TowsonHigh School
Advanced Placement United States History
Hoefler & Faya
Course Description:
United States History is a chronological study of American History from the founding of the first colonies to the present. Topics covered are organized around periods of major emphasis inn the development of America’s history. Within the major topics are units that are broken down into narrower segments.
Course Rationale& Purpose:
A high school program of Advanced Placement United States History is predicated on the belief that there is a direct relationship between an informed and capable citizenry and the success of our democratic republic. A meaningful Advanced Placement United States History program prepares students to be informed, responsible citizens through the development of competencies essential for personal fulfillment and the improvement of society and simultaneously immerses students in the rigors of collegiate expectations. The educated citizen and the scholar, when considering matters of personal and national importance, seeks accuracy through evidence, considers a variety of viewpoints, and employs logical processes such as reasoned judgment, informed opinion, decision making, and problem solving. These criteria for citizenship and intellectual development provide a set of standards for Advanced Placement United States History, thus providing opportunities for students to develop and refine these competencies.
The purpose of Advanced Placement United States History is to prepare students for the Advanced Placement United States History Examination. This level of achievement requires abilities of independent learning, mastery of content, superior levels of processing, applications of test-taking strategies, and highly developed skills of expression. Student achievement in Advanced Placement United States History will be the equivalent of success in college level introductory American history courses.
Advanced Placement United States History is designed to provide able, motivated students a learning experience which integrates challenging subject matter and dynamic instruction. Approaches to learning will actively engage students, utilize their curiosity, and employ strategies appropriate for high school instruction.
Upon completion of Advanced Placement United States History, students will have demonstrated achievement as knowledgeable, skilled, and as perceptive citizens. They will also have applied their abilities and efforts towards assumption of the role of historian, seeking and finding meaning from the past.
Goals
AP United States History will:
-Provide you with the thinking skills and enduring understandings necessary to deal critically with the main issues and documents of U.S. history.
-Prepare you for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon you equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses
-Enable you to assess historical sources — their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance — and to weigh the evidence and interpretations of the past presented in historical scholarship
-Develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in an essay format
-Train you to analyze and interpret primary sources, including documentary materials, maps, statistical tables, and pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events
-Teach you to take notes from both printed materials and lectures or discussions, to write essay examinations, and to write analytical and research papers
-Enable you to express yourself with clarity and precision and know how to cite sources and credit the phrases and ideas of others
Historical Thinking Skills:
Historical Themes:
The AP U.S. History course focuses on the development of historical thinking skills and an understanding of content organized around seven themes:
- Work, Exchange, and Technology
- Identity
- Ideas, Beliefs, and Culture
- America in the World
- Environment and Geography
- Politics and Power
- Peopling
Eras of Study
Unit 1: EARLY CONTACT AMONG GROUPS IN AMERICA (1491-1607)
01. Students will analyze the contested exploration and settlement of the Western Hemisphere in order to evaluate the impact of colonization on indigenous peoples and Western Europeans.
Unit 2: NORTH AMERICAN SOCIETIES IN THE CONTEXT OF THE ATLANTIC WORLD (1607-1754)
2. Students will analyze political, social, religious, and economic developments from 1607 to 1754 in order to compare and contrast values, behavior, and institutions within the North American colonies of Britain, France, Spain, or the Netherlands.
Unit 3:BIRTH OF A NATION AND STRUGGLE FOR IDENTITY (1754-1800)
3. Students will analyze the reactions of natives, colonists, and British leaders to the French and Indian War in order to evaluate the impact of British imperial policies.
4. Students will analyze the advantages of the major combatants, wartime strategies and significant turning points in order to determine regional, national, and international consequences of the American Revolution.
5. Students will analyze the development and implementation of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution in order to determine their impact on the new nation’s social, political, and economic identity.
6. Students will compare and contrast the Federalist and Democratic-Republican parties in order to evaluate their impact on domestic and foreign policies from 1789-1800.
Unit 4: GROWING PAINS OF THE NEW REPUBLIC (1800-1848)
7. Students will analyze the evolving relationship between the federal government, states, and individuals in order to evaluate the consequences of creating the first modern mass democracy.
8. Students will investigate the development of a national and international market economy in order to analyze their impact on national unity, stability, and identity.
9. Students will analyze artistic, religious, social, and political movements in order to evaluate the degree to which the United States developed a unified national identity by 1848.
Unit 5: EXPANSION, REGIONAL SEPARATION, THE CIVIL WAR, AND ITS
AFTERMATH (1844-1877)
10. Students will investigate patterns of migration and immigration in order to analyze the degree to which various groups caused conflicts over American cultural identities, citizenship, and the question of extending and protecting various rights of U.S. inhabitants.
11. Students will examine actions regarding the expansion of slavery in order to determine the extent to which these efforts promoted national unity.
12. Students will investigate political activity, resources, economics, diplomacy, and military strategies of the Union and the Confederate States of America in order to draw conclusions about the conduct of the War.
13. Students will analyze constitutional, political, and social developments in order to determine the degree to which Reconstruction transformed citizenship, national identity, and economic relationships in the United States.
Unit 6: INDUSTRIALIZATION, URBANIZATION, AND CULTURAL TRANSFORMATION (1865-1914)
14. Students will analyze the changing factors of production in order to evaluate their influence on the development of industrial connections, business consolidation, and standard of living.
15. Students will investigate immigration and urbanization in order to analyze the opportunities for, and restrictions a variety of groups of Americans.
16. Students will analyze organized responses to Gilded Age problems in order to evaluate the extent to which they ameliorated the negative consequences of industrial growth.
17. Students will analyze how progressive reform in order to evaluate the degree to which local, state, and national reform successfully addressed the social, economic, and political problems with an industrial society.
18. Students will analyze American imperialism in order to determine the extent to which global conflicts over resources, territories, and ideologies renewed debates over the nation’s values and role in the world.
Unit 7: DOMESTIC AND GLOBAL CHALLENGES AND THE CREATION OF MASS CULTURE (1890-1945)
19. Students will investigate American involvement in World War I in order to evaluate the degree to which the War affected migration patterns, social relationships, and the United States position in the world arena.
20. Students will analyze economic and social developments in the 1920s in order examine the impact of new technologies on standard of living, political conflict, and cultural change.
21. Students will analyze the Great Depression in order to assess social, political, and economic challenges brought about by the crisis.
22. Students will examine Franklin Delano Roosevelt’s New Deal in order to evaluate the extent to which reforms transformed the U.S. into a limited welfare state.
23. Students will investigate the American involvement in World War II (WWII) in order to evaluate the degree to which it transformed American society and position in the world.
Unit 8: INCREASING PROSPERITY AND GLOBAL RESPONSIBILITY AFTER
WORLD WAR II (1945-1989)
24: Analyze the implementation of United States’ Cold War foreign policy in order to assess the degree to which the United States successfully asserted and defended a position of global leadership.
25. Analyze the causes, course, and consequences of the civil rights movement in order to analyze the expansion and use of federal power to achieve social goals at home.
26. Analyze Post-war demographic and technological changes in order to assess their effect on American society, politics, and the environment.
Unit 9: GLOBALIZATION AND REDEFINING NATIONAL IDENTITY (1980 today)
27. Students will analyze the causes and consequences of new conservatism in order to assess the degree to which the movement influenced economic policies, social movements, and the role of government.
28. Students will analyze domestic and foreign challenges in order to determine their impact on national identity.
Course Texts (FOR CONTENT PURPOSES):
Bailey, Thomas A. and Kennedy, David M. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic*. Lexington, MA: D.C. Heath and Company, 2006.
*12th edition OR 13th edition
Krieger, Larry. AP US History Crash Course (2ND Edition). NJ: Research & Education, Association, 2011.
STRONGLY RECOMMENDED Academic Supplements: (Pick one of the recommended Review Guides)
- Barrons; “The AP: United States History”
- The Princeton Review; “Cracking the AP: United States History” (most popular among former AP students)
- 5 Steps to a 5 AP U. S. History
Since the Test was reformatted for the 2014-15 school year, it is recommended to purchase the 2015-2016 edition orlast year’s 2014-15 edition. (It is worth mentioning that there are subtle changes to the Test compared to last year’s test.) Any edition prior to 2014-15 is not recommended because it holds little value since the format of the US AP Exam has significantly changed in 2014-15.
Also Required:
-Pen & Pencil, Highlighter, and Notebook that is to be brought to class and used every day!
-Colored Pencils (Keep in locker until needed.)
-Computer Access & Printer w/ Ink (Home)
Grading Policy:
50%: Classwork
15%: Homework
35%: Assessments
Classwork (50%)
(In-class Activities, Rubric-based Projects,In Class Practice Essays & DBQs, Essay & DBQ Peer Reviews, Group & Class Participation, Presentations, Presidential Evaluations & Discussions, Assigned Readings, *Attendance, etc.)
Much of the classwork activities are group-oriented; therefore, many of the assignments will be assessed as a group grade. It is also worth mentioning that not all assignments will be collected for a grade; however, all the assignments have its own educational purpose. Students are expected to complete ALL assignments with the utmost quality regardless of whether it will be collected.
*At the end of the quarter, there will be a 50 point quarter grade assessing the students’ attendance & participation in class. The following provides a template to how the attendance & participation grade is determined for each student:
50/50 = Student is actively engaged and consistently participates in all class & group activities/discussions and does not exceed 3 (excused) absences.
40/50 = Student is NOT actively engaged and consistently participates in all class & group activities/discussions and does not exceed 3 (excused) absences.
40/50= Student is actively engaged and consistently participates in all class & group activities/discussions but has more than 7 (excused) absences.
35/50= Student is NOT actively engaged and consistently participates in all class & group activities/discussions but has more than 7 (excused) absences.
Each unexcused absence can result in a ten points taken off the overall score. Under BCPS policy, students who have 5 or more unexcused absences for the quarter will automatically fail for that quarter.
______
Many of the classwork or homework assignments will be grade utilizing a holistic grading scale below. Each of the numbers on the grading scale will convert to a numerical point value for gradebook purposes.
4 (A):Your thoughts and reflections that were used to complete the assignment were insightful, well developed, clearly focused, and consistently supported by specific, relevant, and accurate information. Your analysis was in-depth and, when applicable, thoroughly confronts and discusses different points of view.
3 (B/A-): Your thoughts and reflections that were used to complete the assignment were developed, focused, and supported by relevant and accurate information. Your analysis was superficial, and, when applicable, acknowledges different points of view.
2 (C/D): Your thoughts and reflections that were used to complete the assignment were partially developed, somewhat focused and partially supported by information. Your analysis was illogical, and when applicable, refrains from acknowledging different points of view. *
1 (D/E): Your thoughts and reflections that were used to complete the assignment were poorly developed, lacking focus, and often off-topic. It includes irrelevant and/or inappropriate information. Your analysis was off-topic and/or does not exist.*
*Assignments that are not at least 80% completed cannot exceed a 2 based on the grading scale. Assignments that are not at least 50% completed cannot exceed1 based on the grading scale.
Homework (15%)
(Weekly Chapter Assignments, Kidblog Participation, Chapter Quizzes, Assigned Part for Class Group Activities, Readings, Research, etc.)
The bulk of your homework grade will pertain to the overall quality and completion of the weekly Chapter Assignments & weekly Kidblog threads. In regards to the Chapter Assignments, it is very important for students to budget their time accordingly and spread out the reading among a few days as opposed to waiting to the day of to read and complete the Chapter Assignments.
Pay close attention to APUS calendar for due dates for the weekly Chapter Assignments. Remember that the Chapter Assignments can also be accessed at . All Chapter Assignments are expected to be handwritten. Therefore, Chapter Assignments that are typed will not be graded.
The weekly Kidblog Posts will be used primarily to practice SAQ, LE, and DBQ writing and essay development, conceptualize main ideas of chapters, evaluate presidents, and further extend class discussion, and review for major assessments. Each week will have one or two posts. Your first individual respond to the weekly post #1 is expected to be completed by Wednesday before 7:50 am. Your second individual response to the post #2 isexpected to be completed by Friday 11:59 pm of the same week.Proper Online Etiquette applies! For expectation, refer to the Kidblog Post example.
Snow Days
School days prior to the AP Assessment are extremely valuable because we are constantly focusing on content and skill development pertinent for students’ success on the AP Exam. When these days are missed due to inclement weather (especially with an A/B schedule format), we losethis valuable time until AFTER the AP Assessment. Therefore, it is ALWAYS IMPORTANT & EXPECTED that you refer to thewebsite before 1 pm on the day missed due to inclement weather for direction & activities that need to be completed in order to keep up and stay the pace. The activity will be turned in the next day that we have class for a grade.
Assessments (35%)
(Content-driven Unit Assessments, AP- Style Unit Assessments, Graded KB Responses)
Since we are preparing for the APUS History exam in May, the assessment portion of your grade is, perhaps, the most important indicator to determine how successful you might be on the AP US Exam. Students who routinelyachieve a 70% or higher test average are encouraged to take the AP Exam. Students who routinely score less than a 60% test average are recommended NOT to take the AP Exam.
It is important to note that the Content/ Stimuli Unit Assessmentsassess the contents of the Chapter Readings & additional content found at . In addition to stimuli-based multiple choice questions, the format of the Content portion of the Unit Assessments may be in variety of formats such as: Multiple Choice, Fill-in-the-Blank (without a word bank), or Matching. It is imperative to read and study the chapters prior to the first day that I see you in a given week which is when the Chapter Assignment(s) are often due! A review sheet of topics will be distributed at least one week before the assessment date. There are often two Unit Assessments per quarter.
The AP-Style(Stimuli-based) Unit Assessments will ALWAYSbe multiple choice format with questions similar to an actual AP Exam. There may also be an Essay (LE or SAR) portion. The AP-Style Assessments are cumulative, often assessing content throughout the entire year. There is one AP-Style Assessment at the end of each quarter.
Although Kidblog Posts are also a HW grade, one to two Kidblog Posts per quarter will randomly be graded as an assessment. Although the same one will be graded for all students in the same class, the blog randomly chosen to be graded will most likely vary from class to class. Therefore a student who does not complete the randomly selected Kidblog will receive a “0” as its assessment grade.
Final Exam
The Final Exam is 15% of your final grade. Students who take the United States Advanced Placement Exam in May do not have to take the Final Exam; however, students who are borderline between two grades are strongly recommended to take the Exam in order to have a chance to obtain the higher grade. Students who do not exceed a 60% assessment average are also strongly encouraged to take the final exam in lieu of taking the AP Exam.
Mr. Hoefler & Faya’s Classroom Procedures
Welcome to my AP United States History class! I look forward to a successful 2014-2015 school year. In order to ensure a positive learning experience and environment for all my students, I expect all students to follow all my classroom procedures ….