AP United States History 11 Syllabus Mrs. Kuzma’s Class
Purpose:
Advanced Placement United States History 11th Grade is a challenging course designed to be the equivalent of a freshman college/sophomore survey course in United States History. The course is specifically designed to provide students with an in-depththematic study of United States history from 1865 - today. Students should possess strong reading and writing skills and be willing to devote substantial time to the completion of class assignments. Emphasis is placed on analytical reading, essay writing skills, use of primary resources, and class discussion. Students successfully mastering the course material in both 10th and 11th grade AP US History may earn college credit by passing the annually administered AP United States History Exam; the individual college or university determines how many, or, if any credits will be granted for the AP exam score.
Course Overview:
Advance Placement United States History 11 is a thematic course that concentrates on the social, political, and economic changes in the United States over time. In addition to exposing students to the historical content in nine different historical periods, the course will train students to analyze and interpret primary sources and secondary sources, including documentary materials, maps, statistical tables, and pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events. Students will take notes from printed materials, lectures, and discussions;as well as write analytical essays. They should be able to express themselves with clarity and precision, know how to cite sources and credit the phrases and ideas of others, and know how to fully support their analysis of issues.
Course Texts and Readings:
Text: Henretta, James A. et. al, America’s History (8th edition), Boston: Bedford/St. Martins, 2014
Supplementary Texts:
1. Charles M. Dollar and Gary W. Reichard, eds., American Issues: A Documentary Reader, New York: Glencoe McGraw-Hill, 2002
2. David M. Kennedy, Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A History of the Republic (12th edition), Boston: McDougal Littell/Houghton Mifflin, 2002.
Additional Resources:
A variety of AP level textbooks, videos and, primary sources and other resources are also used in the course. These will accompany daily lessons and be used for Document Based Essay Questions.
Grading and Assignments:
All homework assignments are listed on the class calendar located in class and on my website. Students are expected to read, take notes in class, and study all notes. I will occasionally, and arbitrarily, give a no notice quiz to insure that students are studying the required material. Students shouldmaintain a notebook which includes major terms defined from each chapter, chapter notes supplemented by class notes, and any other assigned material.
Participation:
All students will be required to participate in class discussions, debates, and other activities, which are part of the course curriculum.
Make-up Work:
It is the student’s responsibility to make-up any work missed because of any absence, (notes, quizzes, test, etc.). The student must have an excused absence to make up work and follow the student handbook rules for making up work.Homework and projects must be turned in on time. I will not accept late assignments.Make-up work needs to be done before or after school, not during class time.
Cheating/Copying:
Any paper, or work, copied from another person, or a web site, will result in a grade of zero for both the individual who copied and the individual who let that person copy.
Helpful Websites:
– lots of links
– download notes for each of the chapters
– interesting articles
– variety of news clips and information
- use History reference Center for articles and information
Unit Outline
First Semester
Weeks One and Two: Unit One:Pre-Columbian to Civil War review.
Content: A review of 10th grade United States History.
Weeks Three to Five: Unit Two: Reconstruction and Advancement West (Chapters 15 and 16)
Content: Reconstructing the South from 1865 to 1877; expansion of mining, cattlemen and homesteaders in the west; displacement of Native Americans and Mexican citizens from their homeland
Weeks Six to Thirteen: Unit Three: Industrializing America (Chapters 17 - 20)
Content: The rise of big business and labor unions, new immigration and societal change, Victorian society and the economic, political, and social changes brought on by industrialization
Weeks Fourteen to Fifteen: Unit Four: Emerging World Power and World War I(Chapters 21)
Content: New Imperialism, Spanish-American War, Big Stick Policy (jingoism), internationalism, Monroe Doctrine, Roosevelt Corollary,
causes and consequences of World War I
Week 16: Midterm
Second Semester
Weeks One to Three: Unit Five: Twenties and Thirties (Chapters 22 and 23)
Content: Red Scare, value conflicts, mass society, consumerism, technological development, foreign policy, social changes, arts and entertainment, economics, normalcy, Great Depression, New Deal, relief, recovery, political change
Weeks Four to Six: Unit Six: World War II and the Cold War (Chapters 24 and 25)
Content: 1930’s foreign policy, neutrality, causes and consequences of World War II, battle plans, post war demobilization, Fair Deal, Red Scare, containment, the Cold War, NSC 68, Korean War, Cuban Missile Crisis, Bay of Pigs
Weeks Seven to Ten - Unit Six: Post War Boom and The Age of Liberalism(Chapters 26, 27, and 28)
Content: Modern Republicanism, social changes and politics of the 50s, consumerism, baby boom, Civil Rights struggle, Great Society,Vietnam War, Nixon and China, Russia, and Watergate
Weeks Eleven to Thirteen - Unit Seven: Seventies to the Global Challenges of Today (Chapters 29, 30, and 31)
Content: Oil crisis, Ford and Carter Presidencies, Iranian Hostage Crisis, The Reagan Presidency, glasnost, Iran-Contra scandal, End of Cold War, Persian Gulf War, Clinton and impeachment, George W. Bush presidency, historic election of 2008, global dilemmas in the modern age.
Week 14 -16: Group Presentations and Review for the AP Exam
Weeks 17 and 18: Review and Final Exam