NOTE: By registering for AP US History, you should be committing to take the AP exam. While the test is not mandatory, AP test preparation is embedded in our instruction and assessment policies.

Welcome to APUSH! If you were not already aware, by registering for AP US History, you are taking advantage of a great learning opportunity and committing to a much higher level of responsibility. The class offers you a chance to learn about American history, politics, society, and government at a deep, complex, and analytical level. It also affords you the opportunity to develop the critical thinking and writing skills that will ensure you are prepared for higher-level study.

As the course and coursework is similar to a lower-division collegiate survey history course, so too are the expectations for the class. It is important that you understand the commitment you are making. You are expected to stay current in our textbook as well as engaging with advanced supplemental readings and primary source documents. You will also complete at least one research project and other smaller projects per semester. It is crucial that you understand by taking this course, you are promising us and yourself that you will complete the required work. To follow the tried and true collegiate model, each one hour in the classroom is equal to approximately up to two hours of outside class preparation. For this class, work outside of school hours is primarily reading and studying.

Word to the Wise:

Extrinsic motivation (you want your transcript to look good, you have always taken honors courses, your parents want you to take AP, etc) will not sustain you through this year of hard work.

Intrinsic motivation (you really love history, have a passion for learning new things, you love reading and thinking analytically, and have the drive and dedication to be a successful student) is a powerful factor of success for students in APUSH.

On a personal note, we love teaching APUSH. We look forward to the high-level reasoning, discussions, and sophisticated analysis that AP courses can offer. At the end of the day, however, we are not taking the tests ourselves!

We stress that students will need to bring personal responsibility and accountability to their learning. If you do not plan to work consistently and fully engage in historical work and class conversations, then please do not force yourself through AP  US History. We carefully plan class time to build skills and deepen historical understanding. While it is tempting to multitask or cut corners, within a week or more, you could fall so far behind that it will be difficult to catch up. 

That is the honest truth. We have seen it happen. 

Always remember that the choices you make when you think it doesn't matter will impact your outcomes and opportunities when it does.

SUMMER PREPARATION and ITS NECESSITY:

Because of the wide body of material covered in class, it is wise to use the summer to get a head start on our work. We cover a large period of time (ranging from pre-1492 to 2001) and need to be “done” by the last week of April.

All of the source readings that you will need can be found on this website. This website also contains guided reading questions to aid comprehension.

The first assessment of this material will be within the first two weeks of school.

You can find our contact information on the Instructors and Contact Information page of this website. We check our school emails about once every every two weeks during the summer. Thank you in advance for your patience!