AP US History

Course Description

AP U.S. History is a challenging course that is meant to be the equivalent of a freshman college course and can earn students college credit. It is a two-semester survey of American history from the age of exploration and discovery to the present. Solid reading and writing skills along with a willingness to devote considerable time to homework and study, are necessary to succeed. Since the AP test is in mid-May, we will have eight months to grapple with four hundred years of history, and prepare for the writing portion of the test. Students will learn to read and interpret historical documents as well as develop the skills to write persuasive timed essays. The course moves rapidly, and requires a significant amount of independent work, requiring you to read and write more and at a faster pace than a standard history course. The course will be conducted in lecture/discussion form. Students will be frequently responsible for presenting independently gathered information and opinion in class. All students will be required to keep with the reading assignments.

Areas of Study: During the Fall Semester, we will examine early US History prior to the 20th Century chronologically beginning with the Colonial Period and ending with the Gilded Age. Other main areas of study include the Revolutionary War, the Constitution and Early Republic Period, Westward Expansion and the Civil War and Reconstruction. During the spring semester, various foreign and domestic topics of 20^th Century America will be studied. As we approach the exam we will stop covering new material and begin reviewing the content presented throughout the year.