“I know of no safe repository of the ultimate power of society but the people. And if we think them not enlightened enough, the remedy is not to take power from them, but to inform them by education.”
- Thomas Jefferson
In AP U.S. History (APUSH), students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine historical periods from approximately 1491 to the present. Students develop and use the same skills and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical connections; and utilizing reasoning about comparison, causation, and continuity and change. The course also provides eight themes that students explore throughout the course in order to make connections among historical developments in different times and places: American and national identity; work, exchange, and technology; geography and the environment; migration and settlement; politics and power; America in the world; American and regional culture; and social structures.
*Quoted from the College Board website
1st Semester
Summative Assessments: 70%
Homework & Practice Writing: 10%
Final Exam: 20%
2nd Semester
Summative Assessments: 80%
Homework & Practice Writing: 10%
Final Project: 10%
Cheating:
All cheating, plagiarism, or use of AI/ ChatGPT will be punished in accordance with the Student Handbook. Any of these violations will result in a zero and disciplinary action from the Dean's Office.
Summative Assessments will be administered at the end of each unit (historical period). Multiple Choice questions will be modeled after the AP Exam and will cover all material covered in the readings and class discussions. Students MUST be aware that not all reading topics will be covered in lectures. Taking detailed notes while reading is strongly encouraged for this reason.
Students will also have to demonstrate skills and content knowledge through a formal Short Answer Question (SAQ) assessment for each unit. Each Multiple Choice assessment will have an optional review session that morning.
Re-takes will NOT be offered for multiple choice tests. Re-writes for the Short Answer Question will be made available for credit.
Test Corrections will be offered for Period Assessments during 4th, 5th, & 6th (lunch & access) periods until the next Period Assessment only. Credit will only be given if ALL incorrect questions are completed.
Other Summative Assessments will include short reading quizzes (announced or unannounced) and small group presentations.
Students will be required to demonstrate their knowledge of content from their readings through writing exercises on a regular/ daily basis. They will be asked to write and defend a thesis, analyze primary sources and documents, answer prompts pertaining to causation, contextualization, comparison and continuity & change over time as well as practice skills necessary to write DBQS, LEQs, and SAQs. It is absolutely imperative that students complete the nightly readings to be able to write on these topics during class.
Students will use The American Pageant (16th Edition) for most of their reading. We do provide PDFs of all chapters so textbooks can be left at home.
For some topics we will use AMSCO Readings instead of the textbook, however students are encouraged to use their textbooks in some capacity for every chapter.
All readings, resources, and videos we use will be found on the website or Google Classroom.
Some assignments, quizzes, and practice materials will be available on AP Classroom.
Students will need two separate notebooks:
one for outlining assigned readings &
one Composition Notebook for daily in-class practice writing
Princeton Review Book (optional) to be purchased and used in preparation for the AP Test in May.
Any student that needs extra help can set up a time to meet their teacher before school (except Wednesdays).
Contact us at Michael.Pribaz@cusd200.org | Nathan.Roe@cusd200.org