/ Deer Park High School
Advanced Placement European History
Jeanine Rainer

832-668-7200
Fourth Period Conference

Introduction

Welcome to AP European History! Congratulations on taking this class. Advanced Placement classes are designed to challenge you as students. It is impressive that you have decided you’re up for the challenge! Even though AP history classes have the reputation of being tough, please know that you can and will be successful if you work for success. Everyone is capable of having a good grade as long as they put in the time and effort necessary.

Course Design:

Advanced Placement European History is a rigorous and challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of an introductory college course and students can potentially earn college credit or advanced placement in college. Solid reading and writing skills, along with a willingness to devote considerable time to homework and study, are necessary to succeed. Emphasis is placed on critical and evaluative thinking skills, essay writing, interpretation of original documents, and historiography.

For more information on AP European History, visit apcentral.collegeboard.com and view the course description and other information.

Advanced Placement Exam: The AP Exam will be given on Friday, May 12, 2016. The AP exam is the culminating assessment of the entire course of study. It is the expectation at Deer Park High School that students in AP courses sign up for and take the AP exams in the spring.AP scores are based on the following 5-point scale:

AP GradeQualification

5Extremely Well Qualified

4Well Qualified

3Qualified

2Possibly Qualified

1No Recommendation

Students should check with the colleges in which they’re interested to see what scores they accept as it varies and university requirements can change. This is the second year of a redesign for the AP European History curriculum. I highly encourage you to read more about the changes at the College Board website. The exam is 3 hours and 15 minutes in length and is comprised of two sections. The first section consists of 55 multiple choice questions answered in a 55 minute time period, as well as four short answer questions that students will have 45 minutes to write. The second section begins with a mandatory 15-minute reading period, and then 80 minutes provided to writetwo free-response essays. The first essay is the document-based question and the other essaywill be from one of two long essay prompts.

*Student scores on the AP Exam will not be available until July of 2017 from the College Board. These scores will not be counted as part of the student’s grade for the course.

Classroom Goals:

Students will:

Master a broad body of historical knowledge

Develop analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with problems and materials in history.

Demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology

Use historical data to support an argument or position

Differentiate between historiographical schools of thought

Interpret and apply data from original documents, including cartoons, graphs, letters, etc.

Effectively use analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, compare and contrast

Work effectively with others to produce products and solve problems

Prepare for successful performance on the Advanced Placement Exam

Develop an appreciation for the study of history

Develop a respect for the great accomplishments made by previous generations.

(A syllabus with more detail about the content of the course is available online.)

Texts:

Students will have electronic access to Spielvogel’s Western Civilization Since 1300 textbook and I will have a class set of books in my room. There are instructions on how to access it online on my school web page.

**Additional primary and secondary sources readings will be provided by the instructor.

Guidelines for Success:

This is a college level course which examines European History from 1450 to modern day. One major or primary purpose of the class, of course, is to prepare the students to take and pass the AP exam, thus earning college credit. Solid reading and writing skills, the willingness to engage in discussion with others, and the desire to spend considerable time on homework, reading, and study, are essential in order to succeed in this class.All textbook reading is done outside of class and is essential for success. Sometimes the only place the student will learn some content is in the textbook reading. If students are struggling, it is usually because they are not doing the required reading and not taking the time to take adequate notes from their readings.

Attendance in this class is essential. Much of the material for success is provided through lecture/discussion. Missing class can create problems. Should a student miss class, arrangements should be made to obtain a copy of lecture notes, handouts, etc (find a buddy and get his/her phone number!) Should a student miss a quiz or a test, that student is expected to present him/herself at tutoring the next morning to discuss with the teacher an appropriate time to take that quiz or test. However, because students are made aware of the dates of quizzes and tests so far in advance, they should be prepared to take that assessment the next day they are back at school.

Classroom Rules:

Each Student should abide by the following Guidelines:

  1. Be in class on time and be prepared for the day’s activities.
  2. Be prepared to be involved from the bell beginning class until the bell rings to end class.
  3. Remain on task.
  4. Treat all with dignity and respect.
  5. Phones are only allowed with express permission from the instructor. Everything in class (notes, essays, journaling) is hand-written.
  6. Have fun with history!

Grades:

Major Grades: 60% / Exams, projects, major essays
Minor Grades: 40% / Daily work, quizzes, participation grades

Generally speaking, there is no “extra credit” work for students since this is supposed to be on the same level as a college course. The best way to bring up your grade is to be well-prepared for things that are for plain credit (exams, tests, daily work). I may offer opportunities to bring up scores on major grades in the form of mini-tests or test corrections but that is not guaranteed and is at my discretion.

Supplies

What do you need for class every day?

  • Pen/Pencil
  • 6 highlighters – purple, blue, pink, yellow, orange, green are REQUIRED (I got a package at Office Depot that had all 6 colors.)
  • Binder with dividers for course reference materials (rubrics, etc.), notes (both reading and in-class), handouts, and returned work
  • Notebook (either spiral or composition) for reading and class notes – will likely need more than one as the year progresses
  • A positive attitude and willingness to work hard. What you achieve in this class will be directly related to the effort you give.

Donations of the following supplies are not mandatory but greatly appreciated!
printer paper / tissues / hand sanitizer
Post-It notes / loose leaf paper / pens and pencils

Student responsibilities after an absence

When students are absent, it is up to them to find out what they missed to get the information handed out, turn in an assignment that was missed or both. Work needs to be made-up within 5 class days and students should discuss making up exams, timed essays, and quizzes with the instructor.

Communication Procedures with Parents/Guardians:

If a need arises, the BEST way to contact me will be through e-mail. My email address is: .

Consequences for Classroom Rulesand Code of Conduct Violations

  1. Warning
  2. Parent contact will be made
  3. Office referral

Tips for Students and Parents: The single most important contributor to student success is whether he/she completes each readingassignment and its accompanying work. There is no substitute. Do the reading faithfully. Reading is assigned for each class period. At first it may seem time consuming and difficult, but practice makes perfect.

Remember, although we are in high school, this is a college-level course. We will discuss topics that may be new and different. Please keep an open mind. You do not have to agree with what you read and hear, but you will need to think historically. Keep an organized comprehensive notebook for both semesters and use it to review. Proper prior planning prevents poor performance. This is especially true of college courses. Complete all writing assignments. Over half of the AP grade is writing, you must be able to write if you want to pass.

Do not worry about your grade unless it is failing. This is a college course and universities know the difference on transcripts between regular and Advanced Placement classes.

Form and join an informal study group with students in the same class. This also allows students to help and teach each other, which is the best way to learn. The more a student discusses something, the better you will understand it.

Deer Park High School

Advanced Placement

European History, 2016-2017

Due by Monday, August 29, 2016

I have read the course description and syllabus for Advanced Placement European History. I understand my responsibilities in this course, the requirements to be successful, and that there will be more work than in a typical class. I also understand that taking the AP exam at the end of the year is expected. I will do my best to abide by class expectations.

______

Student Date

I/we have read the course syllabus for Advanced Placement European History. I/we understand the long-term benefits of the intellectual development offered by this course, and support my/our student’s enrollment in this course. I/we have also read the class rules and will do my/our best to have our student abide by class expectations.

______

Parent/Guardian Date