The AP program in US History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in US History. This course meets five times per week for eighty - three minutes each day. Students will learn to assess historical materials - their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance - and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. This AP US History course will develop the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format. Students are required to analyze primary sources, interpret the meaning of the documents and be able to discuss the document with the class. Group activities to analyze the documents as well as homework assignments, class discussion and quizzes will be used to assess student understanding.

Students are required to respond to numerous free-response questions throughout the course. Initially the free-response questions are completed at home and include document based questions. Students will transition to completing a document based question in eighty-three minutes, eventually reaching their goal of completing a document based question in the same amount of time allotted on the actual AP exam, with no foreknowledge of the subject of the document based question. Students will be required to self assess and will participate in anonymous peer assessment of completed responses. Self assessment and peer assessment will be completed during class.

Students will also complete several projects, outlined in the syllabus, that are based on the units being covered. They will also be introduced to dozens of online projects as well as various segments of video and audio documentaries. Students will become increasingly familiar with creating and using wikis, participating in online discussion forums and building podcasts. The course is designed to be challenging and demanding as well as empowering and engaging. Welcome.

IMPORTANT FILES

1. Reading Guide
2. Course Calendar
3. Free Response Questions
4. Projects and Activities
5. RAFT Assignments