the Political, Intellectual, Religious, Artistic, Technological,
Economic, and Social aspects of events.

And be prepared to be immersed in history! Your teacher is a true history nerd and loves the excitement of US History.
Lets make this an amazing year! I expect you to put forth your best effort, as I will do. We will learn a lot, and hopefully
have fun learning about our amazing history!

Question is
restated
Thesis is clearly
presented and
well developed
without the use of
I think, I believe

5
Restated
Thesis is present
and takes a
position, provides
categories of
analysis, clearly
addresses
question,
sophisticated/
does not contain
the word I

3
Partially Restated

Thesis is present,
may take a
position or
provide
categories of
analysis, deals
with significant
issues and
trends/ does not
contain the word
I
Nearly addresses
the question

Thesis is present,
but may be
flawed, limited,
confused, or
poorly
developed/ may
contain the word
I

Thesis is vaguely
present and does
not make a
complete
statement/ may
contain the word
I

Thesis is not
present or is
irrelevant to
question/ may
contain the word
I

Attempts but
does not address
the question
Somewhat weak,
examples are
mostly vague, but
one or two
specific

Does not address

the question

Thesis and essay

address the
question
The body of the
essay supports
and proves the
thesis with
specific facts
Historical/
political accuracy

Fully addresses
the question
Fully supported,
examples are
present, very
specific and
sophisticated
All information is
historically/
politically
accurate

Well supported,
examples are
present and all
very specific

Somewhat
addresses the
question
Minimal support,
examples are
present and some
very specific

Analysis is
present in each
paragraph

Analysis is
evident
throughout the
essay

Analysis is
evident in two
paragraphs

Fewer than three

historical/
political
inaccuracies are
present
Analysis is
evident in a
paragraph

Concluding Paragraph
The major points of the essay are summarized . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yes
Analysis is evident . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . Yes
Minimum of three sentences . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Yes

Analysis is
implied

No
No
No

1
Not restated

Extremely weak,
examples are
vague, no real
specifics
More than three
historical/
political
inaccuracies are
present
Analysis is not
present in the
essay

Free Response Essay Template

INTRODUCTORY PARAGRAPH:
A. Start with the last major event before the time period in the prompt (1 sentence):

B.

Context/Background of the Issue: Who, What, Where, When (2-3 sentences):

C. Thesis Statement (1-2 sentences): Make sure to state your position, provide general category
evidence, and answer the why/analysis.

BODY PARAGRAPH 1:
A. Topic sentence with first category reason why your thesis is true (sub thesis):
B. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

Transitional Statement:
C. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

D. Concluding statement: (Connect it all back to thesis or transition to next body paragraph:

BODY PARAGRAPH 2:
A. Topic sentence with secondary category reason why your thesis is true (sub thesis):

B. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

Transitional Statement (to next evidence):

C. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

D. Concluding statement: (Connect it all back to thesis or transition to next body paragraph:

BODY PARAGRAPH 3:
A. Topic sentence with third category reason why your thesis is true (sub thesis):

B. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

Transitional Statement (to next evidence):

C. Outside Evidence supporting sub-thesis (what is it/importance):

How does this evidence support the why in my thesis?

D. Concluding statement(Connect it all back to thesis):

CONCLUDING PARAGRAPH
A. Restate thesis differently:

B. Restate main ideas of each body paragraph differently:

C. Why is your thesis important within the time period? OR What immediate changes did your thesis
cause? OR How did it create the next big event right after the topic time period?