AP US History Course Syllabus

2015 – 2016

Mrs. Hannah Cosier(352) 793-3131 ext.82319

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This is a challenging course, equivalent to a college-level course where solid reading and writing skills, along with a willingness to devote considerable time to homework and independent study are necessary to succeed. This course is a one semester survey of United States history from the Age of Exploration to the present with emphasis placed on critical and evaluative thinking, essay writing, interpretation and analysis of primary and secondary source documents, and cooperative learning. Course material is divided into historical eras and emphasizes themes from the AP Course Description. Within each era the focus will be on a democratic history where experiences of ordinary people will be examined as well as the famous, a political and economic history with the emergence and evolution of the democratic republic and a free market economy, and the effect of globalization through social and cultural diversity. Through in-depth study, students will learn to assess historical materials and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. This course also prepares students for the AP Exam given in May of each year where students may earn up to six college creditswith a passing score. This year's test will be given on Friday, May 6, 2016 at 8 o'clock in the morning. The AP US History exam evaluates students in multiple choice and essay formats and much attention is paid to the writing component in this course.

REQUIRED TEXT

Faragher, John M., Mari J. Buhle, Daniel Czitrom, and Susan H. Armitage. Out of Many: A History of the American People. 6th ed. Pearson Education, 2011. Print. AP Edition.

United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination. 2016 ed. Perfection Learning, 2016. Print.

These books will be supplemented by numerous additional readings from primary source readers provided by the instructor. Students are asked to purchase an AP Exam Review Book during the 2nd nine weeks. However, many students have found it helpful to purchase a review book for use throughout the semester and have found books such as “The Princeton Review – Cracking the AP US History Exam” or “5 Steps to a 5!” to be helpful.

MATERIALS

2 inch 3-ring binder
notebook paper
printer paper (for home use) / index cards
blue/black pens
USB/flash drive / sticky notes/tabs

GRADING POLICY

This course is assignment and test based and is graded accordingly. Classroom attitude and attendance do affect academics. Quality and quantity of work completed are both essential. Your grade is based on a straight point system, with your mid-term/final exam being worth 15% of your semester grades.

Grading Scale
A 90-100B 80-89C 70-79D 60-69F 59-0

COURSE OBJECTIVE

While names and dates can be very important in the study of history, the volume of information covered within this school year will require students to focus on major events and historical categorizations. Striking a balance between teaching factual knowledge and critical analysis is a demanding but crucial task in the design of a successful AP course in U.S. history. Students will be constantly encouraged to use the acronym BAGPIPEwhile analyzing factual information and constructing their historical essays to help remind them to thoroughly address all of the various facets of historical development. BAGPIPE incorporates the following:

  • B ELIEF SYSTEMS:cultural values, science/philosophy, ideals, morality, popular culture
  • A MERICA IN THE WORLD:foreign policy, diplomacy, global conflicts, expansionism
  • G EOGRPAHY & ENVIRONMENT:climate, natural resources, exchanges, interaction
  • P EOPLING: movement, nativism, immigration, demography
  • IDENTITY:gender roles, class, ethnic/racial identities, assimilation, nationalism
  • P OLITICS & POWER: citizenship, authority/power, political process, liberty, rights, democracy,
  • E CONOMY: agriculture, commerce/trade, labor systems, transportation, technology

COURSE PROCEDURES

  • Reading: Students will be required to read 1-3 chapters per week as well as a variety of outside readings of historical documents and articles provided by the instructor.
  • Outlines/Cornell Notes: Students will need a large binder to keep chapter outlines/ Cornell notes and additional assignments. A section of a binder will NOT be enough for this very in-depth course. All outlines/notes must be handwritten unless provided by the teacherand may generally be used on chapter reading quizzes.
  • Summary Charts: Students will be preparing various summary charts such as SPEDI Charts for each unit of historical study: President Charts summarizing the administrations of most Presidents, War Charts summarizing the causes & effects, etc. of major conflicts, and Supreme Court Case Summaries of landmark Supreme Court decisions. Summary charts & surveys will also be kept in the student binder.
  • Discussion/Lecture Notes: Students are expected to always take notes during classroom discussions and lectures and add these notes to the binder. Discussions/lectures will expand upon the information provided in the text.
  • Documents: Students will learn to analyze and interpret a variety of historical documents, maps, charts, graphs, statistical tables, pictures, private journals, etc. for content, meaning and usefulness.
  • Primary Sources: Analyzing documents is an important and necessary skill for success in Advanced Placement United States History. Political cartoons, maps, works of art and firsthand accounts of events will be used to both enforce the material, and to teach students how to pull information from primary sources when writing a DBQ.
  • Writing: Students will be writing major essays throughout the course of the year. DBQs and FRQs will be written by hand, in blue or black ink only – no pencil allowed. As the year progresses, these essays will be timed. In addition, critiques and summaries of various historical writings will be assigned throughout the year.
  • Chapter Reading Quizzes: Students will take a quiz on their reading everyday. Chapter outlines/Cornell notes may generally be used on the quizzes; however, all quizzes will be timed.
  • Multi-Chapter Tests: Tests will generally cover 3-5 chapters of material and will be worth 100 or more pts. These multiple choice tests will range from 80-100 questions, will contain actual AP test questions, and will always be timed in accordance with the timing of the national AP exam (.69 minutes per question). Multi-chapter tests may sometimes also include a 50 pt. essay. These tests will become cumulative and contain material from previous chapters in order to help students remain “fresh” for the AP Exam; however this portion will not normally be more than 25% of the total test.
  • Extra Credit: is very rare, and may not be offered at all. Students should not in any way depend on extra credit to bring up their grade.

GRADING & MAKE UP WORK POLICIES

  • Grading Policy & Late Work: Grades will be determined on a total point system and, generally, the more difficult and time-consuming the assignment, the more points it will be worth. However, inasmuch as this is a college level course, not all assignments will be collected or graded and late work is simply not accepted.
  • Make-up Assignments: Students will always know their assignments in advance. Since students will always have a syllabus of work due, students who miss a class should come prepared for the next class regardless of an absence. Please be sure to communicate about sickness or extended leaves. This is a STUDENT responsibility, NOT the instructors. Of course, makeup work for unauthorized absences from class will receive no higher than a 50% per school policy.
  • Make-up Tests and Quizzes: Any student absent on a test date must make up the test within the time specified by school policy (# days absent +1). For example, if a student misses a test date on Monday and comes back Tuesday, the test must be made up by Wednesday. Please note that all tests will be made up before or after school, even if they are electronic. A student who is absent the day before a test will still be required to take the test on the assigned day.
  • Academic Honesty: ALL academic work is expected to be the legitimate, truthful work of each student. Cheating and plagiarism will not be tolerated. Please note that students who allow others to copy their work are equally guilty of cheating. First time offenses of cheating or plagiarism will result in parent contact (short form) and loss of respect. Also, all students involved in the incident will share their grade (i.e. if 4 people are found to have cheated off of one another, each student will receive no more than a 25% on the assignment). All further incidences will result in automatic zeros as well as an office referral (long form). Other consequences include possible loss of membership in organizations requiring good character.

OTHER GENERAL POLICIES & PROCEDURES

  • Bathroom passeswill be given on an as-needed basis. If you abuse this privilege, passes will be limited (unless a documented health problem is on file with the front office)
  • Passes out of class will be limited. There is plenty of time between classes, during break, during lunch, and before/after school to meet with your counselor or pick up forms from the front office.
  • Respect for Diversity is essential in my class. I do not personally agree with everyone's ideas or values, but I respect your right to hold those views and values. You can challenge ideas but you cannot attack the owners of those ideas. This will be a very open class, let's make it safe to share.
  • Citizenship is expected. Each student should enter the classroom with a positive mental attitude ready for the activities of the class.

TECHNOLOGY IN THE CLASSROOM

iPadswill be provided to each student to utilize both at school and at home to complete school course work. Technology can be a great tool for learning. However, if the technology is being abused during class (i.e. playing games, social media, etc.) students can lose the privileges associated with the iPads during this class. Also, just because an iPad is given to students for use in AP classes, it does not mean that all teachers will allow students to utilize them in other courses; please respect the rules of other teachers while in their classrooms.

Cell phones, per school policy, are not to be used during class time. However, in keeping up with the new educational advances in technology, students will, on occasion, be allowed to use cell phones during class at the teacher's discretion and for educational purposes only.

PRINTING POLICY

APUSH is a course that consumes A LOT of paper. In order to conserve both resources and money, students will be responsible for printing out their own syllabus, graphic organizers, assignments, and primary sources. All of these items will be available on the class website. If a student does not have access to a computer and/or printer at home, there are a few options which are open to them. The first is networking - network with students within the class to see if someone would allow you to use their computer or print out extra copies for you. Additionally, there is the public library or the library here at the school.

CONDUCT & CONSEQUENCES

Any students not following the classroom rules and procedures will receive a verbal warning. If the problem continues, the student will meet with the teacher to discuss the problem. If the issue continues, a parent-teacher conference may be arrangedor a short-form will be written and sent home. After all other avenues are exhausted, the student will be written up on a referral. Please note: ALL school rules are applied to this classroom. If you have any questions, please refer to your student handbook.

FINAL THOUGHTS

By selecting to participate in an AP US History course, a student is to be commended! It is important to note, however, that the AP experience is designed to be a college-level, challenging course and that there are no grade guarantees. A student must be dedicated to reading, note-taking, and writing throughout the course of the school year in order to achieve at an A or B level. Keep in mind also, that the student who receives the highest grade in this class will not necessarily receive the top score on the national exam and that the student who receives the top score on the national exam will not necessarily receive the highest grade in this class. An A+ performance throughout the school year should translate into a sense of confidence that one has the skills necessary to conquer a rigorous one-day examination for which there is no adequate way to cram, but it doesn't guarantee that a student will receive a qualifying test score. The only guarantee that comes with this course is that it will be the most rigorous U.S. history course our school’s students have the opportunity to take! Ultimately, each student must put forth a college-level effort to earn high grades in this class. Perhaps the greatest benefit in taking this course is that, being a high school student, one can still receive the individualized, student-centered instruction and assistance that one might need to succeed at such a demanding level, something most colleges can't offer.