858
755 0125 ext. 2160 e- mail. bill.tapp@sduhsd.net
The best time to meet with me first semester is at lunch.
Textbook:
The American Pageant, Thirteenth Edition
A People’s History of the United States, Howard Zinn
ABOUT
AP U.S. HISTORY
AP U.S. History is a demanding introduction to American
History and culture that assumes a high level of interest and competence.
Because this course is similar to a first-year college course, students should
expect that the workload will be heavier than most regular high school history
courses. The analytical thinking, writing, and reading skills that students
develop in AP U.S. History will equip them for college and lifelong learning.
In order to succeed, students need both to be motivated to study and to be able
to keep up with the demands of a college-level course. By taking the AP Exam at
the end of the course, which all students are encouraged to do, students
have the opportunity to demonstrate that they have, indeed, learned
college-level material and are prepared to enter advanced college courses.
AP U.S. History integrates political, social, economic, cultural, diplomatic,
and intellectual history in order to convey the experiences of particular groups
within the broader perspective of the American past. At the same time, it
connects events and issues from the past to the concerns of the present. History
shows Americans continuously adapting to new developments as they shape the
world in which they live. Often, ordinary Americans from a diverse range of
backgrounds are thrust into extraordinary circumstances and the result is an
exciting study in the "American experiment." As students study this
long-term process, they will also encounter the unexpected -- unique events,
unintended outcomes, and singular individuals. A strong course that prepares
students to become "students of history" should include the following
points for emphasis:
In addition to reading the college level textbook, students will be introduced to primary documents, which they will be trained to analyze and interpret. Students will also be taught to assess the validity of historical propositions and to build an effective argument. Students will frequently be given assignments that require them to practice writing skills in order to prepare for the free response and DBQ sections of the AP Exam.
The course work has to be completed by the first part of May to allow time for a review for the AP U.S. History Exam on the second Friday in May.
1.
Arrive to class before the tardy bell sounds. The school tardy policy will be
enforced. See your student handbook for details.
2. Please do not miss class unless absolutely necessary.
3. Please obtain the instructor’s permission before leaving the classroom.
4. With the exception of extraordinary circumstances, late work is not accepted for credit.
5. You may make-up assignments missed due to excused absences. It is due upon your return to class unless it is a handout that you did not have access to. Place make-up work in the appropriate tray for your period.
6. If you miss an exam due to an excused absence, it is your responsibility to meet with me upon your return to class to arrange a timely make-up date.
7. Cheating in any form will not be tolerated. Please refer to the Academic Honesty definition in your student handbook. The school cheating policy will be enforced. Please refer to your student handbook for details.
8. Any technology that you may bring to school must be turned off while in class unless given permission to do otherwise.
9. It is expected that you will be tolerant of the opinions and ideas of others and always respond to differences of opinion in a civil manner.
10 Sexual harassment or harassment of any kind will NOT be tolerated.
11.
Beverages and food are permitted as long as it is NOT a distraction and that you
do not litter. Please use the trash or recycle cannisters.
GRADING.
You will be evaluated on the by the following criteria:
Quizzes 20%
Semester
Project
15%
Class Activities/Classwork/Homework 15%
Primary
Document Portfolio
10%
Exams:
An exam will be administered at the completion of each unit of study. Exams consist of multiple choice, short answer and essay questions. A final exam will be administered at the end of each semester covering all chapters studied.
Quizzes:
Quizzes can be expected after each reading assignment, lecture, etc. Quizzes may be announced or of the "pop" variety.
Homework:
Homework
usually takes the form of reading assigned pages in the text, answering
questions to check for understanding, and research for upcoming class activities
or lectures. It is very important that students keep up with the assignments as
to be able to participate in the following class.
Semester Projects:
A major project will be assigned each semester.
The first semester project will be to research and present to the class an oral biography of a prominent person.
Class Activities:
Class activities usually require the students, either individually or in groups, to research and present information to the class in the form of presentations, simulations, or debates.
Primary Document Portfolio
Students will be required to find two-three (2-3) primary documents for each Unit studied. You will copy, read, analyze and write a short summary of the document selected. Your finished product will be stored in your portfolio. The portfolios will periodically be collected for evaluation purposes.
The
grading scale on all work in this class is as follows:
100-90% A
89-80% B
79-70% C
69-60% D
59-0%
F
You may access your grades on-line and I will also post them on the rear bulletin board at the beginning of each week.
TOPICS
OF STUDY:
New World Beginnings 33,000 B.C.-A.D. 1769
The Planting of English America 1500-1733
Settling the Northern Colonies 1619-1700
American Life in the Seventeenth Century 1607-1692
Colonial Society on the Eve of Revolution 1700-1775
The Duel for North America 1608-1763
The Road to Revolution 1763-1775
America Secedes from the Empire 1775-1783
The Confederation and the Constitution 1776-1790
Launching the New Ship of State 1789-1800
The Triumphs and Travails of the Jeffersonian Republic 1800-1812
The Second War for Independence and the Upsurge of Nationalism 1812-1824
The Rise of Mass Democracy 1824-1840
Forging the National Economy 1790-1860
The Ferment of Reform and Culture 1790 1860
The South and the Slavery Controversy 1793-1860
Manifest Destiny and its Legacy 1841-1848
Renewing the Sectional Struggle 1848-1854
Drifting Toward Disunion 1854-1861
Girding for War: The North and South 1861-1865
The Furnace of Civil War 1861-1865
The Ordeal of Reconstruction 1865-1877
Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age 1869-1896
Industry Comes of Age 1865-1900
America Moves to the City 1865-1900
The Great West and the Agricultural Revolution 1865-1896
Empire and Expansion 1890-1909
Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt 1901-1912
Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad 1912-1916
The War to End War 1917-1918
American Life in the Roaring Twenties 1919-1929
The Politics of Boom and Bust 1920-1932
The Great Depression and the New Deal 1933-1939
FDR and the Shadow of War 1933-1941
America in WW II 1941-1945
The Cold War Begins 1945-1952
The Eisenhower Era 1952-1960
The Stormy Sixties 1960-1968
The Stalemated Seventies 1968-1980
The Resurgence of Conservatism 1980-1992
America Confronts the Post-War Era 1992-2004
The American People Face a New Century