AP US History Discussion Makeup
Since discussions are an important dimension to this class, students who miss them for various reasons are missing a great learning opportunity. As such making them up is difficult as learning experiences within the classroom are often spontaneous and broker much discussion. In addition to various written work, students will need to make up the interactive portion of the activity. Therefore:
- Students who make up a classroom discussion without meeting with me can only expect a C as the highest for a makeup grade.
- Students wishing to earn a grade higher than a C will need to schedule a 15-20 minute time to meet with me in order to discuss reading one-on-oneor participate in a virtual discussion with me at See the Virtual Discussion page.
- Actual discussion can be completed during Advisor time or after school.
Below are the written expectations for making up some types of discussion activities I have had in the past.
Press Conferences – Press Conferences allow student to get to know the nuances of several historical figures. Each member of the panel is selected for a specific reason. Should a student be absent for a press conference (either reporter or figure), the following steps should be taken:
- Complete a 1-paragraph summary explaining why each member of the panel was selected. Please go beyond the obvious and provide insights into the figure’s character for a “C” grade
- Schedule a 15-20-minute discussion with instructor or a small group either during advisor time or after schoolOR participate in a virtual discussion at in order to earn a grade higher than a “C”
Hands-on-History/Inner Outer Circle Discussion – These discussion allow students to interpret and respond to both secondary and primary sources. Should a student miss this activity, the following steps should be taken:
- Turn in readings, complete with interactions and write a 1-page typed response to the reading, commenting on things that stood out or needed clarification in order to earn a minimum of a C.
- Schedule a 15-20-minute discussion with instructor or a small group either during advisor time or after school OR participate in a virtual discussion at in order to earn above an 80%.
Debates – Debates are meant to give students a deeper understanding of two or more sides of an issue or viewpoint. As such, this activity requires some additional effort to make up for the learning experience, including:
- Write a 5-paragraph essay for both sides of the debate. For example, if you miss the debate on Hamiltonian vs. Jeffersonian policy, you would be expected to research both sides and provide me with 2 different 5-paragraph essays, complete with a thesis and supporting evidence. Assessment will be based upon completeness of arguments and will be graded using an essay rubric.