AP US History



AP US History

Your teacher: Mrs. Dahlberg, Room #310. I am the German teacher here at UGHS, but I majored in both German and History in college at UW-Madison and I have earned my Masters degree in History. I am passionate about both of the subjects I teach here at UGHS and hope to share some of my excitement for learning with you.

If you need additional help or have questions on what we are covering, feel free to ask and I will be happy to help. I am available before and after school, during passing times, and my prep (4th hour.) My extension is 1239. If you prefer, you can contact me by email: dahljes@ug.k12.wi.us.

What is the purpose of AP US History?

AP US History is a college level course, designed to be the equivalent of a full year college course. This course will provide you with both factual knowledge and analytical skills, both of which are necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States History. You will learn not only what has happened over the past several centuries in the United States, but also how to assess and analyze historical materials and present your conclusions in essay format.

What are the benefits of taking this course?

• You will learn a lot about the history of this country and how to work with historical materials

• You will improve your writing skills

• This course will prepare you for the style of instruction you will encounter in college- it really is different than high school!

• It is a grade-weighted course and gives you the opportunity to challenge yourself while still in high school

• If you take and pass the AP US History exam in the spring, you can receive college credits

Expectations

• Since this is a college-level class, you need take college-level responsibility for your own success in this class. This means always come prepared for class, make-up what you miss when absent, and take charge of your own learning.

• You will have a significant amount of work to do outside of class, particularly readings both in the textbook and from other sources. The readings will be challenging and will probably require more than one reading for full comprehension. Continually check yourself as you read by asking yourself what you have learned. These readings may or may not be accompanied with a graded assignment. Nonetheless, you are responsible for all assigned materials.

• You must take notes on lectures, discussions, and readings. You will find that lectures reinforce concepts from the readings, although they do not duplicate the readings. This repetition of key points is for a reason- do not attempt to short-circuit this system by neglecting one or the other.

• Much of the AP exam involves writing, so be prepared to write essays on a regular basis.

• Cell phones and electronic devices will not be allowed during class. If I see it, I will take it from you until the end of class. On the second offense, I will take your cell phone to the office and you will need to have your parents pick it up.

• Be on time to class. The first two times you are late, you will be the last to leave at the end of class. On the third offense, a detention will be assigned.

• No food or drink, except water, should be out or consumed during class.

Attendance

It is your responsibility to be here. If you do miss class, you must take responsibility for making up what you have missed. Please realize, however, that copying someone’s notes is just not the same as being there for the lecture. Expect absences to affect your success.

Grades

Your grade will be based 50% on assignments and 50% on test grades. Assignments include reading notes, out of class essays, and various document analysis exercises. The grading scale used can be found in your student handbook. Honesty and ethics are expected in your presentation of materials that demonstrate your level of knowledge and which are used to determine grades.

Units

A typical unit will consist of lectures, discussions, readings, assignments and a test. I will hand out a schedule at the beginning of each unit to help you manage your time. Please note that not all units contain the same amount of material, so time spent on them and points available will vary accordingly.

First Term Units: Exploration and Colonialism, The Revolution, Jefferson and Jackson, Early National Life, Expansion and Crisis,

Second Term Units: The Civil War/Reconstruction , The West, Big Business and Imperialism, The Progressive Era, WWI and the Twenties, The Great Depression

Third Term Units: WWII and the Cold War, Vietnam to the Present, AP Exam strategies and review

*Unit titles and term placement are subject to change

Materials

Organization is essential to success in this class. I suggest a three ring binder with plenty of looseleaf for note taking. The binder should be divided into units. Put all handouts in your binder. This will aid you in your review for the AP exam in the spring. I also encourage you to seek out supplementary materials on your own. The internet has many fascinating US History sites. Read the newspaper. Watch US History programs on PBS, the Discovery Channel, and the History channel. Read novels from the eras we are studying. Also, always bring your binder, a pen/pencil for note-taking, and a red pen (buy one now and keep it in your backpack.)

Attitude

Be prepared to work hard. Take responsibility for yourself. Keep an open mind. Think of this as one big, long story and try to enjoy it. Be curious. Don’t make assumptions.

“…You must remember that nothing was on track. Things could have gone any way, at any point. As soon as you say ‘was’ it seems to fix an event in the past. But nobody ever lived in the past, only in the present. The difference is that it was their present. They were just as alive and full of ambition, fear, hope and all of the emotions of life. And, just like us, they didn’t know how it would all turn out.”

-David McCullough, historian

................
................

In order to avoid copyright disputes, this page is only a partial summary.

Google Online Preview   Download