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Welcome to the RMHS AP United States History Summer Work Site for the 2026-2027 school year. On this page you will be asked to read a college level history text, several primary sources and watch several videos that cover the important concepts, themes and historical developments in first unit of the APUSH course. You will be expected to take notes as you progress through the resources provided on this page, as well as complete a series of AP History short answer questions at the bottom of this page. This work is due the week of Labor Day, September 7, 2026. It is important that you do this work and learn learn the material, what is covered in this summer assignment is the ONLY time we will be covering Unit 1 in the APUSH curriculum and Unit 1 is on the APUSH Exam in May.
BE SURE THAT YOU ARE LOGGED INTO YOUR RMHS ACCOUNT WHEN YOU ARE COMPLETING THE SUMMER WORK!
APUSH Unit 1 to 2.5.pdfSTEP ONE: Open the PDF from the AP US History Course and Exam Description on the left. Quickly read through the description of Unit 1 which you will be covering in this summer module. Be sure to pay attention to the Thematic Focus, Learning Objective and Historical Developments within each section. This represents the US history material you are responsible for learning and understanding. Then watch video below from Gilder Lehrman.
Gilder Lehrman
Gilder Lehrman
Watch this short video, it will overview the important topics and themes in Period 1 of APUSH.
Note taking is a very important skill in a college level history course. In fact, it is a very useful tool for all academic disciplines. This skill needs to be developed and practiced in high school so you are prepared for tackling college courses after you graduate. There are many different ways to take notes from texts, lectures, and videos. But we suggest utilizing the two column, Cornell note taking approach. Below are two short videos to help you understand this technique. We believe this is the most efficient and productive method of note taking. However, in the end, you need to find a method to take notes in order to help you learn and understand the high volume of material that is presented in an AP course. The method you choose needs to work for you.
What are Cornell Notes?
What are Cornell Notes?
How to use cornell notes
How to use cornell notes
STEP TWO: Read and Take Notes (RTN) in Chapter One "Indigenous America" from THE AMERICAN YAWP - A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook (*2022-2023 Updates* - Stanford University Press Edition).
STEP THREE: Read and take notes in the format that is shown below on the Google Slide. Take your notes on the "Journal of Christopher Columbus" and "Bartolomé de Las Casas Describes the Exploitation of Indigenous Peoples, 1542" from THE AMERICAN YAWP READER (Stanford University Press Edition). NOTE: Be sure to read through and look at the other primary sources included in this resource.
STEP FOUR: Watch and take notes from the following videos from YouTube.
Spanish Empire
Spanish Empire
Watch this Crash Course World History video on the Spanish Empire.
COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
COLUMBIAN EXCHANGE
Watch this Crash Course World History video on the Columbian Exchange.
atlantic Slave trade
atlantic Slave trade
Watch this Crash Course Black American History video on the Atlantic Slave Trade
BEST PRACTICE: Now that you have taken notes on Chapter 1, the three videos and the two primary sources, review your notes for the following terms. Underline each term in your notes and add any terms that are missing. This active review of your notes will both improve the quality of your note taking and be your first review of the material. This is a beneficial habit to adopt to help you actually understand and LEARN what is important.
1. Columbian Exchange 2. Three Sisters 3. matrilineal 4. Pre-Columbian environmental disasters 5. Cahokia 6. Native American slavery 7. kinship 8. potlach 9. Crusades 10. Reconquista 11. sugar cultivation 12. Christopher Columbus 13. encomienda 14. Bartolomé de Las Casas 15. Tenochtitlán 16. Aztecs 17. La Malinche 18. Inca 19. Sistema de Castas 20. Virgen de Guadalupe
STEP FIVE: Read and Take Notes (RTN) in Chapter TWO "Colliding Cultures" from THE AMERICAN YAWP - A Massively Collaborative Open U.S. History Textbook (*2022-2023 Updates* - Stanford University Press Edition).
STEP SIX: Read and take notes in the format that is shown below on the Google Slide. Take your notes on "A Gaspesian Man Defends His Way of Life, 1641" from THE AMERICAN YAWP READER (Stanford University Press Edition). NOTE: Be sure to read through and look at the other primary sources included in this resource.
STEP SEVEN: Watch and take notes from the following videos from YouTube.
BEST PRACTICE: Now that you have taken notes on Chapter 2, the three videos and the two primary sources, review your notes for the following terms. Underline each term in your notes and add any terms that are missing. This active review of your notes will both improve the quality of your note taking and be your first review of the material. This is a beneficial habit to adopt to help you actually understand and LEARN what is important.
1. Franciscans 2. Black Legend 3. Northwest Passage 4. Samuel de Champlain 5. Jesuits 6. Métis 7. middle ground
8. New Netherland 9. wampum 10. Iroquois 11. Treaty of Tordesillas 12. Richard Hakluyt 13. joint-stock companies 14. piracy
15. Spanish Armada 16. Jamestown 17. Powhatan Confederacy 18. tobacco 19. Curse of Ham 20. Puritans
Now you are ready to complete the 15 Question Assessment - YOU MUST BE LOGGED INTO YOUR RMHS ACCOUNT WHEN YOU COMPLETE THE GOOGLE FORM OF QUESTIONS BELOW!
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