Advanced Placement United States
History
Mrs. Willbanks
D-8
Fall Semester 2007
Course Overview
Welcome to our intensive studies of United States History! This
course is a college-level examination of our nation’s history. We
will be studying history, art, culture, people and heritage. Our
studies will explore historical text, primary source documents, literary
works, oral histories, art, music and film.
Of course a major goal of this course is to prepare the students for the
Advanced Placement examination, which will be given on Friday, May 9, 2008.
The three hour and five minute AP exam consists of 80 multiple-choice
questions, two essay questions, and one document-based essay question. Therefore,
the examination requires not only that students have a good knowledge of
United States History, but have also been trained to be historians who can
investigate, evaluate and analyze primary source documents. Due
to the brevity of this course, much class will be spent on learning how to be
historians and to be proficient historical writers. And
although historical content will be a large focus of this course, students
will need to devote a great deal of time outside of class learning the content
of this course. (See hand-out entitled “Exam Format: AP US History” for more
exam information)
Course Objective:
At the end of
this rigorous course, you will have gained a detailed factual background to
enable you to verbally and in writing support sophisticated arguments.
To
achieve this goal, please plan on devoting extensive outside studies to this
course (2-3 hours per night). Please
plan on attending the evening “seminars” (which will be held sporadically
throughout the semester).
Some themes we will be exploring include…
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American Diversity
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American Identity
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Culture
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Demographic Changes
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Economic Transformations
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Environment
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Globalization
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Politics and Citizenship
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Reform
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Religion
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Slavery and its legacies in North America
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War and diplomacy
Assignments and Assessment:
On any given day, you should expect to have daily reading quizzes, discussions
concerning the important themes we are studying in history, writing
assignments that require you to analyze primary source documents, which may
include written documents, audio or visual documents, and charts. Below
is a chart which shows the percentages of points assigned to each category.
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Daily quizzes (identification,
multiple choice and/or essay)
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10%
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Participation
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10%
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Tests
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20%
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Homework
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20%
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Projects/Writing Assignments
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20%
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Mid-Term and Final Exam
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20%
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Course Texts:
The following textbook reading assignments are some of the required reading
for each unit. On a regular basis supplemental reading,
including literary works, will be required.
Texts:
Brinkley, Alan. American History: A Survey. Boston: McGraw-Hill.
Kennedy
and Bailey. The American Spirit Volume 1, 10th Edition (Houghton
Mifflin Company)
Kennedy
and Bailey. The American Spirit Volume 2, 10th Edition (Houghton
Mifflin Company)
Hofstadter,
Richard. The American Political Tradition (New
York: A. A. Knopf, 1948)
The Mid-Term and Final
Exams:
Both the mid-term and final exam will be a 2 ½ hour exam that will begin at
7:00 AM (day to be announced). The exams will include
multiple-choice, essay questions, and document-based questions.
Spring Review:
It is imparative that students devote time in the spring to study for the
Advanced Placement Exam. Right before Spring Break, there
will be announcements concerning what the students should study over the
break, and the numerous mandatory review sessions that will take place
at the beginning of term three.
Syllabus:
THEME ONE:
QUEST FOR AN IDENTITY
Week One: What is America?
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Readings:
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Brinkley: 1: “Meeting of Cultures”, 2 “Transplantions and
Borderlands”, 3 “Society and Culture in Provincial America”
Kennedy and Bailey: 1, 2, 3
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Major Assignments:
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Democracy in Colonial Wethersfield, Connecticut primary source document packet.
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Week Two: Colonial America & the American Revolution
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Readings:
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Brinkley: 4 “The Empire in Transition”, 5 “The
American Revolution”,6 “The Constitution and the New Republic”
Kennedy and Bailey: 3 (selected docs from sections A and
B), 6 (selected docs from section C), 7 (selected docs from sections A-E), 8.B
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Major Assignments:
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Puritan Primary Source Document Group Presentations
From Authority to Individualism Packet: Puritan Ideas, Great Awakening, and
the Enlightenment compare and contrast packet
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Movie:
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“The Last of the Mohicans”
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and 30-min. essay exam (see website for possible essay
question topics)
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Week Three: Building a Nation
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Readings:
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Brinkley: 6 “ The Constitution and the New Republic”, 7
“The Jeffersonian Era”
Kennedy and Bailey: 11, 12.A, 12.B, 12.D. 5
Hofstatder: Jefferson
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Major Assignments:
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Hamilton/Jefferson Debate.
“The Role of the Judiciary in the Creation of the Nation-State” worksheet
“Foundations of American Foreign Policy” worksheet
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Week Four: Jacksonian Democracy and the Native American
Experience
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 8 “Varieities of American Nationalism”, 9
“Jacksonian America”,
Hofstatder: Jackson
Kennedy and Bailey: 13 (selected docs from sections D and E)
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Major Assignments:
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Jackson/Jefferson comparison Venn Diagram and Essay
Coming Together—Nationalism Ascedant Poster Project
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and Essay Exam (please see website for possible essay
questions)
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Movie:
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“Into the West”
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Week Five: Slavery & A Union in trouble
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 10 “America’s Economic Revolution” ,11 “Cotton, Slavery and the Old
South”, 12 “Antebellum Culture”
Kennedy and Bailey: 16. (selected docs
from sections A-C)
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Major Assignments:
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Slavery Learning Stations Packet
African American Timeline
Antebellum Reformers Presentations
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Documentaries:
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Africans in America
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Week Six: Civil War & Reconstruction
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 13 “The Impending Crisis”, 14 “The Civil War”, 15 “Reconstruction
and the New South”
Hofstatder: Lincoln
Kennedy and Bailey: 15.B.2, 18 (selected docs from sections
C and D) 19 and 20 all parts. 22.A (selected docs from
sections A,B, D) 22.E(all),
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Major Assignments:
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Civil War Topical Presentations
Who Freed the Slaves Primary Source Document Packet and Debate
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Movie:
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“Glory”
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and DBQ on Civil War or Reconstruction
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THEME TWO:
A QUEST FOR A HOME
Week Seven: Industrialization & the Gilded Age
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 17 “Industrial Supremacy”, 18 “The Age of the City”
Kennedy and Bailey: 23.D (selected docs) 24., Am. Sp.
25.A.3, 24.A, 24.B.1, 24.C.1
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Movie:
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“Matewan”
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Week Eight: The Frontier, West, and Populism
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 16 “The Conquest of the Far West”, 19 “From Stalemate to Crisis”
Kennedy and Bailey: 26.A (selected docs); 26.B.1, 26.C.2,
26.D.1, 26.E.(selected docs), 26.F.2, 24.F.1 & 2
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Movie:
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“Into the West”
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Major Assignments:
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Farmers Crisis Economic Graphs Analysis
Populist Primary Source Document Packet
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Week Nine:
The
Progressives
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 21 “The Rise of
Progressivism”, 22 “The Battle for National Reform”
Hofstadter: Theodore (selected docs); 23.E
(selected docs); 24.E.(selected docs)
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Major Assignments:
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Progressive Meeting of the Minds Activity
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Documentary:
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Margaret Sanger
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and Essay Exam (please see my website for possible essay
question)
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End of Term One: Term One Biography Project Due. Mid-Course
Exam on the last Thursday of the Term.
THEME THREE:
A QUEST FOR DEMOCRACY
Week Ten: Imperialism & WWI
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 20 “The Imperial Republic”, 22 “The Battle for Nationalism, 23
“America and the Great War”
Kennedy and Bailey: 27.A.1; 27.B.1; 27.C.1; 27.D.1& 3;
28.A.2; 28.B. 2,
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Major Assignments:
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Climate of Imperialism (A Look at the ideas behind American Imperialism)
Hand-out, Treaty of Versailles Worksheet
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and DBQ on Imperialism or WWI
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THEME FOUR:
A QUEST FOR MODERNITY
Week Eleven: Roaring Twenties
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Readings:
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Brinkley: 24 “The New Era”
Kennedy and Bailey: 33.A.2; 32.A.1,
32.B.2; 32.C.2; 32.D.1
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Major Assignments:
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Foreign Policy Hand-out
Arts of the 1920’s Poster
Harlem Renaissance Learning Packet
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Exam:
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DBQ Question Attack Assignment (write a thesis and outline for four 1920’s DBQ
questions)
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Week Twelve: The Great Depression & The New Deal
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Readings:
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Brinkley 25 “The Great Depression”, 26 “The New Deal”
Hofstadter: FDR
Kennedy and Bailey: 33 (selected docs), 34 (selected docs)
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Major Assignments:
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Great Depression Economic Graphs and Analysis
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Movie:
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Cinderella Man, The Grapes of Wrath (sections)
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Exam:
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Essay Exam (please see my website for possible essay questions)
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Week Thirteen: World War II
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Readings:
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Brinkley 27 “The Global Crisis”, 28 “America in a World at War”
Kennedy and Bailey: 35, (selected docs), 36 (selected docs)
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Major Assignments:
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The Homefront Activity
The Greatest Generation Project
WWII economic graphs
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Movie:
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The Greatest Generation documentary
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam
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THEME FIVE:
A QUEST FOR SECURITY
Week Fourteen: The Cold War & 1950’s Culture
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Readings:
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Brinkley: 29 “The Cold War”, 30 “The Affluent Society”(selected sections)
Kennedy and Bailey: 37 (selected docs), 38 (selected docs), 39 (selected
docs), 40 (selected docs)
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Movie:
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“The Manchurian Candidate”
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Major Assignments:
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The Cold War document packet
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam
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THEME SIX:
A QUEST FOR FREEDOM
Week Fifteen: The Civil Rights Movement (1950’s-present)
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Readings:
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Brinkley 30 “The Affluent Society” (selected sections), 31 “Civil Rights,
Vietnam and the Ordeal of Liberalism”
Kennedy and Bailey: 37 (selected docs), 38 (selected docs)
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Movie:
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“Malcolm X”
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Major Assignments:
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Speech analysis
Presentations on the Wider Civil Rights Movement
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Week Sixteen: Vietnam, Political Unrest, Watergate
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Readings:
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Brinkley 31 “Civil Rights, Vietnam and the Ordeal of Liberalism”, 32 “The
Crisis of Authority”
Kennedy and Bailey: 39 (selected docs), 40 (selected docs)
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Movie:
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“All the President’s Men”
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Major Assignments:
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Vietnam Document Packet
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Exam:
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Multiple Choice Exam and DBQ
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THEME SEVEN: QUEST FOR
PROSPERITY IN A POST-MODERN WORLD
Week Seventeen: late 1970’s to the new Millennium
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Reading:
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Brinkley: 33 “From ‘The Age of Limits’ to the Age of Reagan”, 34 “The Age of
Globalization”
Kennedy and Bailey: 40 (selected docs), 41 (selected docs),
42 (selected docs)
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Term Two Term Group Project:
Thematic Presentations will be presented during the last week of school.
The Final Exam will be on
the last Thursday of the term.
This syllabus may be amended
at the discretion of the instructor.
