LOA

AP United States History: 08-09

 

Syllabus

This year we are embarking on a grand adventure together--the study of American history and government from the age of exploration and discovery through the modern age.  We will be reading extensively in both primary and secondary documents and commentaries, writing regularly, and thinking continually.  Those of you who are enrolled in all three of the American studies classes--history, government, and literature—will find yourselves constantly making connections between what Americans have thought, written, created, taught, and done over time.  You will see that there are recurring themes and attitudes that link the movements and events of the various eras.

 

I am convinced that nothing is as intriguing, challenging, and exciting as this foray into the history of people and ideas—nothing!  I invite you to join me in this challenge as we wholeheartedly prepare for the A.P. exam in May.

Texts:

Mark C. Carnes and John A. Garraty. The American Nation, 12th Edition  ( New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006).

David O. Stewart.  The Summer of 1787.  (New York: Simon and Schuster, 2007).

James M. McPherson.  For Cause and Comrades.  (New York: Oxford University Press, 1997).

Frederick Douglass.  Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass: An American Slave (New Haven: Yale University Press, 2001).

Additional Resources:

Paul Johnson.  A History of the American People.  (New York: HarperCollins, 1997).

            (Summer reading).

Michael Boezi, ed.  Voices of the American Nation, Volumes I and II.  (New York: Pearson/Longman, 2006)

            (Collections of primary source documents)

Luther Spoehr and Alan Fraker.  Doing the DBQ: Advanced Placement U.S. History Examination.  (New York: The College Board, 1995).

Organization:

Our course of study will divided into nine units of three weeks apiece.  At the end of each unit, you can expect a unit test that will incorporate both multiple choice and free response questions drawn from released A.P. exams and study materials.  In addition, our Monday class meetings will focus on writing DBQ essays relevant to the current unit of study. 

Our class sessions will comprise regular quizzes, lectures, discussion, and periodic student presentations.

In addition to classroom based study, you will construct a portfolio of independent work on a theme or themes of your choosing.  One piece of work will be added for each quarter of the year.

 

 

Grading:

Your grades will reflect the following:

·        Homework & Quizzes                                      20%

·        Unit Tests                                                         45%

·        Portfolio                                                           20%

·        Comprehensive Semester Exam                        15%

 

Themes:

During the year, we will trace themes as they develop chronologically.  You will choose ones that particularly interest you to develop into a synthesis project to be presented at the end of each semester.  Those of you who are debating this year will probably choose immigration as your primary topic of focus.

·        What is an American?

·        Geography: Regional Issues

·        Economics: Defined, Adapted, and Redefined

·        Democracy and Federalism

·        The Uses and Conduct of War

·        Making Things Better: Social Reform, Religion, and Politics

·        International Relationships

·        Immigration

·        Courts and Civil Rights

·        Cultural Expressions of American Identity: Music, Art, Literature, and Film

·        American Frontiers

Schedule of Readings:

Date

Topic

Assignment

Week One (9/3)

Unit One: Colonial America

Carnes, Prologue

Week Two (9/10)

 

Carnes, chapters 1 & 2

Week Three (9/17)

 

Carnes, chapter 3

Unit One test

Week Four  (9/24)

Unit Two: Revolutionary America

Carnes, chapter 4

Week Five  (10/ 1)

 

Carnes, chapter 5

Stewart, chapters 1-4

Holiday (10/8)

 

 

Week Six (10/15)

 

Carnes, chapters 6&7

Stewart, chapters 5-7

Unit Two test

Week Seven  (10/22)

Unit Three: Democratic America

Carnes, chapters 8&9

Stewart, chapters 8-10

Week Eight  (10/29)

 

Carnes, chapters 10 & 11

Stewart, chapters 11-12

Week Nine  (11/5)

 

Carnes, chapter 12

Stewart, chapters 13-16

Unit Three test

Week Ten  (11/12

Unit Four: Civil War

Carnes, chapters 13 & 14

Stewart, chapters 17-21

Thanksgiving (11/19)

 

 

Week Eleven (11/26)

 

Carnes, chapter 15

McPherson, chapters 1-3

Week Twelve  (12/3)

 

Carnes, chapter 16

McPherson, chapters 4-6

Unit Four test

Week Thirteen  (12/10)

 

Semester Exam

McPherson, chapters 7-12

Christmas Break  (12/17-1/5)

 

 

Week Fourteen  (1/7)

Unit Five: Industrial America

Carnes, chapter 17

Douglass, chapters 1-9

Week Sixteen  (1/14)

 

Carnes, chapter 18-19

Douglass, chapters 10-Epilogue

Week Seventeen  (1/21)

 

Carnes, chapter 20

Unit Five test

Week Eighteen  (1/28)

Unit Six: Melting Pot America

Carnes, chapters 21-22

Start reading deTocqueville

Week Nineteen  (2/4)

 

Carnes, chapter 23

Week Twenty  (2/11)

 

Carnes, chapter 24

Unit Six test

Week Twenty-one  (2/18)

 

Review

Week Twenty-two  (2.25)

Unit Seven: Modern America

Carnes, chapter 25

Week Twenty-three  (3/3)

 

Carnes, chapter 26

Week Twenty-four  (3/10)

 

Carnes, chapter 27

Unit Seven test

Easter Break  (3/17)

 

 

Week Twenty-five  (3/24)

Unit Eight: Superpower America

Carnes, chapter 28

 

Week Twenty-six  (3/31)

 

Carnes,  chapter 29

Unit Eight test

Week Twenty-seven  (4/7)

Unit Nine: Contemporary America

Carnes, chapters 30 & 31

Week Twenty-eight  (4/14)

 

Carnes, chapters 32 & 33

Unit Nine test

Week Twenty-nine  (4/21)

Unit ten: Synthesis and Review

Practice A.P. Tests

deTocqueville: study guide due

Week Thirty  (4/28)

 

Practice A.P. Tests

Week Thirty-one  (5/5)

A.P. Exam

 

Week Thirty-two  (5/12)

Portfolios Due

 

Week Thirty-three (5/19)

Semester Final Exam