AP European History Course

1. AP European History Course Overview Instructor: Tanya Leonard Contact: tleonard@powayusd.com

2. About Me • Teaching at RBHS for seven years – This is my 5th year teaching APEC (AP European Civilizations) fr four years • Undergraduate: Univ. of California Santa Barbara - Political Science & International Relations • Post Graduate: Univ. of London, Birkbeck College - Global Politics • High School: Temecula Valley HS • Interests: teaching, learning, spending time with students, traveling, following current events, spending time with my boyfriend Kye, family, and my two cats, walking on the beach, cooking vegetarian food, reading, having friends over forgames and meals

3. Description of the Course • This course places attention upon understanding equivalent to those gained in a college-level introductory Western Civilizations course; emphasis is on the general narrative of European history from 1450 to the present; the study also includes an examination of the political and diplomatic, intellectual and cultural, and social and economic history of Europe. The reading of the textbook is 13th grade, i.e. college-level.

4. Topics Covered in APEC • Renaissance, Reformation, Age of Exploration, Scientific Revolution, Enlightenment, French Revolution, Industrial Revolution, Congress of Vienna, Revolutions of 1848, WWI, Interwar Period, WWII, Cold War, Modern European History in a Post Cold-War era. • See a detailed course overview on collegeboard.org

5. Homework • Assigned nightly (approx. 1 - 1 1/2 hours a night) • Homework is mostly reading the textbook, note taking, and preparing for exams/quizzes • All notes and in-class work kept in a spiral notebook which is graded every few weeks

6. Grading • Grades are weighted on a 5 point scale, rather than a non AP course which is on a 4 point scale. Thus, a student with all AP courses, could have a 5.0 GPA (Grade Point Average) • 100-90% = A • 89-80% = B • 79-70% = C • D and F grades do not receive the College Board additional grade point credit. • I do not round grades -- an 89.5% = B+

7. Tests and Quizzes • Tests are given at end of each chapter -- they are generally multiple choice. • We cover a chapter roughly every week and a half. • Quizzes are mostly unannounced, are generally fill-in the blank, and cover the reading from the previous night. • Every four chapters students have a midterm. • There are approximately two midterms per semester. The midterms are 50 multiple choice questions. • Final Exams are cumulative.

8. Essays • Two types of essays for APEC: DBQ (Document Based Question) & FRQ (Free Response Question). • All DBQ and FRQ essays are completed in class and are timed.

9. Document Based Question (DBQ) • Students analyze primary source documents on a specific historical theme and analyze the documents based upon the essay prompt. Students cite the documents in an essay, analyze the bias/point of view of the authors, have an explicitly stated thesis, and demonstrate a deep understanding of the documents.

10. Free Response Question (FRQ) • Students write a four to five paragraph essay on a specific historical prompt. First semester the prompts are given to the students ahead of time. Second semester the essay prompts are unannounced.

11. Learning Point • Grades are updated weekly, on Friday, and are posted on Learning Point. • In addition, weekly reading guides, study guides, and additional course materials are posted online. • If a student is absent, he/she can check Learning Point for homework/additional assignments.

12. AP Exam • When: May 2013 • Cost: $92 • Details of the exam: • 80 Multiple Choice Questions = 1 hour • and • Three essays: one DBQ and two FRQs = 2 hours and 10 minutes • The exam is completed in one sitting with a ten minute break between the multiple choice and essays. • Students earn college credit for taking a university level class in high school and passing a nationwide exam given by the College Board. • Scores: 5, 4, 3 = passing & 2, 1 = not passing • Scores are based upon the mastery of the material over the course of the year

13. APEC Support Tools • AP Achiever for European History -- Publisher: McGraw-Hill • Peer Counseling Tutors • Forming Study Groups

14. Student Experiences in APEC “APEC is a very interesting and rewarding class! It is not particularly difficult, but there is nightly reading. This is not a problem if you read as it is assigned, but it can pile up if you don’t. APEC is for motivated students who enjoy European History; it’s well worth the effort” --Savannah Leitner

15. Student Experiences in APEC “Keys to Success: • Thoroughly complete each study guide • Make detailed outlines before writing DBQs and FRQs. It will make writing the essay easier and quicker. • Use the workbook for assistance – it’s a great review tool.” Kaveh Sedehi

16. Student Experiences in APEC “APEC is geared around two main skills: reading comprehension and writing. As long as you commit to the night’s reading and take the time to actually understand the information, the course should be pretty simple. I love the class (even with the hand cramps from DBQs) and you should definitely take it!” --Melody Huang

17. Additional Questions?Please feel free to contact me at: tleonard@powayusd.com