• AP United States History

    Course Syllabus

    Mr. Lemke

    Email: lemkejoe@orange.k12.nj.us

    Google Share: jlemke@orange.k12.nj.us

     

    Overview

    AP U.S. History is designed to be the equivalent of a two-semester introductory college or university world history course. 

    In AP U.S. History, students investigate significant events, individuals, developments, and processes in nine (9) historical periods from approximately 1491 C.E. to the present. 

    The course provides eight (8) themes that students explore throughout the course to make connections between historical developments in different times and places: interaction between humans and the environment; development and interaction of cultures; state building, expansion, and conflict; creation, expansion, and interaction of economic systems; and development and transformation of social structures.

    Students develop and use the same skills, practices, and methods employed by historians: analyzing primary and secondary sources; developing historical arguments; making historical comparisons; and utilizing reasoning about contextualization, causation, and continuity and change over time. 

     

    Textbook  

    AMSCO: United States History: Preparing for the Advanced Placement Examination (2018).

     

    Expectations

    Appropriate classroom behavior is expected and required, including

    • Showing respect to your classmates, your teacher, yourself, and the classroom

    • DOING YOUR HOMEWORK!!

    • Observing all school wide rules

    • Punctuality

    • Coming to class with the appropriate materials and adequate sleep

    • Being deferential when talking in class

    • Using appropriate language in the classroom

     

    AP U.S. Exam Structure

    AP U.S. HISTORY EXAM: 3 HOURS 15 MINUTES 

    Assessment Overview: The AP Exam questions measure students’ knowledge of U.S. history and their ability to think historically. Questions are based on learning objectives, key concepts, course themes, and AP history disciplinary practices and reasoning skills. Exam questions represent various geographical regions, with no more than 20 percent of the multiple-choice questions focusing solely on Europe. 

     

    FORMAT OF EXAM

    Section I Part A: Questions appear in sets of 2–5.  Students analyze primary and secondary texts, images, graphs, and maps.  Questions cover all course periods.

    Multiple Choice | 55 Questions | 55 Minutes | 40% Exam Score

    Section I Part B: Students respond to 2 required questions and choose between 2 options for a third question. Questions 1 and 2 cover periods 3–8 of the course; students choose between answering either question 3 (covering periods 1–3) or question 4 (periods 4–6).  Students analyze historians’ interpretations, historical sources, and propositions about history.

    Short Answer | 3 Questions (3 Parts Each): Total 9 | 40 Minutes | 20% Exam Score

     

    Section II Part A: Students assess written, visual, and quantitative sources as historical evidence.

    Students develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.

    The question covers periods 3–6 of the course.

    Document Based | 1 Question | 60 Minutes | 25% Exam Score

     

    Section II Part B: Students select one question from three different periods (1–2, 3–4, 5–6) of the course.  Students explain and analyze significant issues in U.S. history.  Students develop an argument supported by an analysis of historical evidence.

    Long Essay | 1 Question | 40 Minutes | 15% Exam Score

     

    8 Thematic Learning Objectives

    Theme 1: American and National Identity

    Theme 2: Work, Exchange and Technology

    Theme 3: Geography and the Environment

    Theme 4: Migration and Settlement

    Theme 5: Politics and Power

    Theme 6: America and the World

    Theme 7: American and Regional Culture

    Theme 8: Social Structures 

     

    9 Historical Time Periods

    The AP U.S. History course is structured around themes and concepts in six different chronological periods from approximately 1491 to the present: 

    Period 1: 1491-1607 4-6%

    Period 2: 1607-1754 6-8%

    Period 3: 1754-1800 10-17%

    Period 4: 1800-1848 10-17%

    Period 5: 1844-1877 10-17%

    Period 6: 1865-1898 10-17%

    Period 7: 1890-1945 10-17%

    Period 8: 1945-1980 10-17%

    Period 9: 1980-Present 4-6%

    Within each period, key concepts organize and prioritize historical developments. Themes allow students to make connections and identify patterns and trends over time. 

     

    AP History Disciplinary Practices 

    Practice 1: Analyzing Historical Evidence from Primary Sources

    • Explain the relative historical significance of a source’s point of view, purpose, historical situation, and/or audience. 

    • Evaluate a source’s credibility and/or limitations. Secondary Sources 

    • Explain how a historian’s claim or argument is supported by evidence.

    • Analyze patterns and trends in quantitative data in non-text-based sources.

    • Evaluate the effectiveness of a historical claim or argument. 

    Practice 2: Argument Development 

    • Make a historically defensible claim in the form of an evaluative thesis. 

    • Support an argument using specific and relevant evidence.

    • Use historical reasoning to explain relationships among pieces of historical evidence. 

    • Consider ways that diverse or alternative evidence could be used to qualify or modify an argument. 



    AP History Reasoning Skills

    Skill 1: Contextualization 

    • Use context to explain the relative historical significance of a specific historical development or process. 

    Skill 2: Comparison 

    • Explain the relative historical significance of similarities and/ or differences between different historical developments or processes. 

    Skill 3: Causation 

    • Explain the difference between primary and secondary causes and between short- and long-term effects. 

    • Explain the relative historical significance of different causes and/or effects. 

    Skill 4: Continuity and Change Over Time 

    • Explain the relative historical significance of specific historical developments in relation to a larger pattern of continuity and/or change.


    Rubrics

    *See College Board Website – Rubrics for AP U.S. History 

    Grading: 

    25% Tests

    20% Quizzes

    20% Classwork (journals, logs, assignments, tasks, demonstrations, skill application).

    25% Authentic Assessments (portfolios, performance assessments, projects).

    10% Homework (including long-term projects, essays, research papers).

     

    Required Materials:

    Required Student Materials – Students are expected and required to bring the following items with them to class every day:

    • Completed assignments.

    • Laptop (Fully Charged)

    • Notebook and Pen/Pencil

    • A Good Attitude

    • Questions regarding the previous day’s work or homework assignments.

    • Adequate sleep and a good attitude