AP UNITED STATES HISTORY

Course Syllabus

COURSE OVERVIEW
Advanced Placement United States History is a college-level course that students may take to
fulfill the 11thgrade Social Studies requirement for graduation. In addition, students may have an
opportunity to earn college credits if they pass their AP exam. The AP curriculum demands
higher-order thinking skills within a rigorous academic context. Students are expected to master
not only specific factual information, but also important analytical skills. A great deal of emphasis
is placed on reading, constructing arguments, analyzing data, and interpreting opinions. The
student will be expected to master historical information and polish analytical skills such as, but
not limited to, identifying point of view, bias, cause and effect and creating plausible arguments.

COURSE TEXT BOOK

Divine, Robert A., et al. America Past and Present. 7th AP ed. New York: Pearson Longman,

ADDITIONAL TEXTS AND READINGS

Davidson, James W., Mark Lytle. After the Fact, with Primary Source Investigator CD: The Art of
Historical Detection. 5th ed. McGraw-Hill, 2004.

Kennedy, David M., Thomas A. Bailey. The American Spirit Vol. 1: To 1877. 11thed. Boston:
Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Kennedy, David M., Thomas A. Bailey. The American Spirit Volume 2: Since 1865. 11thed.
Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company, 2006.

Lorence, James J. Enduring Voices. Vol. 1 and 2, 3rd ed. Lexington, MA: D. C. Heath and
Company, 1996.

Taylor, Alan. American Colonies: The Settling of North America. Penguin, 2002.

Yazawa, Melvin. Documents to Accompany America’s History Vol. 1: To 1877. 6th ed. Boston:
Bedford St. Martin’s, 2008.

Zinn, Howard. A People’s History of the United States, 1492-Present. New York: Harper
Perennial, 2003.

*Requirement: Cracking the AP United States History Exam. The Princeton Review. 2009/10
ed.

A variety of primary and secondary sources will be used throughout the course. Additional
documents and articles from multiple sources will be assigned for analysis and interpretation
when appropriate.

COURSE EXPECTATIONS
Students are expected to arrive to class on time, participate in class discussions and activities,
and complete all assigned readings and assignments. No late work will be accepted. Any
make-up assignments must be completed no later than 2 days after returning to class and must
be accompanied with an excused admit.
AP COURSE DEMANDS
It should be understood from the beginning of this course that the expectations of this class are
consistent with those of any Advanced Placement course. Students should expect a workload
similar to that of a college level course. This will involve extensive reading every night, active
participation in class discussions and activities, taking notes, completing projects, and
conducting research.

THE AP EXAM
One of the goals of this course is to prepare you for the AP Exam. A passing score will earn you
college credit for the class. The AP United States History Exam is scheduled for Friday, May 7th.

ASSESSMENTS
Tests
Tests will follow approximately every three chapters in the textbook and after the completion of
each unit.
Quizzes
Quizzes will be given on readings from each chapter.
Projects
There will be an assigned project for each of the four grading periods throughout the course.
Essays
Practice in writing change and continuity over time essays, as well as writing comparative and
DBQ essays, will occur periodically throughout the course.
Classwork/Homework
Classwork and homework assignments will consist of assigned readings with questions for
analysis and interpretation, historical maps to label and color, chart completions, and other
activities.
Participation
Class participation in lectures and discussions is a requirement of this course.

* All assignments need to be hand written unless you are asked to do otherwise.

COURSE PLAN
1. Early Colonial America: Discovery to 1763 (Chapters 1-4) 3 weeks
2. The Revolution, Critical Period, (Chapters 5-7) 3 weeks
& the Early Republic: 1763-1800
3. The Early National Period, (Chapters 8-10) 3 weeks
Jefferson to Jackson: 1801-1840
4. The Late National Period, Slavery, (Chapters 11-13) 3 weeks
& Manifest Destiny
5. Sectionalism, Civil War, & Reconstruction (Chapters 14-16) 2 weeks
6. The West, Industrialization, & Urbanization (Chapters 17-18) 2 weeks
7. The Gilded Age, Populists, Imperialists, (Chapters 20-22) 3 weeks
& Progressives
8. America & the World at the Beginning (Chapters 23-25) 3 weeks
of the 20th Century
9. Depression, a “Hot” and a “Cold” War (Chapters 26-28) 3 weeks
10. America in a Complicated & Multi-polar World (Chapters 29-32) 4 weeks

AP UNITED STATES HISTORY THEMES

We will adhere to the following themes throughout the course of the year. The themes will help to see the
big picture and will be used often as a frame work for discussing topics and exam questions.

American Diversity
The diversity of the American people and the relationships among different groups. The roles of race,
class, ethnicity, and gender in the history of the United States.
American Identity
Views of the American national character and ideas about American exceptionalism. Recognizing
regional differences within the context of what it means to be an American.
Culture
Diverse individual and collective expressions through literature, art, philosophy, music, theater, and fi lm
throughout U.S. history. Popular culture and the dimensions of cultural confl ict within American society.
Demographic Changes
Changes in birth, marriage, and death rates; life expectancy and family patterns; population size and
density. The economic, social, and political effects of immigration, internal migration, and migration
networks.
Economic Transformations
Changes in trade, commerce, and technology across time. The effects of capitalist development, labor
and unions, and consumerism.
Environment
Ideas about the consumption and conservation of natural resources. The impact of population growth,
industrialization, pollution, and urban and suburban expansion.
Globalization
Engagement with the rest of the world from the fifteenth century to the present: colonialism,
mercantilism, global hegemony, development of markets, imperialism, and cultural exchange.
Politics and Citizenship
Colonial and revolutionary legacies, American political traditions, growth of democracy, and the
development of the modern state. Defining citizenship; struggles for civil rights.
Reform
Diverse movements focusing on a broad range of issues, including anti-slavery, education, labor,
temperance, women’s rights, civil rights, gay rights, war, public health, and government.
Religion
The variety of religious beliefs and practices in America from prehistory to the twenty-first century;
influence of religion on politics, economics, and society.
Slavery and Its Legacies in North America
Systems of slave labor and other forms of unfree labor (e.g., indentured servitude, contract labor) in
American Indian societies, the Atlantic World, and the American South and West. The economics of
slavery and its racial dimensions. Patterns of resistance and the long-term economic, political, and social
effects of slavery.
War and Diplomacy
Armed conflict from the precolonial period to the twenty-fi rst century; impact of war on American foreign
policy and on politics, economy, and society.

Additional Information:

See www.collegeboard.com for complete Course Description.