Introduction to Advanced Placement United States History APUSH 1

Why study history?

"There is divine beauty in learning... To learn means to accept the postulate that life did not begin at my birth. Others have been here before me, and I walk in their footsteps. The books I have read were composed by generations of fathers and sons, mothers and daughters, teachers and disciples. I am the sum total of their experiences, their quests. And so are you." — Elie Wiesel, writer/Holocaust survivor

Quotes about History “History is the memory of things said and done.” ----Carl Becker 4

To Bee or not to Bee? – that is the question! 5

Rules for Success in Life Rules for Success in this Class: Be Here Be on Time Be Prepared Be Respectful Be Involved 6

Course Description Equivalent of a freshman college course and can earn students college credit. Two semester survey of American history (Pre-Columbian America to the present time). Solid reading and writing skills Critical and analytical thinking skills, essay writing, and on interpretation of primary and secondary sources. 5

Course Objective Master a broad body of historical knowledge Demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology Use historical data to support an argument or position Interpret and apply data from original documents Prepare for and successfully pass the AP Exam 8

Textbook and Supplemental Material The American Pageant; Bailey, Cohen, Kennedy 12 th Edition The American Spirit; Vol. 1 to 1877;Bailey, Kennedy, 10 th Edition The American Spirit; Vol. 2 to Present; Bailey, Kennedy, 10 th Edition 8

Major Themes of the Course American Diversity American Identity Culture Demographic Changes Economic Transformations Environment Globalization Politics and Citizenship Reform Religion Slavery and its’ legacies in North America War and Diplomacy 8

ATTENDANCE All Absences – You will miss classroom instruction which cannot be replaced – you need to be here. Period. Excused Absences – You are to make up all work. If your absence is excused your daily grade will be excused but all work will be checked for make up in your notebook. Unexcused Absences – You will receive a “0” for any work missed during an unexcused absence. It is to your benefit, however, to make up all work and place it in your notebook! Bottom Line – Be Here! 11

Homework AP courses are demanding and require daily homework. Students planning to earn a score of 4 or 5 will spend a MINIMUM of SEVEN hours per week studying. Homework is mainly reading and NOT daily written work or take-home worksheets. Students will be expected to keep taking notes in a systematic fashion. The bonus to the student is that they can plan their own study time to more easily match their schedule. The pitfall is that the student can easily slack off and, after 7-10 days, fall rapidly behind. 12

Grading Procedure It’s not your “IQ”, it’s your “I do” that matters! GRADES 40%- Tests/Projects 30%- Essays 20%- Class/Notebook Work 10%- Homework NO EXTRA CREDIT EVER!!! 13

Material What you need for class….. #2 Sharpened Pencil(s) Blue or Black Pen(s) Erasers Highlighter(s) Key ring (USB) flash drive to store papers and projects One A.P. US History Test Prep Book or Cards (Princeton, Barrons, etc.) 3-ring binder and dividers and plenty of loose leaf paper. BRING THESE TO CLASS DAILY! 14

AP US History: Secrets of the AP Exam Or—what you need to know to get through the next 36 weeks and pass the exam. 15

Reasons to take the AP course and try really hard to pass the exam… Colleges and universities see AP experience as a huge plus. AP experience will give you the reading, writing and thinking skills so important to college success. Passing the AP exam will give you college credit and save you money in the long run. 16

The National Pass Rate Only 53% of students who take the AP exam pass with a score of 3 or better. This is not to scare you, but to show you how much work we have to do to make sure you all are one of the 53%! 17

How is the Exam Structured? Part I—Multiple Choice 50% of the final score Part II—Writing Section 50% of the final score. Of that, the DBQ counts for 45% and the 2 essays combined for 55%. 18

How well do I need to do on the multiple choice section? In order to score a 3 (or pass) on this section, you must have 48 points (60%). Remember, that is the score after the guessing penalty is subtracted from the number you got correct. 19

Multiple Choice—BREAKDOWN BY ERA 20

BREAK DOWN BY GENERAL SUBJECT MATTER 21

EXPLANATION OF CHARTS A BIAS TOWARD THE CONSTITUTION THROUGH WWI POLITICAL AND SOCIAL ACTIVITIES EMPHASIZED LITTLE ABOUT ECONOMIC AND CULTURAL TRENDS AT MOST TWO OR THREE QUESTIONS PAST

NO MILITARY HISTORY AND TRIVIAL PURSUIT THE APUSH EXAM DOESN’T ASK ABOUT MILITARY HISTORY WHEN IT ASKS ABOUT WAR, THE QUESTIONS CONCERNS THE POLITICAL OR SOCIAL IMPLICATIONS OF A WAR RATHER THAN THE DETAILS OF WARFARE APUSH QUESTIONS NEVER TEST ROTE MEMORIZATION ONLY. WHILE YOU HAVE TO KNOW YOUR FACTS TO DO WELL ON THIS TEST, THE QUESTIONS ALWAYS ASK FOR INFORMATION IN THE CONTEXT OF LARGER HISTORICAL TRENDS. 23

What about the DBQ? An essay question that requires you to interpret primary source documents. Documents might include the following: Newspaper articles/editorials Letters/diaries Speeches Legislation Political cartoons Charts and graphs 24

A Different DBQ The US History DBQ is different than the World History DBQ. For the US exam, you have to not only discuss the documents, but also include outside information to prove that you know more about the topic. Without outside information, it is impossible to get more than a 4 out of 9 on your DBQ! 25

What Is the Free-Response Question? Two part essay section –Pre – 1870 (one prior to 1740) –After – 1870 (one after 1950) Two questions in each group – select one from each group 70 minutes to plan and write both essays 26

What Is the Free-Response Question? Continued Yes and No –Multiple arguments All outside information Not as long or in-depth as DBQ Defensible thesis Information to support thesis Evidence, Evidence, Evidence 27

Class Discussion What is difficult about each of the following areas of the course? What can we do as a class to better get through them? 1. Reading and understanding the text 2. Taking effective notes 3. Doing well on multiple choice 4. Doing well on DBQs 5. Doing well on essays 28

Goals for the Year Take 5 minutes to come up with three SPECIFIC goals about what you hope to accomplish in this course. Your goal should not be as big as “to pass the exam,” but something more specific like “take more effective Cornell Notes during discussion,” or, “be sure I study my notes for at least twenty minutes a night.” 29

A Little about Mr. Marco Born September 19,1972. Teaching at McArthur High since Florida International University/St. Thomas University- B.A and M.S. degrees. Social Studies certified teacher. Native Floridian- Cuban descent Passion includes traveling, reading, music, and sports. Father of two beautiful children: Grace (13 years old) and Gavin (4 years old). I know all of the Presidents of the United States in numerical order 30