AP United States History, 2013-14

Course descri tion

DR. MURRAY

This Advanced Placement course surveys the history of the United States from the age of European exploration to the present. Among other things, the course seeks to explain how a collection of seemingly insignificant English colonies, located on the frontier of estern !ivili"ation in the seventeenth century, gradually evolved into the twenty#first century$s most powerful and influential nation#state. In class discussion, the emphasis is on issues, problems, and interpretations, not on reviewing the textbook; consequently, much of the burden of mastering the factual content must be borne by the individual student. %aily reading assignments are at least &' pages in length, and fre(uently longer. Students are expected to read carefully and thoroughly and to come to class ready to discuss the material.

Course re!uire"ents
1. 2. 3. Ma#or $ritten Assi%n"ents
There will )e at least * ma+or graded assignments each semester. These may include unit tests, papers, and pro+ects. The point values of these assignments will vary. At times, ,(uests,- papers, and pro+ects may take the place of unit tests. &ui''es . do not assign a lot of (ui""es in this class. . am more likely to assign (ui""es if . conclude that students aren/t preparing ade(uately. (ote)oo*s All students should keep a separate note)ook for history. 0eading notes are an integral part of a well#designed note)ook. Study (uestions have )een provided for each unit to help you read more effectively1 there are general (uestions to help you identify the ,)ig issues- of the unit, as well as more specific (uestions to guide your nightly reading. 2ou are 34T expected to answer each (uestion in writing1 use the (uestions to help identify main ideas and to assess how well you understand the material. Mood+e 2ou can find the unit sylla)i and the study (uestions on the course 5oodle page. Supplementary materials 6e.g., handouts, historical documents7 are also posted on the 5oodle page. There may )e reading materials posted on 5oodle that . don/t actually list on the sylla)us1 unless . say otherwise in class, you are not re(uired to read them. 8rom time to time, we may also use 5oodle for threaded discussions. AP ,-a" There is no Pingry final exam in this course. 9ike all students of AP courses at Pingry, you are re(uired take the AP U.S. :istory exam in 5ay. If you do not take the exam, for whatever reason, you will be required to take a final exam in June. In addition, the !" designation will be removed from your transcript and replaced with a #onors" designation. This course is designed to provide you with the concepts, skills, and knowledge necessary for the examination. I cannot promise you, however, that every fact on the examination will be discussed in class. $ome of the preparation depends on you. 2ou may wish to consider purchasing an AP review )ook. Some students find them useful1 others do not. Researc. Pro#ects There will )e several pro+ects re(uiring research 6i.e., using materials in addition to those assigned )y me7, and therefore multiple opportunities to hone your research skills. 2ou will )e re(uired to write a research paper in 5ay, following the AP exam.

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/radin% sca+e
To figure out your grade, . will take the total num)er of points you have earned and divide it )y the total num)er of points availa)le. That percentage will correspond to the letter grades listed )elow.
&''#;< ;>#;? A= A <;#<< <>#<? != !

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;@#;' A;#A< A>#A? A@#A' A# B= B B# <@#<' >;#>< >>#>? >@#>' !# %= % %#

Ru+es o0 t.e road

1e Pre ared This is a discussion#oriented class. %iscussions don/t work when students don/t do the reading. .f your lack of preparation )ecomes o)vious to me, your grade will suffer. If it happens repeatedly, you will be asked to leave the ! %. $. #istory program. 1.
As you know, AP U. S. :istory at Pingry is optional. .f you would prefer to do less work, we now have T 4 excellent non#AP U. S. :istory courses that should meet your needs. .f you do choose to stay here, however, please understand that . cannot accommodate your extracurricular responsi)ilities. &' to &@ pages of reading per class meeting is not too much to ask for a class that may provide you with college credit.

2.

(o $.inin% a)out t.e $or* 2oad

3. 2a to Po+icy .n#class .nternet access on laptops, pads, etc. is an expectation of the course. 2ou are responsi)le for keeping your device in good working order 6e.g., a fully charged )attery7 and for )ringing it to class. As we all know, the .nternet can )e enormously distracting. 2ou are allowed to use your device in class 840 !9ASS PU0P4SES 4392##34T for entertainment, 34T for communication with friends or family, 34T for accessing social networks or photo#sharing services 6e.g., 8ace)ook, Twitter, Snapchat, .nstagram7, 34T for doing your homework, 34T for studying for other classes. 9aptops must )e closed upon re(uest##no exceptions. 2ou are expected to a)ide )y Pingry/s accepta)le use policy1 )e sure to read the avoiding distraction document, www.pingry.orgC&to&advice. 65any thanks to Dreg Eo"iol/&?, %enise Brown#Allen, and !huck !oe for sharing their words and ideas regarding accepta)le use of technology in the classroomF7 !apers are due by & pm on the day indicated on your syllabus. 2ou will lose one#third of a letter grade for every day that the paper is late. 6 eekends count for T 4 days.7 Extensions are at my discretion1 please do not even think of asking me for one on 6or after7 the day the paper is due. Athletic events, recitals, dress rehearsals, etc. the night )efore a paper is due are 34T +ustifia)le reasons for an extension. Plan ahead. 'ote( If I don)t *+,+I-+ the paper by the & pm deadline, then you don)t get credit for handing it in on time. !.$. I will explore the possibility of accepting papers on .oodle and through /ropbox.

4.

2ate Pa ers, e"ai+ed assi%n"ents, etc.

2ou are encouraged to write several drafts of a paper or a test essay BE840E handing it in. .n most cases, . will meet with you to go over drafts. Please keep in mind, however, that your paper should 34T )e a colla)orative effort )etween you and me1 it/s your paper, not mine. .n general, . will 34T allow rewrites after the paper is graded. .n special cases, however, . may allow you to rewrite a paper on which you have done poorly. Eeep in mind that rewriting involves more than simply plugging in my corrections1 it means a su)stantial revisionGin effect, an entirely new paper. .f the paper shows genuine improvement, . will take the new grade and average it with the original grade. If you hand a paper in late, you will NOT be allowed to rewrite it. NO EXCEPTIONS!

5.

Re3rites

4ests Please do not tell me the day of a test that you won/t )e a)le to take it due to illness, lack of preparation, etc. .f you are too sick to take the test, go to the nurseGand then go home. 2ou are not permitted to miss a test due to illness and then ,recover- in time for sports practice, a piano recital, etc. .f you are a)sent the day of a test, you must see me T:E %A2 24U 0ETU03 T4 S!:449 to discuss the make#up. .n most cases, if you are only a)sent one day, you will be expected to ta e the te!t the day you return. Please do not try to avoid me and hope that . will forget a)out it. 0ailure to contact me and discuss the make1up will result in the same penalties that are imposed on late papers. 6. P+a%iaris" 2ou must give credit for words A3% ideas that you have )orrowed from someone else. 8ailure to do so is a violation of the Pingry :onor !ode. hen you make use of material from a source 6whether it/s a print source or an .nternet source7, you must either (uote it exactly 6using 7.

(uotation marks7 or paraphrase it 6i.e., put it into your own word!7, and then cite the source. !opying a passage from a source, changing a few words, and passing it off as your own language 6i.e., not using (uotation marks7 constitutes plagiarism, e"en if you u!e a citationF !arenthetical citations and a 2orks ,ited" page are required for all written work, with the exception of in1class essays. 3es, you need to cite the textbook, unless I say otherwise. Use the parenthetical citation 6or 59A7 format descri)ed in The Pin#ry $anual of Style. .f you don/t understand the citation system descri)ed in the $anualGor you aren/t sure a)out whether something needs to )e citedGask me. hen in dou)t, cite it. A. C.eatin% Students are expected to complete their work on their own, unless given specific permission to work in groups. That means no unauthori"ed help from fellow students, parents, )rothers, sisters, tutors, et. al., unless . specifically say so. Unauthori"ed help on written assignments and oral reports is considered a violation of the :onor !ode. If I give you an essay question 4or a collection of possible essay questions5 before a test, you are expected to work on the question 4or questions5 yourself; it is '67 a group assignment. 36% *+ '67 8862+/ 76 $# *+ +$$ 3 6%78I'+$ 6* 7#+$I$ $7 7+.+'7$ 2I7# 36%* 0+8862 $7%/+'7$ 2#+' !*+! *I'9 36%* +$$ 3$: :owever, it/s fine for you to meet with other students to review dates, names, and other factual material. ;. A)sences 2ou are responsi)le for finding out what you have missed when you are a)sent. . am not responsi)le for reminding you. .f you are a)sent the day of a test, you must see me the day you return, so that we can schedule a make#up test. Tests that are not made up promptly will )e treated in the same way as late papers.

Course "ateria+s
%ivine, Breen, illiams, Dross, H Brands, The %&erican Story, 8ifth Edition 6This is the main text.7 3umerous handouts containing scholarly articles and primary sources posted on 5oodle

/oa+s
To help you appreciate the complexity, diversity, and richness of the American experience. To provide a rigorous, college#level history course that is interesting, challenging, and appealing. To help you )ecome more adept at evaluating rival interpretations of events and historical developments. To help you to strengthen the skills needed to craft a coherent, analytical essay, emphasi"ing the synthesis of material from different sources. To encourage you to )ecome )etter informed a)out, and more interested in, the world around you. To provide you with the knowledge, skills, and ha)its of mind that you will need to approach the Advanced Placement exam with confidence. To help you see that knowledge is interconnected, and that what you learn in American 9iterature class is relevant to what you are studying in history. To convince you that talk without su)stance is of little value, that opinions must )e supported with reason and evidence. To encourage you to evaluate your own political and personal values, inviting you to think without telling you what to think.

Ma#or 4o ics
The catastrophic impact of European coloni"ation upon America/s indigenous peoples The esta)lishment of permanent hereditary slavery as the ,solution- to the colonial la)or shortage The Puritan mission to esta)lish a ,city upon a hill,- a theme which has )ecome an essential and enduring part of America/s perception of itself The conception of America as a ,melting pot- and the myth 6and reality7 of the ,self#made man The origins and effects of the American 0evolution, including the uni(uely American emphasis upon individual freedom and self#reliance The development of the U. S. !onstitution, the evolution of constitutional interpretation, and the growing tendency for Americans to see the constitution as a sacred text The impact of rapid territorial and economic expansion upon the new repu)lic in the mid# nineteenth century, including the emergence of religious revivalism, literary romanticism, social utopianism, and political reform The causes and conse(uences of the !ivil ar and 0econstruction, the latter of which include the emergence of a powerful central government, the rapid development of industrial capitalism, and the conflict )etween the plight of African#Americans under the Iim !row system and the ideals of American democracy The creation of Jsmokestack AmericaJ in the late &A''s, the growing estrangement )etween capital and la)or, and the turn#of#the#century Progressive efforts to humani"e the industrial city America$s emergence as a world power and the impact that this has had upon America/s foreign policy and its perception of itself nativism, populism, isolationism, and other conse(uences of the tension )etween America/s agrarian, traditionalist past and its ur)an, cosmopolitan future The contri)utions made )y )lacks, :ispanics, Asians, and other minority groups to modern American culture The Dreat %epression and the creation of the American welfare state The confrontation with the Soviet Union in the !old culture ar and the impact of anticommunist on domestic politics and

The civil rights movement, the Dreat Society, and the growth of political and cultural radicalism in the &;K's and &;>'s The reinvigoration of conservatism in the &;A's and the ,culture wars- of the present day

S 5622S
9ike all Pingry history courses, ! %. $. #istory is designed to draw upon and strengthen the following skillsL
0eading Skills .dentifying the argument. 0estating ma+or ideas in concise form. Asking intelligent (uestions. %istinguishing relevant from irrelevant material. %istinguishing )etween fact and opinion. Evaluating the credi)ility of different views. Altering reading approaches to a variety of purposesL skimming, reading for main ideas, factual mastery. Using what you already know to help you comprehend new material. Using new material to challenge and modify what you already know. 0ecogni"ing )ias. 5aking inferences and drawing conclusions. 0ecogni"ing and comprehending complexity and am)iguity. riting Skills Be a)le to write an effective and well#organi"ed essay that includesL an introductory paragraph a thesis statement )ody paragraphs with topic sentences a concluding paragraph, and citations and a , orks !ited- page. Be a)le to write for different purposes, includingL to analy"e, to synthesi"e, to compare and contrast, and to support conclusions and persuade your reader of the validity of your thesis. Analysis H .nterpretation Skills Be a)le to analy"e and interpret material in the following formsL !harts and graphs :istorical atlases Art and literature 5iscellaneous Skills Utili"ing li)rary and .nternet resources 8orming and defending opinions )ased upon evidence 5astering large amounts of information for presentation on an examination or in a paper Effectively communicating ideas orally 0ecogni"ing recurring themes Effectively organi"ing a note)ook . 5aps and map sym)ols Political cartoons Misual materials