Advanced Placement (AP) United States History



A.P.U.S.H.

Instructor: Andrew Cole

Room: 116C

Email: Andrew1.cole@

Website:

Course Design: This course is designed as a survey of American history from the era of exploration to the present day. It is a rigorous one semester course and is meant to fulfill the same requirement as a year of Freshman United States History at the college level. The amount of reading and writing in this class is intense, and students must be prepared to spend five hours or more a week on homework. Students will learn to balance a massive amount of factual information with critical analysis of primary and secondary sources. Using a variety of tools essential to historians, the students will develop the essential skills of interpretation and evaluation to view single events from multiple perspectives, and present their own arguments based on their interpretation.

Course Objectives - Students will:

• Acquire fundamental and advanced knowledge of United States political, social, economic, constitutional and intellectual history.

• Develop mastery of the process skills: analysis, synthesis, evaluation, and critical reading necessary for mastery of the content of United States History.

• Develop the ability to recognize the significance of change over time and cause and effect.

• Develop the ability to think and reason analytically as demonstrated through essay and expository writing

• Develop and display an appreciation for the rich diversity in today’s American society through successful class participation, challenging reading, and collaborative work.

• Pass the AP Exam with a score of 3 or higher

AP Exam:

The Advanced Placement (A.P.) program is an opportunity for students to earn college credit while still in high school. To do so a student must take and pass the A.P. U.S. History exam. This exam, administered Friday, May 8, 2015.

The A.P. U.S. History exam is graded on a five point scale. Generally, most public universities award credit to students who earn a 3 or higher while many private colleges require a score of 4 or higher. However, since each school is free to set its own policy, students are advised to check the policies of institutions they are interested in attending.

All students enrolled in this class are expected to take the A.P. U.S. History exam.

Each A.P. exam costs about $86, but fee waivers are available to eligible students. Any student who chooses not to take the A.P. U.S. History exam will be required to take a similar exam on the same day as the exam.

Online Assignments: This class is a blended class, which means that there is a mixture of in class and online work. You will be working quite a bit on your own time. Plan for around an hour per night homework. The assignments may or may not be collected, you will still be responsible for the information. This is somewhat like college, homework is for you to learn, not just finish worksheets.

Textbook and Readings: Our textbook is America: A Narrative History. Each student will be issued a copy to take home for reading and study. While some of the text will be discussed in detail through class notes and assignments, much of it must be covered in independent learning. Reading quizzes from the text will be given often to encourage students to keep abreast of reading assignments. These assessments will count as daily grades. Additional articles and topics will be taken from various sources depending on the topic.

Accountability: It cannot be emphasized enough how important it is to stay up to date with your readings. It is next to impossible to succeed in this class without diligently keeping up with readings from both the textbook and any additional readings.

Materials - The following must be brought to class every day:

1. a three ring binder to keep notes, handouts, graded papers, etc… used exclusively for this class

2. pen (blue or black) and pencil

General Requirements:

1. Be on time and in your seat with materials when the bell rings.

2. Try not to miss class, but when you do, get with a neighbor to catch up on missed notes immediately upon your return.

4. Read textbook assignments at home, and keep up with the online activities.

5. Take good notes and review them.

6. Participate in group assignments and class discussion.

7. Read supplemental assignments carefully. When there is time, include an outline and/or a list of observations and conclusions from the readings.

8. Prepare written assignments carefully. Pay attention to instructions

Evaluation: Grades are based on a point system. To determine your grade, divide the number of points you earned by the total possible on the assignment.

Classwork / Tests: 55%

Unit Assignments / Projects: 20%

Midterm: 15%

EOC : -----

Final: 10%

Pacing Guide

Unit 1 1491-1607 – 1Week

Unit 2 1607-1754 – 2 Weeks

Unit 3 1754-1800 - 2 Weeks

Unit 4 1800-1848 – 2 Weeks

Unit 5 1844-1877 – 2Weeks

Unit 6 1865-1898 – 2 Weeks

Unit 7 1980-1945 – 2 Weeks

Unit 8 1954-1980 – 2 Weeks

Unit 9 1980 to Present – 1 Week

Student / Parent-Guardian Signature Page

I have read and understand all policies outlined within this syllabus.

______________________________________________ _________

Printed Student Name Date

______________________________________________ _________

Signed Student Name Date

______________________________________________ _________

Printed Parent / Guardian Name Date

______________________________________________ _________

Signed Parent / Guardian Name Date

Parent / Guardian Contact Information:

Phone number where you can be reached during the day_______________________________

Phone number where you can be reached during the evening____________________________

Email________________________________________________________________________

Best Way to Contact You: (Circle One) Phone Email

Movie Permission:

Occasionally we will be watching clips of movies. Sometimes the clips are from movies that are rated R (usually because of accurate historic battle portrayals). May your student view these?

_____ Yes

_____No

__________________________________________ _________

Signed Parent / Guardian Date

AP US History Honor Code

The Honor Code is an undertaking of the students, individually and collectively:

1. That they will not give or receive aid in examinations; that they will not give or receive unpermitted aid in class work, in the preparation of reports, or in any other work that is to be used by the teacher as the basis of grading;

2. That they will do their share and take an active part in seeing to it that others as well as themselves uphold the spirit and letter of the Honor Code.

Examples of conduct which have been regarded as being in violation of the Honor Code include:

-Copying from another’s examination/homework paper or allowing another to copy from one’s own paper

-Unpermitted collaboration

-Plagiarism

-Revising and resubmitting a quiz or exam for regrading, without the instructor’s knowledge and consent

-Giving or receiving unpermitted aid on a take-home assignments

-Representing as one’s own work the work of another

-Giving or receiving aid on an academic assignment under circumstances in which a reasonable person should have known that such aid was not permitted

Student disciplinary cases involving Honor Code violations most frequently arise when a student submits another’s work as his or her own, or gives or receives unpermitted aid.

The standard penalty for a first offense includes a warning and a grade of zero for the assignment for which the violation occurred. The standard penalty for any repeat violations will be handled according to the discipline outlined in the student handbook.

I understand the HONOR CODE policy for APUS History and agree to comply with the expectations outlined above.

Student Name_________________________________________________________ Date______________

Student Signature______________________________________________________ Block______________

Parent/Guardian Name_______________________________________________________

Parent/Guardian Signature____________________________________________________

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