Advanced Placement United States History Student/ Parent Information

1. Advanced PlacementUnited States HistoryStudent/Parent Information Instructor Olivia Macaulay Glendale High School

2. What is A.P.? How is it different than an “honors” or “C.P.” class?

3. A.P. stands for Advanced Placement. It is a program developed by the College Board to offer college-level courses in high school. • Honors or College Preparatory (C.P.) courses, on the other hand, are more challenging versions of high school courses but are not designed to show a college level mastery of the subject matter. • A.P. courses are universally recognized as being significantly more difficult. Students can expect APUSH to be as much if not more demanding than AP Euro.

4. How challenging is the A.P. U.S. History course?

5. A.P. U.S. History (APUSH) is a college-level course in its intensity, and will be among the most challenging courses that students will take in high school. • APUSH uses a college textbook and places significantly more emphasis on RESULTS than on EFFORT.

6. To succeed students must be highly motivated and capable of higher-level thinking. • As in any college course, the responsibility for learning rests on the student, not on the instructor.

7. What are the benefits of taking an AP course?

8. The benefits of advanced-level courses outweigh the drawbacks. Some of the advantages are more far-reaching than simply making a student more appealing to prospective colleges. • The results of an eleven-year study by researcher Clifford Adelman at the U.S. Department of Education revealed that students who take rigorous high school classes — such as honors and AP courses — are better prepared to manage the workload they'll face in college, more likely to receive higher grades, and less likely to drop out than their peers.

9. Students will be able to… • demonstrate to colleges and universities an ability to succeed in rigorous academics. • gain an edge in the college admission process since admission officers look favorably on students who take challenging courses. • challenge themselves in more demanding classes. • improve writing skills and sharpen problem-solving techniques. • develop study habits necessary for tackling rigorous course work. • study subjects in greater depth and detail. • take classes with others who want to achieve and learn. • possibly earn credit, advanced placement, or both for college. http://www.collegeboard.com/ap/creditpolicy

10. What are the potential drawbacks of taking an AP course?

11. Students will… • take on significantly heavier workload that may increase stress and minimize time for other valuable activities. • have to pay fees for exams. The price is currently $86.00 for each exam. (Note: Fee reductions are offered to students from low-income families) • That said – Compared with the cost of a college course, the cost of the exam is minimal.

12. How much homework will be given?How much time does APUSH require?

13. Homework will be assigned regularly, but the amount of time necessary to complete it depends on the nature of the work and the speed at which a student reads and works. • We will cover approximately three chapters every two weeks. Each chapter is about 25 pages. Many students initially find the pace grueling. However, such a pace is necessary to finish the course in time for the A.P. exam.

14. What is the class like? How will it be taught?

15. Once again, APUSH is college-level class taught in a high school environment. • Frequent lectures, reading assignments, tests, and essays, will be combined with discussion, research of primary source documents, and occasional projects.

16. ALL of American history will be covered from pre-Columbus to the present. • While students are expected to be self-motivated, I will do my best to provide encouragement and support. • Ultimately, students are responsible for their success or lack thereof.

17. The AP US History CourseAn Overview

18. The AP program in United States History is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in 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.

19. 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. • An AP United States History course should thus 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 an essay format.

20. The curriculum of this course requires students to utilize higher order thinking skills. • Accordingly, students will analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary sources in addition to memorizing, comprehending, and applying facts.

21. Extensive independent reading is required. This course uses a college-level textbook with an advanced vocabulary, and the supplemental texts, primary sources, and articles from scholarly journals will be challenging.

22. APUSHCourse Objectives

23. Students will… • master an extensive body of historical knowledge. • demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology. • effectively use historical data to support an argument. • develop reading comprehension, writing, and critical thinking skills. • recognize and differentiate between historiographical schools of thought. • prepare for and successfully pass the Advanced Placement Exam in May.

24. The A.P. Exam Friday, May 8, 2009

25. Resources • www.collegeboard.com • www.historymentor.com • www.historyteacher.net • www.loc.gov To purchase a textbook: • http://college.hmco.com/booksellers/index.html