Northwest Cabarrus High School
Advanced Placement United States History
Course Syllabus
Mrs. Kasey DelliSanti Fall 2013
704-788-4111 ext. 178
Course Overview
Welcome to AP U.S. History! Success in this an A.P. course requires students to devote ample time outside the class in order to be properly prepared for discussions and lessons inside the class. This year-long course will be fast-paced and highly challenging in which students will:
· Get an idea of what to expect in an introductory college history course
· Demonstrate a mastery the history of the United States
· learn the analytic skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal with and write critically about the history of the United States
· Demonstrate the skills of evaluation, cause and effect relationships, and compare and contrast through Socratic Seminar and debate
· Use historical evidence to defend and support historical arguments and positions
· Interpret and draw conclusions from various primary and secondary sources including documents, literary works, maps, cartoons, etc.
· Prepare for and receive a score of 3 or higher on the A.P. U.S. History Exam
A.P U.S. History Themes
A.P. United States History is a search for an American identity. The course encompasses the scope of American development from the Pre-Columbian cultures through the Reagan Presidency. In turn we will examine a variety of themes:
American Diversity
The diversity of the American people and the relationships among different groups. The roles of race, class, ethnicity, and gender in the history of the United States.
American Identity
Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing regional differences within the context of what it means to be an American.
Culture
Diverse individual and collective expressions through literature, art, philosophy, music, theater, and film throughout U.S. history. Popular culture and the dimensions of cultural conflict within American society.
Demographic Changes
Changes in birth, marriage, and death rates; life expectancy and family patterns; population size and density. The economic, social, and political effects of immigration, internal migration, and migration networks.
Economic Transformations
Changes in trade, commerce, and technology across time. The effects of capitalist development, labor and unions, and consumerism.
Environment
Ideas about the consumption and conservation of natural resources. The impact of population growth, industrialization, pollution, and urban and suburban expansion.
Globalization
Engagement with the rest of the world from the fifteenth century to the present: colonialism, mercantilism, global hegemony, development of markets, imperialism, and cultural exchange.
Politics and Citizenship
Colonial and revolutionary legacies, American political traditions, growth of democracy, and the development of the modern state. Defining citizenship; struggles for civil rights.
Reform
Diverse movements focusing on a broad range of issues, including anti-slavery, education, labor, temperance, women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, war, public health, and government.
Religion
The variety of religious beliefs and practices in America from prehistory to the twenty-first century; influence of religion on politics, economics, and society.
Slavery and Its Legacies in North America
Systems of slave labor and other forms of unfair labor (e.g., indentured servitude, contract labor) in American Indian societies, the Atlantic World, and the American South and West. The economics of slavery and its racial dimensions. Patterns of resistance and the long-term economic, political, and social effects of slavery.
War and Diplomacy
Armed conflict from the pre-colonial period to the twenty-first century; impact of war on American foreign policy and on politics, economy, and society.
Class Fee
All A.P. U.S. History students will purchase a copy of McGraw Hill’s 2014 5 Steps to a 5: AP U.S. History to help them further prepare for the A.P. Exam in May. This text will also be used in class. It is expected that it be purchased on or before September 12 (A-Day) & 13 (B-Day).
Texts
Brinkley, Alan. The Unfinished Nation: A Concise History of the American People. 6th ed. (New York: McGraw-Hill, 2010).
The text will be supplemented with additional course readings and classroom handouts throughout the semester. Students are required to maintain their books in the same condition in which they were issued. Students will be charged the full replacement cost for lost or damaged books.
Supplemental texts include:
Boyer, Paul S., et al. The Enduring Vision. Fifth Edition. (Toronto: D.C. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004).
Madaras, Larry, and James M. SoRelle. Taking Sides: Clashing Views on Controversial Issues in American History, Volumes One and Two (Guilford, CT: Dushkin Publishing Group Inc., 2002).
Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States. (New York: Harper Perennial, 2005).
Schweikart, Larry, and Michael Allen. A Patriot’s History of the United States. (New York: Sentinel, 2007).
Bender, David L. Opposing Viewpoints in American History, Volumes One and Two.(San Diego: Greenhaven Press, 1996).
Reading Expectations
A cornerstone of any AP course is reading to supplement the information learned in class. Students will be assigned reading every night and can expect reading quizzes whenever a chapter is assigned to be read.
Writing Expectations
This course is writing intensive. In order to prepare students to take the A.P. U.S. History exam in May, students will be expected to compose Essays in response to various historical prompts. Document-Based Questions and Free-Response questions will be the two types of essays students will learn to write in this course. The following rubric will be used to grade students’ essays in both AP US History and AP Language and Composition.
Essay Score / CCS Grading Scale9 / 100
8 / 95
7 / 90
6 / 85
5 / 80
4 / 75
3 / 70
2 / 60
1 / 50
Office Hours
Mrs. DelliSanti is available Monday-Thursday, afterschool for extra help. Please schedule a time, in advance.
Unit review sessions will be offered after school, the day before each unit test.
Class Rules
Students are expected to abide by all CCS policies including but not limited to: dress code, use of personal electronics, and support of a positive learning environment.
· I will come to class prepared with my supplies and my mind, ready to learn.
· I will not bring food or drinks to class.
· I will follow instructions the first time given.
· I will be respectful of myself, my peers, my teacher, and my classroom.
· I will have a positive attitude and do my best each day.
Class Consequences for Poor Choices
(Order could change depending on the severity of the offence)
Step 1: Verbal Warning
Step 2: Hallway (Timeout)
Step 3: After School Detention with Mrs. DelliSanti (Student will fill out a “Reflecting on My Choices” Sheet)
Step 4: Control Room & Call Home
Class Guidelines
Students will engage in a variety of debates and discussions throughout the course year, many touching on controversial topics. It is imperative that students challenge and test each other’s assumptions and reasoning but do so in an appropriate and respectful manner. Use the following guidelines:
R Responsibility- The ability to take charge of one’s life, fulfill one’s obligations, be accountable for one’s actions, and not let people down.
E Empathy - The ability to listen deeply to another person’s story / experience and connect to that person
S Self-Discipline- The act of ensuring that everyone has an opportunity to participate in a group task or a project, and that no one dominates the discussion.
P Participation- The act of sharing and working with others to make decisions, complete a task, or initiate a project.
E Enthusiasm -The feeling of great excitement which inspires zeal and fervor.
C Cooperation - The important skill that helps us work successfully in groups and interact harmoniously with others.
T Trust - The ability to let others know your feelings, emotions and reactions, and have the confidence in them to be supportive and encouraging.
Required Materials
v Students purchase 5 Steps to a 5: AP U.S. History (mentioned above) due on or before September 12 (A-Day) and 13 (B-Day).
v 1 ½-2 inch 3-Ring Binder
v 5 Dividers Labeled in the following way and in this order:
· Unit Syllabi
· Notes
· Supplementary Resources/ Exam Review
· Homework
· Writing
v 6 Packs of Index Cards (you will use all of these)
v Loose-Leaf Paper
v Highlighters
o Pink
o Blue
o Yellow
o Orange
o Green
o Purple
v Reams of 500-Sheet Colored Printer Paper- (not construction paper)
o Pink
o Blue
o Yellow
o Orange
o Green
o Purple
o Or any other color
Grading
Tests/Essays/Papers/Projects 50%
Multiple Choice Cumulative Tests, Document Based Questions, and Free Response Questions
Quizzes 30%
Vocabulary Quizzes, Document & Cartoon Analysis, Announced and Unannounced Reading Quizzes
Homework/Classwork/Participation 20%
Vocabulary Flashcards, Warm-Ups, HW Assignments, Journals, and participation in class discussion and Socratic Seminars
Minor Assignment Late Work Policy
Daily, class, and homework assignments (with the exception of test grades) will not be accepted late; it is the expectation that students turn in all assignments on the due date, at the beginning of class!
Minor Assignments Get-Out-of-Jail Free
Students are still expected to turn in the assignment. Students will receive 1 per quarter to use for the following reasons:
Late Work-one calendar day from due date
Computer/Printer Emergency
Drop low grade
Major Assignment Late Work Policy
· All assignments, worth a test grade, adhere to this policy.
· The due date for assignments will be determined by the teacher.
· Students who submit on the due date may earn up to a 100 (minus quality points).
· Students who submit one day late may earn no higher than an 85 (minus quality points).
· Students who submit two days late may earn no higher than a 70 (minus quality points).
· Students who do not submit on the due date or on either late day will earn a 0.
· In summary, students must submit on the designated due date. The assignment’s grade decreases by 15
points per day for two days (minus quality points). After the third day, the assignment is not accepted and is a 0.
· Failure to turn in any assignment on the due date at the very beginning of class constitutes a late assignment.
· In other words, you may not leave the room to retrieve an assignment or print, etc.
· Submitting late during the class period or the school day still constitutes a late assignment.
· Assignments are not to be worked on in class the day it is due, and doing so will result in a late grade or zero.
· No assignments will be accepted after the three day late policy is reached.
· Remember, every school day applies to the three day late policy regardless of the A/B Day Schedule.
· You may turn in assignments early.
· The Plagiarism Statement and Late Work Policy form attached to this syllabus must be signed and returned.
Cheating ______
Cheating, which is defined as copying from outside resource materials such as internet sites or Cliff’s Notes, copying assignments from other students, collaborating with other students on any non-group assignment, and an abundance of assistance from parents, will automatically result in a zero on the assignment and/or discipline referral per the Student Handbook.
The Plagiarism Statement, Late Work Policy, and Cheating form attached to this syllabus must be signed and returned.
Attendance /Make-Up Work Policy
· It is the responsibility of the student to gather and complete all assignments and class work missed when absent.
· Each student has a “pocket” in the classroom where missed work will be placed.
· Students will be given a “Unit Syllabus” at the beginning of each unit so the student knows all assignments and due dates in advance. Therefore, the student will be expected to submit the assignment the day the student returns regardless of the A/B Day Schedule.
· Students have five days from the date of their return to class to make up an assignment, per county policy. After five days, missing work will count as a zero.
· Please note that five days is not extended do to A/B Day Schedule; every school day counts in this total number.
· Assignments that are given prior to the students’ absence are due on the assigned due date regardless of absence, unless an extenuating circumstance is documented.
· Alternative forms of assignments may be given in order to deter potential cheating.
· Assignments must be turned in (already stapled, paper-clipped, etc.) at the beginning of class. Work turned in after class starts is considered late and will NOT BE ACCEPTED!
· Students are responsible for keeping up with the homework, vocabulary flashcards, analogies, quizzes, notebook, and tests.
· It is expected that you will turn in all scheduled assignments and take all scheduled tests on time, regardless of absences. Students absent on the day of a test must make arrangements to make-up missed work the first day they return to school. I will not initiate make-ups. After five days all missing assignments convert to a zero.
· Work missed will be placed in that student’s “pocket” for pick-up.
Extra Credit Policy
Because this is a college-level course, extra credit will not be given.
The A.P. U.S. History Exam
The A.P. US History Exam will be administered on Wednesday, May 14, 2014 at 8:00 A.M. All NCHS students, enrolled A.P. U.S. History, are expected to register and take the exam which exempts students from taking a teacher-made exam in June. The exam is 3 hours and 5 minutes and consists of two sections:
v 55-minute/80 Question multiple-choice section
v 130-minute free response section.
o Part A of the free response section includes a mandatory Document Based Question (DBQ).
o Part B and C of the free response section include two standard essay questions.
The overall exam covers the period from European exploration to the present. The exam is graded on a 5-point scale. Students earning a score of 3, 4, or 5 on the national exam may be eligible for college credit.
Units of Study