CHARLES PAGE HIGH SCHOOL

ADVANCED PLACEMENT U.S. HISTORY (APUSH)

MRS. ROULET (502)

I. INSTRUCTOR AND COURSE INFORMATION

Kendra Roulet: Room 502 / (918) 246-1470 # 3864 / email: (please use my email to contact me and please cc your parents – I will try to respond as quickly as I can).


Schedule: 1st hour: APUSH

2nd hour: APUSH

3rd hour: APUSH

4th hour: PLAN

5th hour: STUCO

6th hour: APUSH

7th hour: APUSH


Course Website: www.mrsroulet.com

This course is designed to increase the student’s understanding of United States History from its beginning to the present, its development and institutions. The goals of the class are to develop (1) an understanding of some of the principle themes in early and modern U.S. History, (2) an ability to analyze historical evidence, and (3) an ability to analyze and to express historical understanding in writing and other forms of communication.

Advanced Placement courses are taught and graded at the college level and require a high level of student commitment. Student responsibility is greater in an Advanced Placement class. It is a rigorous, fast paced, and challenging course designed to be the equivalent of a college freshman US History survey course. Students should possess strong reading and writing skills and be willing to devote substantial time to study and for the completion of class reading assignments. Emphasis is placed on class discussion, the use of primary and secondary sources, critical reading, and analytical writing.

Any AP Class requires hard work and a commitment to intellectual growth. All students are strongly encouraged to dedicate themselves to the goals of AP US History and to take the AP Exam at the end of the school year (Friday, May 8th). I hope that you will be rewarded with a sense of accomplishment and the belief that even a rigorous class can be enjoyable.

***Preparation for the exam, however, is the student’s responsibility. They can not rely on me to hammer all pertinent information into their brains. They must also prepare on their own. I have many resources that will help and I will do everything possible to help them feel more comfortable about the exam.

II. COURSE EVALUATION

Six weeks and semester grades will be determined as follows:

· Tests:

o At the end of each unit a test will be given. There will be approximately 50 multiple choice questions with 70% of these questions coming directly from the text. The other 20% will be from lecture, supplemental readings, and group presentations. The multiple choice questions will also be 10% cumulative coming from chapters previously tested. There will also be times where the students will have to answer essay questions and/or formulate thesis statements as an additional assessment.

· Quizzes:

o Reading Quizzes will be given for EVERY chapter, these will vary from short answer ‘vocabulary term’ quizzes where the students will need to identify the “what” and “why” of each vocabulary term, to answering short answer focus questions, or selecting the best answer from the possibilities on multiple choice questions. They will be VERY easy if the students has read the assigned chapter and paid attention to people, places, and important events.

o For the first 5 quizzes the students will be able to use Notes on their quiz as long as the notebook papers are turned in with the quizzes and are HANDWRITTEN. Note taking will be explained later.

o Other quizzes will be given periodically – either announced or unannounced – in order to evaluate the students’ knowledge of the material on a day-to-day basis. If I assign an outside reading and I feel the students have not read; they will receive a “pop-quiz” to test that assumption.

· Daily / Homework:

o Read all assigned chapters and outside readings when they are due! Check the six weeks calendar often to keep up with all reading assignments. Your ability to keep up with the material and readings will help facilitate class discussions and learning.

o Focus Questions – They are given to help the student understand the text. They are NOT a requirement for MOST chapters but periodically they will be given as a supplemental grade. They are located on my website and are available for students to use as desired. They must print them off themselves at home unless they are given as a grade – then they will be provided by me.

o A variety of oral, written, group and individual assignments will be given (e.g., charts, group tests, participation in seminars and debates, etc…).

· Final Exam (20% of total grade): There will be a comprehensive final exam given on the last day of the semester that covers everything accomplished that semester - so I would keep up with any textbook notes taken! There may be a change this year where the students will do a final project in the spring. This will be decided as I get to know this class of students and determine whether they are capable of the project or better suited for the exam. I will give them plenty of notice to prepare for either scenario.

· Makeup: If you return to school on the day after the test you will be expected to take the test THAT DAY – if you fail to do so – I will have no choice other than to give you an essay test. The responsibility for makeup is entirely the student's!

III. TEXTS AND TEXTBOOK WEBSITE

Basic Text:

David M. Kennedy and Lizabeth Cohen. The American Pageant, 15th ed. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2013.

IV. ACCOUNTABILITY AND INDEPENDENT LEARNING

The student is responsible for reading and studying the survey text by Kennedy and Cohen. There will be a calendar given to each student (and posted on the website) to assist in helping them follow the schedule for reading and daily activities as well as quiz and test dates. While some of the text will be discussed in detail, much of it will be covered through independent learning. Approximately 70% of the multiple-choice questions on the unit tests will come directly from the text assignment. If you are having a problem comprehending the text then please try taking notes over each chapter and make an appointment to see me so we can discuss additional reading comprehension skills.

Supplemental readings will be given in the form of primary and secondary reading materials (essays, articles, documents, etc.) within each unit that will deal with an organizing concept that will be emphasized on the unit writing assignments. The materials are to be read and eventually used to help construct and defend a thesis within a timed written essay. These supplemental reading assignments will take the form of individual reading and response to questions, group assignments, and seminar-type or group discussions.

V. ROULET’S STRATEGY FOR SUCCESS IN AP U.S. HISTORY CLASS

1. Discussion – NOT Lecture (learning is an active process, not passive)

2. We will study Historical Analysis and Interpretation (History is NOT black and white with dates!). We won’t discuss when the Civil War was fought – we will study WHY! What I will teach you is to considered truth – from a certain perspective or point of view.

3. Simulate the difficulty of the AP Exam.

4. Expose the students to LOTS of information.

5. Learning can be FUN as well as CHALLENGING (this is NOT an easy class – but it is a fun class – remember that you chose to be in this class).

I consider teaching this class a privilege, and I look forward to working with each student. Please feel comfortable contacting me with any questions or concerns that may arise during the year. The direct line to my room is 918.246.1596 and when the voice mail comes on – enter extension 3864. The best time to reach me is during my planning block from 12:50 to 1:40. Also, please sign up for the Remind app which allows me to send group texts to all classes at once. You can download the Remind app and enter @apushr for the class code. Or you can text @apushr to 81010. This is the easiest way for me to remind all my students/parents at once of their assignments and any lesson changes.

Parents and Students: Kindly sign and return the attached acknowledgement stating that you have read and understood what was expected for success in this class; including grading practices. Thank you.

___________________________

Kendra S. Roulet


THREE COLUMNS OF INSTRUCTION – My Philosophy of Education


DIDACTIC

The Acquisition of

Organized Knowledge

Didactic Instruction is the delivery of factual information. Lecture, demonstration, videos, and reading are common forms of Didactic Instruction. The goal of Didactic Instruction is for students to acquire the basic "must know information" about a subject.

APUSH with Roulet: Interactive

Lecture, Assigned Readings from the Textbook and Other Primary and Secondary Sources, Note

Checks, Chapter Quizzes, and Tests.


COACHING

Development of Intellectual Skills

Intellectual Coaching is guidance through modeling and questioning.

Intellectual Coaching may begin with a teacher modeling writing a sentence, reading a paragraph, solving a problem, or hypothesizing about a reaction. Intellectual Coaching often happens by questioning as well as either positive or corrective feedback. The goal of Intellectual Coaching is for students to acquire expertise in skills of learning, such as reading, writing, calculating, and observing. APUSH with Roulet: Writing Practice, Quiz Reviews, Group Tests, Small Group Work, and Essays.


SEMINAR

Increased Understanding of Ideas and Values

Small Group Seminar is a collaborative, intellectual dialogue facilitated by open-ended questions about a text. The goal of

Engagement is for students to expand their understanding of ideas, concepts, and values about the curriculum. Alternates to the Small Group Seminars are Socratic Class Discussions and Whole Class Debates.

APUSH with Roulet: Small

Group Seminars, Socratic Class Discussions, and Whole Class Debates.


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Charles Page High School Advanced Placement U.S. History – Mrs. Roulet

Student: I have read the 2015-2016 Syllabus for Advanced Placement U.S. History and I understand my responsibilities as a student in this course and the requirements to maintain good standing.

Parent/Guardian: I have read the course syllabus for Advanced Placement U.S. History and support my student’s enrollment in this course.

_____________________________________ ________________________________________

Student Parent/Guardian


Feel free to add any comments that you might need to share with me regarding this class or student.