Advanced Placement United States History
Course Syllabus
Teacher: Perry Walthour
Room: 210
School Email: walthourp@duvaschools.org
School Telephone: 381-3930 ext.
Cell Number: 504-5490
Students and parents should feel free to contact me at any time to discuss any concerns that may arise. I would encourage parents to contact me on a weekly basis regarding the academic progress of their child.
Parents and Students should check our class website @ http://www.leeapush.blogspot.com/ on a daily basis for updates on various aspects of the course.
III. Texts: The American Pageant, 12th edition, Kennedy, Cohen, Bailey
The American Spirit, 6th edition, Bailey, and Kennedy
Don’t Know Much About History, Kenneth C. Davis
III. Course Credit: This is a yearlong course. It is on an A-B schedule. Students will have class every other day. This course is paired with A.P. Language. Students will receive one social studies credit for successful completion of the Course.
IV. Course Objectives: Advanced Placement United States History is taught in anticipation of the fact that, by the end of the course, students will be able to:
· Demonstrate a working mastery of the facts and issues of United States history from pre-Columbian history through modern times.
· Demonstrate the ability to think critically and analytically about issues presented in United States history. Included but not limited to this objective is students’ ability to disregard previous conceptions about history which may be erroneous.
· Complete a series of readings which should deepen the student’s understanding of the issues presented in the historical record.
· Be prepared to discuss either orally or in writing the various issues presented by the historical record.
· Demonstrate mastery of historical writing, including, but not limited to the ability to write historical essays. (Historical writing involves the ability to analyze and interpret primary sources, including documentary material, maps, statistical tables, pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events, etc. and explain the impact of the event on history, as evidenced by the documents. The student must be able to state a thesis and support the thesis with evidence from the historical record. Mere memorization of historical events is insufficient.)
· Express an opinion based on issues presented by the historical record and effectively defend that opinion.
· Incorporate documents from the historical record in a historical essay and effectively argue why the documents do or do not support the thesis of the essay.
· Demonstrate sufficient knowledge and writing ability to achieve a passing score on the APUSH examination. It is anticipated that all students will sit for the examination.
V. Teaching Methods: Students of Advanced Placement U.S. History are presumed to be capable of a learning experience taught on the college level; for that reason, the course will be taught according to appropriate collegiate methodology. Lecture will rarely; if ever be used for instruction. When this method is employed, a brief lesson outline will be displayed on an overhead transparency. Liberal use will be made of historical documents for in-class discussion. For most lessons, liberal use will also be made of Socratic dialogue to enable students to discover the significance of important issues by themselves. Students will be encouraged to volunteer comments and contribute to the discussion in class.
In addition to lecture and questioning, the following techniques will be used:
Reading assignments: Students will be assigned nightly reading assignments and discussion questions that will be discussed in class the following day. These questions will be high order thinking questions and will be impossible to discuss without reading the assignment first.
Free writing Exercises: Students will be given 5-8 minutes to write continuously on an issue discussed in class. Written exercises will not be graded, but students will be expected to share their writings in class which will be a part of the student’s class participation.
Oral Essay: The class will be divided into groups, not more than five people to each group. Groups will be assigned a topic by means of a "grab bag," and will develop a thesis statement, and supporting evidence which will be shared orally with the class.
VI. Essay Assignment: Students will be assigned essays periodically as practice for the essays required on the AP Exam. Each student will be given a rubric outlining the expectations of the essay.Whenever possible, essays will be drawn from previous DBQ’s or Free Response Questions (FRQ’s). Examples of essay topics include the following:
To what extent did geography influence the settlement of the northern, middle, and southern colonies?
· What were the social, political and economic effects of the French and Indian Wars on the American colonies?
· To what extent did the Civil Rights Movement of the 1960’s address the failures of Reconstruction?
· To what extent did American’s attitudes towards slavery change in the period 1767 – 1808?
Techniques may be modified or abandoned and new techniques developed as circumstances warrant.
A substantial portion of the essays assigned will be DBQ’s. Whenever possible, actual DBQ’s from previous APUSH Examinations will be used. All essays will be graded according to a rubric substantially in compliance with the rubric adopted for the 2006 APUSH exam. Students will not be penalized for spelling or grammatical errors on timed essays (unless the errors are egregious), but will be penalized for such errors on take-home essays. To the extent that outside readings have been assigned, students will be expected to demonstrate in their essays information obtained from such outside readings. Essays that rely entirely on information provided in class will be substantially penalized.
Tests will be administered approximately every two chapters. Tests will consist of multiple-choice questions and on occasion, an essay which will require students to write a well structured historical essay. To the extent possible, multiple-choice questions from actual APUSH tests will be used to familiarize students with the question structure.
VIII. Grading :
Students will have the opportunity to earn a certain number of points for each assignment given. Their grade will be determined by the number of points earned divided by the number of points available. The following are point values for assignments that will be given in the class:
Test = 100 points each.
Essays = 100 points each
Homework = 10 points each
Class Participation= 100 points overall
Class Participation: All students are expected to be fully prepared and to participate actively in class discussion. Some students are more comfortable speaking publicly than others; therefore students who merely listen and are attentive will be considered to be actively participating in the lesson. All students must remain 100 per cent engaged throughout the course of the lesson. Sleeping, inattentiveness, and distractive behavior do not constitute active engagement, and any such conduct will bear heavily in my mind when grades are determined. No one is perfect, and occasional lapses are to be expected; for that reason, warnings will be
given liberally before anyone is penalized. However any student who continuously or persistently fails to participate will be penalized. Students who are reading, working on assignments for other classes, or otherwise consciously disengaged will warrant immediate sanction. Please don’t insult my intelligence by telling me you can do two things at once.
IX. Due Dates: All assignments will be due at the tardy bell on the date designated. Assignments handed in any time after the tardy bell, including those handed in during or immediately after class are late, and will be penalized ten points for each day they are late. Assignments not handed in by the tardy bell on the third day will not be accepted, and a grade of zero assigned. I reserve the right to require essays to be turned in at the beginning of the school day if circumstances warrant.
The intense level of work required in an Advanced Placement Course is such that daily attendance is essential to success. Students should take care that they are absent from class only when attendance is impossible. Students who are absent are responsible for all missed work. Those students who present an excused absence report from the school attendance office will be allowed three school days to complete missed assignments. This time may be extended for good cause shown. Students who fail to present an excused absence report will not be allowed to complete missed work and a grade of zero will be assigned. Additionally, students who fail to complete makeup work within three school days will receive a grade of zero. There will be no exceptions to this rule. Work eaten by dogs or computers is no excuse. It is the student's responsibility to complete missed work within the designated time limit. Reminders will not be given.
X. Extracurricular Activities: The very nature of Advanced Placement courses requires that students commit substantial time to completion of readings, essays, etc. Students who wish to be successful in the course and on the APUSH examination must be willing to apportion their time judiciously. There are no shortcuts. It is entirely possible, even likely, that out of class preparation time will interfere with extra curricular activities, sports, courtship, work, etc. The choice of priorities is yours; however do not expect sympathy or understanding if your grade is adversely affected..
XI. The Advanced Placement Examination: The AP U.S. History Examination is scheduled for 8:00 a.m., Friday May 11, 2012 .Florida law requires that all students enrolled in Advanced Placement courses sit for the examination. All fees for the examination are paid by the Duval County School Board. Scores on the exam range from 1 – 5 with 5 the highest. Three or better is considered a successful grade. Students who score three or higher may be entitled to college credit. Individual colleges determine the necessary scores required before credit will be awarded. Any and all students who score a grade of FIVE on the APUSH exam are entitled to a dinner for two at a restaurant of your choice on my tab. Go for it!
Please Note: The APUSH exam is extremely rigorous and difficult; approximately one half of all students who sit for the exam achieve a grade of three or higher. Only AP Latin Grammar demonstrated a lesser passing rate over the past five years. Accordingly, each student must be prepared to work diligently and vigorously if he/she hopes to be successful.
The following comments are taken from the College Board AP Course Description Acorn Book, pp. 19.
"The examination is 3 hours and 5 minutes in length, and consists of two sections: a 55-minute multiple-choice section comprised of 80 questions and a 130 minute free-response section. The free-response section begins with a mandatory 15-minute reading period. Part A consists of a Document Based Essay Question (DBQ). Suggested writing time is 45 minutes. Parts B and C each include two standard essay questions that, with the DBQ, cover the period from the first European exploration of the Americas to the Present. Students are required to answer one essay question in each part in a total of 70 minutes. Suggested time to be spent on each of the essay questions they choose to answer in Parts B and C is 5 minutes of planning and 30 minutes of writing.
"The 80 questions that appear in the multiple-choice section of the examination are designed to measure what candidates know of the subject matter commonly covered in introductory college courses in United States History.
The DBQ requires the student to analyze and synthesize historical data and assess verbal, quantitative, or pictorial materials as historical evidence. Although confined to no single format, the documents contained in the DBQ are unlikely to be the familiar classics (The Emancipation Proclamation; the Declaration of Independence), but the authors may be major historical figures.
Each of the three essays will be judged on its thesis, argument and supporting evidence."
XII. Academic Integrity: All work turned in for credit must be the student’s own original work; it must not be plagiarized nor obtained by any other dishonest or inappropriate means. Assistance or coaching from any third person, including but not limited to former students, parents, etc. on any work submitted for credit is inappropriate. All computer generated work turned in for credit must be accompanied by a floppy disk with the student's name written legibly on an outside label. Additionally, all work submitted for credit of any kind (quizzes, tests, summaries, essays, etc) must be signed at the foot of the last page by the student. Your signature constitutes your attestation that the work is your own. Unsigned work will be returned unread, and the normal penalty for late work applied.
Typical college policy for academic dishonesty is expulsion from the institution for the first offense. Students who receive inappropriate assistance or commit any act of academic dishonesty, including but not limited to plagiarism, use of published summaries in place of assigned readings (Cliff's Notes, Sparks Notes, Pink Monkey, etc), snooping to copy answers from other students, crib sheets, etc, are guilty of theft, and will receive a grade of zero for the assignment. Additionally, the student’s parents, the National Honor Society, and Educational Testing service will be notified. A signed report of the incident will be placed in the student’s scholarship file with appropriate recommendations..
Please Note: The intense workload of an Advanced Placement Course will frequently cause inappropriate shortcuts to suggest themselves to students who are rushed for time. Resist the temptation! It isn't worth it. Past experience has shown that the first defense of those who commit dishonest acts is to adamantly deny having done so. Outrage, tears, and appeals for parental intervention are often part of the scheme. I have no intention of engaging in a swearing contest with those whom I suspect of cheating; however those who do so should not assume that they have "gotten away with it" simply because no sanction was imposed. You, I, and your classmates will know that you have stolen from us, and cannot be trusted..
XIII. A Final Word: Rest assured that I understand and appreciate more than anyone the difficult nature of this course and the demands on your time which will often appear unreasonable. The course has been designed to satisfy the requirements of Educational Testing Service, which sponsors the Advanced Placement Program; not out of any desire to punish or mistreat my students, all of whom are very special to me. I hope that you will feel free to contact me at any time with any question or concern. I will not be upset if you call me on weekends or at night (provided the hour is reasonable, of course.), and that you understand that I will do all I can to assist you. REMEMBER: (1) The only stupid question is the one you do not ask, and (2) The only time I will get angry with you is if you have a problem and DON'T share it with me.
I will be available every Thursday afternoon at 2:20 sharp to answer any questions or to provide extra help or tutoring. Please take advantage of this help opportunity.
Classroom Behavior:
All members of the class will show respect to all other members of the class at all times.
Hats and electronic devices are not allowed in my class. I do not want to see them.
Food and drink are not allowed in class. Water is allowed.
Please come prepared for class every day. (Textbook, Pen and or pencil, Notebook Paper, Notebook.
V bCourse Sequence
The following sequence of study will be followed:
August 25
American Pageant: Chapter 1, New World Beginnings
Pre-Columbian cultures, early explorations, introduction of slavery, Spanish and French claims, the rise of mercantilism
Week of August 28 - September 1
American Pageant: Chapter 2, The Planting of English America
The Chesapeake and southern English colonies, ties with Caribbean economies, British mercantilism
Chapter 3, Settling the Northern Colonies
New England and the Puritans, religious dissent, colonial politics and conflict with British authority, the middle colonies
Week of September 5-8
American Pageant: Chapter 4, American Life in the 17th Century
Tobacco and rice colonies, African-American culture, colonial family life, dissent in New England and the Witch trials
Chapter 5, Colonial Society on the Eve of the Revolution
Immigration and demographic change, [CR2] the Atlantic economy, the Great Awakening, education and culture, colonial politics.
Week of September 11-15
American Pageant: Chapter 6, The Duel for North America
Colonial involvement in British imperial wars, consequences of the French and Indian War and the Proclamation of 1763
Chapter 7, The Road to Revolution
Roots of revolution and the role of mercantilism, end of benign neglect, failure of diplomacy, first conflicts
Recent scholarship: Causes of the Revolution
Documentary History: Chapter 1
Week of September 18–22
American Pageant: Chapter 8, American Secedes from the Empire
The American Revolution, wartime diplomacy, life on the home front, women and the war, the impact of the war on the institution of slavery.
Chapter 9, The Confederation and the Constitution
The Articles of Confederation and the Constitution, the role of the Enlightenment, slavery and religion in the political process, [CR1] wartime diplomacy
Recent scholarship: The Constitution: Radical or Reactionary?
Documentary History, Chapter 2
The Constitution of the United States
Unit Test: September 25—Chapters 6-9
Test format during class will be multiple choice. Essays will be completed at home.
Week of Sept 25–29
American Pageant: Chapter 10, Launching the New Ship of State
Early national politics and economics, diplomacy during the French Revolution, the making of the office of the presidency
Documentary History: Chapters 3 and 4
Week of October 2–6
American Pageant: Chapter 11, Triumphs and Travails of Jeffersonian Democracy
The “Revolution of 1800,” the Marshall Court, diplomacy of Jefferson and Madison, the Embargo Act, acceleration of expansion west.
CR7—The course includes extensive instruction in analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of primary sources.
CR1—The course includes the study of political institutions in U.S. history.
CR7—The course includes extensive instruction in analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of primary sources.
CR8—The course provides students with frequent practice in writing analytical and interpretive essays such as document-based questions and thematic essays.
CR7—The course includes extensive instruction in analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of primary sources.
Chapter 12, The Second War for Independence/Nationalism
The War of 1812, The Era of Good Feeling, The American System, the diplomacy of expansion, forging a new national identity
Documentary History: Chapters 5 and 6
“Kentucky and Virginia Resolutions”
Marbury v. Madison. “Chief Marshall for the Supreme Court”
DBQ comparing the policies and politics of Jefferson and Madison(due Oct. 12) [CR8].
Week of October 9–13
American Pageant: Chapter 13, The Rise of a Mass Democracy
Jacksonian democracy and the Whigs, national policy toward American Indians, the era of the “common man,” expansion with the Texas revolution, slavery and sectionalism [CR1]
Documentary History: Chapters 7 and 8
The Monroe Doctrine
Veto of the bank Renewal Bill
Week of October 16–20
American Pageant: Chapter 14, Forging the National Economy
The rise of the market economy, immigration and the increase in nativism, women in the workplace, the factory system, the transportation revolution, expansion west [CR4]
Week of October 23–27
American Pageant: Chapter 15, The Ferment of Reform and Culture
The Second Great Awakening and the growth of reform, women’s roles in reform movements, creation of a national culture, advances in education and the sciences.
Chapter 16, The South and the Slavery Controversy
Cotton culture, southern society and the impact of the plantation system, the rise of abolitionist movements
Recent scholarship: “Whiteness,” Reform, and Slavery [CR6]
Documentary History: Chapters 10 and 11
The first issue of The Liberator
Seneca Falls Declaration of Sentiments and Resolutions [CR7]
CR8—The course provides students with frequent practice in writing analytical and interpretive essays such as document-based questions and thematic essays.
CR1—The course includes the study of political institutions in U.S. history.
CR4—The course includes the study of economic trends in U.S. history.
CR6—The course teaches students to analyze evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.
CR7—The course includes extensive instruction in analysis and interpretation of a wide variety of primary sources.
Week of October 30–November 3
American Pageant: Chapter 17, Manifest Destiny and its Legacy Expansion under Polk, Manifest Destiny, war with Mexico
Week of November 6-10
American Pageant: Chapter 18, Renewing the Sectional Struggle
Popular sovereignty, the Compromise of 1850 and the Fugitive Slave Law, the economics of expansion
Chapter 19, Drifting Toward Disunion
Abolition in the 1850s, the impact of Dred Scott, the financial panic of 1857, political crisis in the election of 1860, the coming of the Civil War
Documentary History: Chapters 11and 12
John C. Calhoun on the “Slavery Question”
William Grayson, “The Hireling and the Slave”
Dred Scott v. Sanford
Week of November 13–16
American Pageant: Complete Chapter 19
Week of November 27–December 1
American Pageant: Chapter 20, Girding for War
Wartime diplomacy, economic changes in both the North and South, women and the war, issues of civil liberties in wartime
Chapter 21, The Furnace of the Civil War
The Peninsula Campaign, the “Anaconda,” the war in the West, Sherman’s March, Appomattox, the Emancipation Proclamation, the legacy of war in both the North and South
Documentary History: Chapters 13 and 14
Abraham Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address
The Emancipation Proclamation
Week of December 4-8
American Pageant: Chapter 22, The Ordeal of Reconstruction
The politics and economics of Reconstruction, experiences of freedmen, the rise of the Bourbon South and the fate of Reconstruction, impeachment politics and the balance of power
Documentary History: Chapter 15
Lincoln’s Second Inaugural Address
Week of December 11–15
American Pageant: Chapter 22, The Ordeal of Reconstruction
Chapter 23, Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age
The rise of big business and the role of business in politics, class and ethnic conflict, the rise of Jim Crow, Populism
Recent scholarship: Populists and Progressives [CR6]
Week of December 18–20
American Pageant: Chapter 23, Political Paralysis in the Gilded Age
Week of January 3–5
American Pageant: Chapter 24, Industry Comes of Age
Era of the Robber Barons, the lives of the working classes and the growth of unionism, government and politics of regulation, the United States in the world economy [CR4]
Documentary History: Chapter 16
Walt Whitman, Democratic Vistas
Andrew Carnegie, Wealth
Week of January 8–12
American Pageant: Chapter 25, America Moves to the City
Urbanization, new waves of immigration, renewed instances of
nativism, cultural life in urban America, the “New Woman,” African-American push for expanded civil rights [CR2]
Chapter 26, The Great West and the Agricultural Revolution
The close of the frontier and its impact, industrialization of agriculture and political dissent among farmers
Documentary History: Chapters 17 and 18
Frederick J. Turner, The Significance of the Frontier in American History
Samuel Gompers, “Letter on Labor in Industrial Society”
Booker T. Washington, “Atlanta Exposition Address”
William Jennings Bryan, “Cross of Gold” speech
Populist Party Platform
Week of January 16–19
American Pageant: Chapter 26, The Great West and the Agricultural Revolution
Chapter 27, Empire and Expansion
American expansion overseas, a new age of imperialism, The Spanish-American War, the Open Door, America on the world stage [CR3]
Week of January 23–26
American Pageant: Chapter 27, Empire and Expansion
Documentary History: Chapter 19
Alfred T. Mahan, The United States Looking Outward
Theodore Roosevelt, “Corollary to the Monroe Doctrine”
Week of January 30–February 2
American Pageant: Chapter 28, Progressivism and the Republican Roosevelt
Progressive reform and the trusts, demographics of urbanization and the resulting political impact, “Dollar Diplomacy,” environmental issues
Chapter 29, Wilsonian Progressivism at Home and Abroad
The New Freedom versus the New Nationalism, [CR1]
Progressive economic reform, diplomacy of neutrality
Recent scholarship: Wilsonianism, Idealism, Pragmatism
CR2—The course includes the study of social and cultural developments in U.S. history.
CR3—The course includes the study of diplomacy in U.S. history.
CR1—The course includes the study of political institutions in U.S. history.
Documentary History: Chapter 20
Theodore Roosevelt, “The New Nationalism”
Woodrow Wilson, The Old Order Changeth
Week of February 6–9
American Pageant: Chapter 30, The War to End War
Documentary History: Chapter 21
Woodrow Wilson, War Message to Congress
Woodrow Wilson, The Fourteen Points
Week of February 16–19
American Pageant: Chapter 30, The War to End War
War in Europe and war on the home front, propaganda and civil liberties, the politics behind the making of the Treaty of Versailles and its rejection by the U.S. Senate.
Chapter 31, American Life in the Roaring Twenties
The “Red Scare” and immigration issues, a mass-consumption economy, the Jazz Age and the Harlem Renaissance, traditionalism versus modernism
Week of February 23–26
American Pageant: Chapter 31, American Life in the Roaring Twenties
Chapter 32, The Politics of Boom and Bust
Isolationism in the 1920s, foreign debt and diplomacy, the coming of the Great Depression [CR4]
Documentary History: Chapter 22
Herbert Hoover, “Rugged Individualism”
Week of March12–16
American Pageant: Chapter 32—The Politics of Boom and Bust
Chapter 33, The Great Depression and the New Deal
FDR and “recovery, relief, reform,” demographic changes associated with the Depression, cultural changes in the 1930s, the Supreme Court and the balance of political power in government
Recent scholarship: The nature of the New Deal [CR6]
Documentary History: Chapter 23
Franklin Roosevelt, First Inaugural Address
N.L.R.B. versus Jones and Laughlin Steel Corporation
Week of March 19-23
American Pageant: Chapter 34, FDR and the Shadow of War
Attempts at neutrality and isolation, diplomacy and economics of the prewar years, the move to war following Pearl Harbor
Chapter 35, America in World War II
The war in Europe and in the Far East, the home front, changes for women and minorities during the war, the decision to use the atomic bomb and its consequences [CR3]
Documentary History: Chapter 24
Franklin Roosevelt, The Quarantine speech
Franklin Roosevelt, The Four Freedoms speech
The Atlantic Charter
Week of March 26–30
American Pageant: Chapter 36, The Cold War Begins
Postwar prosperity and the Baby Boom, communism and containment, diplomacy and the Marshall Plan, the Korean War, the Red Scare, the United States as a world power
Recent scholarship: The origins of the Cold War
Chapter 37, The Eisenhower Era
Consumer culture in the 1950s, the civil rights revolution, McCarthyism, Cold War expansion, the space race, postwar literature and culture [CR2]
Documentary History: Chapters 25 and 26
George Kennan, Sources of Soviet Conduct
William Faulkner, Acceptance Speech for the Nobel Prize
Brown versus the Board of Education
Dwight D. Eisenhower, Farwell Address
Week of April 2–5
American Pageant: Chapter 37, The Eisenhower Era
Week of April 9–13
American Pageant: Chapter 38, The Stormy Sixties
The Cold War continues, expansion of the war in Vietnam, the civil rights revolution and evolution, Johnson and the Great Society, immigration and demographic changes
Chapter 39, The Stalemated Seventies
Rise of conservatism, economic stagnation, crisis over presidential power, environmental issues, feminism and the women’s movement, civil rights and affirmative action, foreign policy and the issue of oil
Documentary History: Chapter 27
John Kennedy, Inaugural Address
Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from a Birmingham Jail
Martin Luther King, Jr., “I Have a Dream” speech
Lyndon Johnson, “The Great Society” speech
Week of April 12–16
American Pageant: Chapter 39, The Stalemated Seventies
Chapter 40, The Resurgence of Conservatism
Reagan and the “New Right,” the end of the Cold War, Reaganomics, politics and the Supreme Court, globalization, war and diplomacy in the Middle East [CR1]
Documentary History: Chapters 28 and 29
NOW Statement of Purpose
Lyndon Johnson, “The Power of the Media”
Edward R, Murrow, “Television and Politics”
Roe versus Wade
Ronald Reagan, Inaugural Addresses 1981, 1985
Week of April 24–25
American Pageant: Chapter 41, American Confronts the Post-Cold War Era
The Clinton era, post-Cold War politics and foreign policy, the contested election of 2000, the attack on the World Trade Center and America post-9/11
Chapter 42, The American People Face a New Century
Demographic changes, changes in the family, immigration and related issues, a multicultural society, the high-tech economy, America in a global context [CR2]
Documentary History: Chapters 30 and 31
Republican Contract with America
George W. Bush, Washington National Cathedral Prayer Service, September 2001
George W. Bush, Joint Session of Congress, September 2001
Rudy Giuliani, Farewell Address, 2001
April 26-30 Exam Review
May 3-5 Exam Review
Friday May 11 APUSH Exam
