APUSH COURSE SYLLABUS: 2023-2024
Mr. Muller’s AP® United States History
Syllabus
One Year Syllabus for 2023-2024 – Brentwood High School
Course Description:
Advanced Placement U.S. History is a college-level introductory course which examines the nations' political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history from the Pre-Columbian Period (1490s) to the present. The course is taught in accordance with the AP U.S. History curriculum framework, and is designed to prepare students for the AP U.S. History Exam in May.
AP U.S. History is a rigorous, fast paced and arduous course designed to be the equivalent of a full-year college U.S. History course. Students must also be willing to devote substantial time to study and the completion of class assignments outside of the classroom. Emphasis is placed on class discussion, the use of primary and secondary sources, critical reading, and analytical thinking and writing. Success on the exam is largely determined by student completion of reading and other assignments outside of class and the development of analytical skills. Students should learn to assess historical materials their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance and to weight the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
The College Board also ties the AP U.S. History exam to the development of historical thinking skills that reflect the tasks of professional historians. These skills will be practiced throughout the course and include Chronological Reasoning (Historical Causation, Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time, Periodization), Comparison and Contextualization, Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence (Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence), and Historical Interpretation and Synthesis.
Course Objectives:
Student will:
· Master a broad body of historical knowledge
· Demonstrate and understanding of historical chronology
· Use historical data to support an argument or position
· Interpret and apply data from original documents, including cartoons, graphs, letters,
etc.
· Develop an understanding of historical materials and determine their relevance to a given interpretation, reliability, and importance
· Effectively use analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, compare and contrast
· Work effectively with others to produce products and solve problems
· Prepare for and successfully pass the AP U.S. History Exam
Course Themes:
The AP U.S. Course Description recognizes seven themes as transcending U.S. History. These themes are woven throughout assignments and discussions, with assessments (quizzes, activities, essays, and exams) being structured around them.
Course Structure:
The AP U.S. History is structured around nine chronological periods with key concepts that are typically detected in college-level United States history courses.
Historical Thinking Skills:
These skills reflect the tasks of professional historians. While learning to master these tasks, AP U.S. History students act as "apprentice historians."
Chronological Reasoning
· Historical Causation
· Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
· Periodization
Comparison and Contextualization
· Comparison
· Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
· Historical Argumentation
· Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
· Interpretation
· Synthesis
Syllabus
One Year Syllabus for 2023-2024 – Brentwood High School
Course Description:
Advanced Placement U.S. History is a college-level introductory course which examines the nations' political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history from the Pre-Columbian Period (1490s) to the present. The course is taught in accordance with the AP U.S. History curriculum framework, and is designed to prepare students for the AP U.S. History Exam in May.
AP U.S. History is a rigorous, fast paced and arduous course designed to be the equivalent of a full-year college U.S. History course. Students must also be willing to devote substantial time to study and the completion of class assignments outside of the classroom. Emphasis is placed on class discussion, the use of primary and secondary sources, critical reading, and analytical thinking and writing. Success on the exam is largely determined by student completion of reading and other assignments outside of class and the development of analytical skills. Students should learn to assess historical materials their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance and to weight the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
The College Board also ties the AP U.S. History exam to the development of historical thinking skills that reflect the tasks of professional historians. These skills will be practiced throughout the course and include Chronological Reasoning (Historical Causation, Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time, Periodization), Comparison and Contextualization, Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence (Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence), and Historical Interpretation and Synthesis.
Course Objectives:
Student will:
· Master a broad body of historical knowledge
· Demonstrate and understanding of historical chronology
· Use historical data to support an argument or position
· Interpret and apply data from original documents, including cartoons, graphs, letters,
etc.
· Develop an understanding of historical materials and determine their relevance to a given interpretation, reliability, and importance
· Effectively use analytical skills of evaluation, cause and effect, compare and contrast
· Work effectively with others to produce products and solve problems
· Prepare for and successfully pass the AP U.S. History Exam
Course Themes:
The AP U.S. Course Description recognizes seven themes as transcending U.S. History. These themes are woven throughout assignments and discussions, with assessments (quizzes, activities, essays, and exams) being structured around them.
- American and National Identity
- America in the World
- Migration and Settlement
- Politics and Power
- Work, Exchange, and Technology
- Geography and the Environment
- Culture and Society
Course Structure:
The AP U.S. History is structured around nine chronological periods with key concepts that are typically detected in college-level United States history courses.
- Period 1: 1491–1607- 5% of Exam
- Period 2: 1607–1754- 11.25% of the Exam
- Period 3: 1754–1800- 11.25% of the Exam
- Period 4: 1800–1848- 11.25% of the Exam
- Period 5: 1844–1877- 11.25% of the Exam
- Period 6: 1865–1898- 15% of the Exam
- Period 7: 1890–1945- 15% of the Exam
- Period 8: 1945–1980- 15% of the Exam
- Period 9: 1980–Present- 5% of the Exam
Historical Thinking Skills:
These skills reflect the tasks of professional historians. While learning to master these tasks, AP U.S. History students act as "apprentice historians."
Chronological Reasoning
· Historical Causation
· Patterns of Continuity and Change Over Time
· Periodization
Comparison and Contextualization
· Comparison
· Contextualization
Crafting Historical Arguments from Historical Evidence
· Historical Argumentation
· Appropriate Use of Historical Evidence
Historical Interpretation and Synthesis
· Interpretation
· Synthesis
Course Text Book:
- Henretta, James A., Rebecca Edwards, Robert O. Self. America’s History, AP 8th Edition. Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2014.
Tentative Grading:
Grades will be based on a variety of different activities such as: homework, quizzes, tests, essay assignments, & a research paper.
- In Class Assignments/ homework 20%
- Participation- 15%.
- Quizzes - 25%.
- Exams - 40%.
Class Assignments:
Various times a week you will have in class assignments and Homework to complete. Each assignment will help enforce the chapter of the week and will be included on your assessments.
Quizzes and Exams:
Quizzes or exams can range from long essay answers, multiple choice tests, a short essay answer, a document based questions, or a combination of any - so be prepared
- Every Wednesday: Vocabulary Quiz.
- Every Friday: Chapter Assessment.
Late Work:
If the student fails to turn in an assignment, a grade deduction of 10% per day will occur. This will increase until 50% reduction occurs (one week). After one week, work will receive a zero but student is still expected to complete it. 10 points will be deducted from your participation grade if not completed
Electronic Device Policy:
No electronic devices (cell phones, i-pod, etc.) are allowed in my classroom. If I can last 42 minutes without my phone, so can you!
Class Procedures:
You are expected be to class on time and ready to work when the final bell rings. Lateness and cuts will not be tolerated and will be handled according to the Student Rules and Guidelines in your Agenda. In class, rude behavior, calling out answers, insulting remarks, and disrespectfulness towards your fellow classmates and myself will not be tolerated. Phone calls home will be frequent to any offenders of any of these rules. Calls will also be frequently made to give updates to your parent(s) on your performance. This is a difficult course and it does requires you to be prepared and to do your best. There are incentives for those who work hard. "THERE IS NO EXCUSE FOR BAD MANNERS."
First Semester:
September- Chapters 1-5: 1491-1754 (Period 1 &2)
Theme: The world before and after Indian & European contact
Assessments: Chapter1 & 2
Chapter 3 & 4
Chapter 5
Topics:
- Pre-European America
- The Columbian Exchange
- Indian, African and European contacts
- Colonialization
- European colonies conflict
- Political, Economic and Cultural developments within colonies
October- Chapters 6-10: 1754-1800 (Period 3)
Theme: British suppression leads to a new nation
Assessments: Chapter 6 (October )
Chapter 7
Chapter 8
Chapter 9
Chapter 10
Topics:
- Colonial unrest
- Testing Democracy
- Mixing of peoples
- A new national identity
- Migration within North America
November- Chapters 11-13: 1800-1848 (Period 4)
Theme: A struggling new republic
Assessments: Chapter 11 (November)
Chapter 12
Chapter 13
Topics:
- Modern mass democracy
- New agricultural, technological and commercial developments
- Foreign trade
- Border expansion
- Isolation from European affairs
December- Chapters 14-16: 1844-1877 (Period 5)
Theme: Sectional Tension
Assessments: Chapter 14 (December)
Chapter 15
Chapter 16
Topics:
- Immigration
- Expansionist foreign policy
- Sectionalism & Civil War
- Reconstruction
- Federal power & citizenship rights
Christmas- Chapter 17: 1865? (Period )
Theme: Research paper / essay assignment
Examination: None
Research: 1865-1877
Topics:
- Reconstruction
- The west
- The election of 1877
Target Date: January 3, 2011
January- Chapters 18-20: 1865-1898 (Period 6)
Theme: Industrialization
Assessments: Chapter 17 & 18 (January)
Chapter 19
Chapter 20
Topics:
- Big business
- Urbanization
- National identity
- Reforms
- Minorities, women and immigrants
Second Semester:
February- Chapters 21-24: 1989-1945 (Period 7)
Theme: Domestic and global challenges threaten the United States role internationally
Assessments: Chapter 21 (February)
Chapter 22
Chapter 23 & 24
Topics: