10th Grade Honors United States History - Weebly



Pre-AP/AP United States History Syllabus

Exploration and Colonialism through Civil War Reconstruction

Coach Reese

Room 151

Email - jreese@

Website - coachreese.

Twitter handle: @coachreesebhs

Remind: Send this text message: @preap1617 to this number: 81010 – follow the return instructions. You will then be a part of our class text messaging system.

Introduction:

History is the study of change over time and its fluidness allows its interpretation and meaning to change with time. The United States throughout its history has experienced a multitude of domestic, political, economic and social transformations. These changes have been caused by a number of factors and the purpose of this course is to both understand and appreciate how this evolution took place. Understanding the past gives us the keys to understanding both ourselves as individuals and our tendencies as a larger community known as the United States.

Students will be given the opportunity to explore American history through a diverse study of our past. The course will consist of a realistic, objective approach to its analysis. Emphasis will be placed on giving the student the skills and knowledge base upon which to do this. Much of the study time outside of class will be devoted to acquiring the substance (historical facts) of history. We will then use these building blocks of knowledge to both break apart the individual trends of the past to understand their own importance as well as combine them to synthesize the fabric of the past that constitutes American history.

Students will be expected to not only acquire the facts of history but to demonstrate the ability to perform both deductive and inductive reasoning by the end of the class. The later shall be taught and strengthened through the year. The sources for acquiring historical knowledge are almost too numerous to mention, for they all have value in adding perspective to our own narrow visions of the past. However, primary source materials as well as secondary source materials will be used to build the student’s understanding

Supplies:

• Pens (blue/black ink only)

• Five different colored highlighters (preferably yellow, orange, green, blue, pink)

• Large pack of basic yellow post-it notes (standard size please)

• #2 pencils

• Four-sectioned area (with tabs) within a binder for notes, handouts, writing work, graded papers. Please insert them in this order.

Course Text and Readings:

Main Text:

Kennedy, David M., Lizabeth Cohen, and Thomas A. Bailey. The American Pageant: A

History of the American People Advanced Placement. Boston: Houghton Mifflin, 2013. (15th edition)

Supplemental Texts:

Kennedy, David M. and Thomas A. Bailey, eds. The American Spirit: United States

History as Seen by Contemporaries. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

(primary sources)

Dollar, Charles M. and Gary W. Reichard. American Issues : A Documentary Reader. New York: Glencoe, 1994

Student Evaluation:

Students are given a variety of assessments, including tests, essays, projects, daily assignments, and homework assignments. Student averages will be comprised of the following:

Tests (MC, essays) 60%

Daily (quizzes, terms, homework) 40%

Any essay or document-based question should be written in blue or black ink and will be graded according to the AP rubrics for history writing on the U.S. exam.

Course Organization:

Every Unit contains chapter readings and handouts with significant personages, events and questions. The students must not only perform the requisite readings but also be prepared for a 5-10 question quiz on their readings/hand-out (prior to the class discussion). The rationale is that classroom discussions cannot be performed unless the students have knowledge of information from which to hold whole group discussions. Each unit also contains primary and secondary source readings as well as written assignment expectations. All units have objective multiple choice assessments following their completion.

Historical Thinking Skills

Rigorous preparation is a vital and necessary part of the Advanced Placement curriculum. Extensive amounts of reading, writing, and critical thinking will be required. One of the challenging aspects of the course is the quantity of reading and writing that will be assigned and must be completed. It is imperative for students to develop and maintain consistent study habits due to the rigor and intense pacing of the course. These include the College Board’s “Historical Thinking Skills.” These skills include:

Chronological Reasoning

Historical Causation

Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time

Periodization

Comparison and Contextualization

Comparison

Contextualization

Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence

Historical Argumentation

Appropriate Use of Relevant Historical Evidence

Historical Interpretation and Synthesis

Interpretation

Synthesis

The Seven Themes of US History:

The themes serve throughout the course as unifying threads, helping students to put what is particular about each period into a larger framework. The AP US History course requires students to engage with the dynamics of continuity and change across nine historical periods that are included in the course. Students will be taught to analyze the processes and causes involved in these continuities and changes. The themes also provide ways to make comparisons over time and facilitate cross-period questions.

1. American and National Identity

• Gender/gender roles

• Class

• Racial and ethnic identities

• National and regional identities

• Nationalism/Patriotism

• Group identities

• Assimilation

2. Work, Exchange, and Technology

• Agriculture, Commerce, Manufacturing, Industry

• Labor systems, labor organization,

• Science and technology, innovation

• Economic ideologies

• Economic developments, globalization

• Land distribution

• Regulation

3. Migration and Settlement

• Movement to/from/within the US

• Nativism

• Impact of immigrant groups on US

• Demography

• Impact of European exploration on Indigenous populations

4. Politics and Power

• Constitution and its interpretation

• Role of state in society

• Political process

• Role of political party systems

• Government

• Struggles over Federalism

• Federal, state, and local government interaction

• Liberty, rights, democracy, citizenship

• Authority/power

5. America in the World

• Competition for resources, dominance

• Foreign Policy, diplomacy

• Expansionism, Imperialism

• Global connections, trade, communication

• Global conflicts, World Wars

• Military and Economic involvement in developing world

6. Geography and the Environment- Physical and Human

• Climate

• Geography

• Environment- natural and man-made

• Interaction w/ the environment- how people shape and are shaped by environment

• Natural resources

• Exchanges- plants, disease, animals, technologies

7. Culture and Society

• Ideologies

• Religion

• Art/Literature, Artistic expression

• Cultural values

• Science/Philosophy

• Ideals

• Morality, moral values

• Popular culture

The Course: Periodization and Weights

|Period |Date Range |AP Exam |

|1* |1491-1607 |5% |

|2 |1607-1754 |10% |

|3 |1754-1800 |12% |

|4 |1800-1848 |10% |

|5 |1844-1877 |13% |

|6 |1865-1898 |13% |

|7 |1890-1945 |17% |

|8 |1945-1980 |15% |

|9 |1980-present |5% |

(*No essay writing will come from period one)

Unit One: Colonial Development ______________________________

Themes:

- The roots of democratic tendencies within the 13 English Colonies

- British mercantile policy and the effects of Salutary Neglect on Colonial

Development

- The evolution of distinctive regional characteristics predicated on political,

economic and social patterns.

- The impact of the Second Great Awakening on religious diversity within colonial

America

Readings:

Text - Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 1-5

Packet of readings of primary sources concerning politics, life and religion in Colonial America

Assignments:

Writing Activity: Systematic approach to the organization of historical essay writing is introduced. Students will engage in thesis creation and the synthesis of one well constructed paragraph on the question of “The degree to which Salutary Neglect influenced the development of the American colonies”. Peer editing with a standardized criterion chart will follow.

Unit Two: American Revolution ______________________________

Themes

- The catalysts of division between the colonists and English and creation of a new

“American identity” during the 1760’s

- Parliamentary reaction to the rising rebelliousness

- The theoretical and practical reasons for separation as embodied in the letters,

documents and pamphlets written during the period.

- The internal and external pressures operating within the new nation during the

war.

- The outcome and significance of the American Revolution

- The origins of resistance; the British response; the decision for independence; the

military course of the war; and the Treaty of Ghent

Readings:

Text - Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 6, 7 and 8

“The Tempest Over Taxation” in American Spirit

History Reading packet – Tories and Whig perspectives on Revolution

Primary Source documents including the Declaration of Independence amongst others

Assignments:

Student debate: How successful was the revolution in bringing about the equality of men for which it was supposedly fought?

Document Analysis: Small group (3-4 students) breakout session involving the interpretation of documents concerning the question of unity within the American colonies during the Revolutionary Period using the AP Parts paradigm.

Unit Three: The Critical Period: The Confederation to the Early Nation ______________________________

Themes:

- The Benefits and Drawbacks of the First American Government under the

Articles of Confederation

- Foreign relations between the new American nation and Spain, France and

England.

- The Constitutional Convention and the debate over ratification.

- Early factionalism between Jefferson and Hamilton

- Internal and external pressures during the administrations of Washington and

Adams.

- Quasi-war with France and the Alien and Sedition Acts.

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 9 and 10

“Conflict in the Infant Republic” in American Spirit

Assignments:

DBQ Skill Development Activity - Students will be introduced to the process of integration of perspectives from documents into their essays. They will be given several documents to incorporate into a well constructed paragraph that directly answers the question- Analyze the causes for the rise in political factions in the 1790’s.. Peer editing will follow during the succeeding class to expose students to various methods of document usage with attention given specifically to deeply analytical approaches and ties to the complexity of historical trends.

Unit Four: Jeffersonian Republicanism through the Era of Good Feelings ______________________________

Themes:

- The election of 1800 and the rise of Jeffersonian Republicanism

- The Marshal court and the imbedding of federal power into the structure of the

national political system.

- Causes and results of the War of 1812

- Further defining of the nation’s borders

- The rise of nationalism and its quick demise with the ascendancy of regional

sectionalism

- the demise of the Federalists and the rise of the two party system

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 11 and 12

Assignments:

FRQ – Was the War of 1812 a war in defense of national honor?

“The Missouri Statehood Controversy” and Launching the “Monroe Doctrine” in American Spirit

Unit Five: The Rise of Jacksonian Democracy ______________________________

Themes:

- Chart the rise of the common man in political and economic arenas of the United

States

- Examination of Jackson’s actions in terms of his fiscal policies (the attack on the

BUS), the nullification crisis and national policies concerning the Native

American tribes.

- The evolution and politics of Whiggery.

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 13

“The War on the Bank”, “Transplanting the Tribes” and “The Nullification Crisis” in American Spirit

Assignments:

Debate– Was Jacksonian Democracy Truly democratic? Students will engage in a Socratic seminar using this question as the centering topic. Defining terms, giving evidence and support for one’s position are the keys to the

Unit Six: Reform Movements ______________________________

Themes:

- Examine the Technological innovations that give rise to the creation of the

antebellum industrial revolution

- Analyze the causes of the Second Great Awakening and its effects on the

American culture.

- Utopian movements the attempts at perfectionism.

- Examine the reform movements that arise during the era (Abolitionism,

Temperance, Women’s Rights) and evaluate their effectiveness in bringing about

their visions:

- The Institution of slavery: from justifications to its reality.

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 14, 15 and 16

Packet of reading excerpts from The Liberator and Life of A Slave: Autobiography of Frederick Douglass, and Emerson’s Civil Disobedience

“The Changing Role of Women” and “Transcendentalism and Earthly Utopias” in American Spirit

Assignments:

Group Projects – Students in groups of 4-5 will design and create a 15 minute class presentation on their assigned antebellum era topic. They will be assessed on their overall comprehensiveness and clarity as well as usefulness of the outline given to each student in class. PowerPoint presentations, unitedstreaming and other visuals are also required.

DBQ – first full length DBQ will be written outside of class – To what extent did reform movements seek to extend the rights of the Common Man?

Unit Seven: Manifest Destiny ________________________________

Themes:

- From the “President Without a Party” to the Darkhorse Polk – domestic and

foreign affairs issues of the 40’s.

- America’s march westward – examination of how America fulfilled its “Manifest

Destiny” to stretch from coast to coast.

- The Mexican – American War – the causes, the battles and the Treaty of

Guadalupe-Hidalgo

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 17

“Provoking War with Mexico” and “Opposition to the War” in American Spirit

Assignment:

Group project: In teams of four, students will understand the process of how to attack a DBQ in a timed setting by breaking down documents and organizing thoughts within categories concerning documents relating to the DBQ – “Was slavery the root cause of America’s war with Mexico and expansionism in general between 1820 and 1860

Unit Eight: The Tearing of the American Fabric ______________________________

Themes:

- The Compromise of 1850 and its aftermath

- The appearance of a slaveocracy as seen in the actions of two Democrat

Presidents, Pierce and Buchanan, from the Ostend Manifesto to the Dred Scott

decision.

- Popular Sovereignty and “Pandora’s Box”: The Kansas-Nebraska Act, the rise of

the Republican Party, Bleeding Kansas and the Lecompton Debate

- Election of 1860 – the candidates, platforms and significant outcomes

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 18 and 19

Stowe, Harriet B. Uncle Tom’s Cabin

“The Dred Scott Decision” and “Lincoln and the Secession Crisis” in American Spirit

Assignments:

Semester project – students complete and submit their Timeline Projects. Students compile a chronology of domestic, economic, cultural and diplomatic events between 1776 and 1860.

Unit Nine: The Civil War and Reconstruction ______________________________

Themes:

- Causes of the war and the balance sheet for both sides at the outset

- McPherson’s Contingency Theory is used as the lens to discuss the internal

domestic issues that both sides faced, the impact of the border states and

intransigent forces arrayed against both Lincoln and Davis during the conflict.

- Foreign (relations with European powers) and domestic agendas (transcontinental RxR, Banking system, etc.) of the Lincoln administration

- Outcomes and significances of the war –

- Transformation of Federalism and the death of states rights

- Radical Reconstruction – Power, politics and constitutionality

- Johnson vs. the Radicals in civil rights measures and amendments

- the Impeachment of the President

- Military reconstruction and reactionism in the South

- The Compromise of 1877 - the end of a noble experiment and the rise of Jim

Crowism

Readings:

Text – Bailey and Kennedy, Chapter 20, 21, 22

Packet of readings including the Emancipation Proclamation , Gettysburg Address Reconstruction Amendments and other articles that illustrate the division over Reconstruction between Johnson and the Radical Republicans

Assignments:

Debate: Students will debate the question of whether or not the war between 1861 and 1865 was a civil war or a war of northern aggression. Constitutional issues from the state compact theory to individual liberties and the greater meaning of the forefathers will be explored in the discussion.

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