• AP United States History        Fall 2019    Mr. Bartlett

     

    Introduction to AP History Courses:

    The AP program is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials presented by United States history.  The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses.  Students should 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.  Conclusions must be drawn based upon an informed judgment and presented with evidence in persuasive written responses.  The AP exam will be administered in May, 2020.  The reliance on current events and documentary history ensures a smooth alignment of the course with the common core curriculum.

     

    This is a very rigorous course of study that will require tremendous effort and commitment of your time.  The reward is in the additional skills you will build as a result of your hard work (and, of course, the college credit you may earn). Students MUST read and take notes from the textbook diligently.

     

     

    Scope of course:

    The AP United States history course deals with the period 1492 AD to present.  The following is a rough outline of areas to be emphasized:

                Discovery and Settlement 1492-1650

                America and the British Empire 1650-1754

                Revolution and the New Republic 1754-1800

                The Age of Jefferson 1800-1816

                Nationalism, Economic Expansion, and Sectionalism

                The Age of Jackson 1828-1848

                Territorial Expansion and Sectional Crisis

                Creating an "American" culture

                The Civil War Era and Reconstruction 1850-1877

                New South and the Last West

                Industrialization and Corporate Consolidation

                Urban Society

                Intellectual and Cultural Movements

                National Politics 1877-1896:  The Gilded Age

                Foreign Policy 1865-1914

                The Progressive Era

                The First World War

                The 1920's

                Depression, New Deal, and Diplomacy 1929-1941

                The Second World War

                Eisenhower and Modern Republicanism

                Kennedy's New Frontier; Johnson's Great Society

                The Nixon Era

                The United States Since 1980                                                                               

    - excerpted from The College Board Advanced Placement Course Description

     

    Method of Instruction:

    There is an extensive body of reading required to be successful in this course.  While the reading will be dealt with in class, the student is responsible for dealing with the basic text and preparing questions/concerns for class discussion.  There will not be daily "notes" given on the basic text.

     

    All of the following will be a part of this class.

                -Group work and presentations (verbal, in front of the class)

                -Readings with questions to answer

    -Analyzing primary sources, taking notes from these sources, and preparing outlines

                -Compare/contrast essays

                -Lectures/note taking

                -Test writing/grading

                -research and presentation in various forms

     

    Grading:

    All written assignments done outside of class will be considered as either quizzes or tests.  There will be periodic quizzes on the reading assignments, and there will be formal essay/multiple choice tests.  With the exception of reading quizzes, you will be given at least four days notice of all formal tests, and due dates for research papers/reaction papers and interpretations will be announced in a manner appropriate to the assignment.  Quizzes count once, tests twice in computing averages.  Homework average is computed by dividing points earned by total points possible.  Reading quizzes are part of the homework average.  Due dates will be coordinated to avoid conflicts with other courses whenever possible.

     

    Miscellaneous Information:   

    Please come to class on time, and be ready to start immediately.  "Tardy" means that you are not in the room and seated before the scheduled start of class.  Please do not show up here a few second before class begins asking if you can go to your locker to get your books etc.-- that is to be done prior to the start time.
     
    When class is called to an assembly, we must leave together and sit in assigned seating.  Attendance will be taken.
     
    The main office is open from 7:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. 
     

    Fire Drills/Assemblies

    The Fire Exit route is posted on the wall-- we all leave together, quietly, and stay out of the parking lot.  The schedule is posted on the bulletin board by the door.   

     

     

     

    My Schedule:

    Period:            A Days:                                       B Days:

    1/2                  Prep   106                       Prep 106

    3/4                  APUS rm 106                  Econ rm 106

    5/6                  Econ rm 106                    Hall Duty

    7/8                  AP US rm 106                 AP US rm 106                       

     

    My office is upstairs in room 260.  Please take the time to come and talk to me if you have any questions or concerns.  I usually get here at about 7:25 a.m., and I am coaching all three seasons this year so it is important you stay in touch if you have questions.  You can contact me through voice mail-dial 256-4000 mailbox 69503 and leave me a message—or, my email is dbartlett@newpaltz.k12.ny.us.  Good luck and have fun this year!
Last Modified on September 4, 2019