AP U. S.

History
Lynden High School
2014-2015
Mike Elsner
Email:elsnerm@lynden.wednet.edu
School Phone Number: 360-354-4401 ext 5252
Prep: 1st period

Welcome to AP (Advanced Placement) United States History. This course will deal from 1450-
Present. The course you have signed up for has some basic goals. The first is that you learn the history
of the United States. The second is to prepare ourselves to take the AP test in the spring usually the
first week in May. To have the label “AP” means this is to be equivalent of a college level US History
course. Finally, you have signed up because you enjoy in depth learning and studying history, people,
and/or want to know why things happen the way they did. In this class we will tackle all of these
giving each a better understanding of our countries history.

There are many skills necessary in order for students to be successful in this course. Strong reading and
writing skills are important, as well as solid organizational skills, good study habits, and self discipline.
In this class the teacher will be removed from the traditional position of consistent lecturer, or
traditional presenter of information to organizer, head discussion leader, and feedback on completed
tasks. There will be an emphasis on critical reading, writing, formulating historical opinions based on
information learned, and good old fashion thinking. We will look at primary sources, respond to
opinions of noted historians, and READ the textbook and other sources. Study guides will be created
for each unit by the students and we will learn questioning strategies as a way to focus our historical
inquiry preparing us for projects along the way. This course is meant to be challenging, engaging,
active, and enjoyable.

Course Objectives:
Students will be able to:

 Know and understand a broad body of historical knowledge.

 Demonstrate an understanding of historical chronology
 Generate historical questions to guide their inquiry
 Interpret and use data from primary sources, including cartoons, paintings, photographs,
graphs, charts, maps, letters, etc.
 Take a position on a historical question and support their argument with a variety of specific
historical data.
 Effectively apply analytical skills such as evaluation, compare and contrast, and cause and
effect.
 Produce products that demonstrate historical knowledge and understanding.
Course Textbook:
Alan Brinkley. American History, Connecting with the Past, AP Edition (Columbia University:
McGraw-Hill Companies, 2012)

Course Units:
Your training as a historian begins today. We will be focusing on many units of study. You will be
investigating the meaning behind each of these historical eras.

Unit I – Pre-Columbian America to the Dawning of the Revolutionary War 1450-1750

Main Themes:
 Cultural Diversity: European, Native American and African worlds collide.
 American Identity: Regional diversity of colonial society; developing an American character

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 1: The Collision of Cultures
Chapter 2: Transplantations and Borderlands
Chapter 3: Society and Culture in Provincial America

Unit II – Building a Nation 1750-1794

Main Themes:
 Setting the stage of Revolution
 War for Independence
 Search for a national government

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 4: The Empire in Transformation
Chapter 5: The American Revolution

Unit III – The Nation Takes Form to Jeffersonian Era

Main Themes:
 Developing Government
 Federalists vs Anti Federalists
 Expansion

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 6: The Constitution and the New Republic
Chapter 7: The Jeffersonian Era

Unit IV – Sectionalism to Jacksonian Era to Nationalism

Main Themes:
 Expansion
 Jacksonian Government
  Americas “new” economy and sectionalism

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 8: Varieties of American Nationalism
Chapter 9: Jacksonian America
Chapter 10: America’s Economic Revolution
Chapter 11: Cotton, Slavery, and the Old South
Chapter 12: Antebellum Culture and Reform

Unit V – Civil War

Main Themes:
 Sectional Debate
 Slavery Issue
 War
 Reconstruction

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 13: The Impending Crisis
Chapter 14: The Civil War
Chapter 15: Reconstruction and the New South

Unit VI – Westward conquest and Age of Industrialism

Main Themes:
 Changing Economy
 Industrialization
 Developing Cities

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 16: The Conquest of the Far West
Chapter 17: Industrial Supremacy
Chapter 18: The Age of the City

Unit VII – Agrarian Revolt to Progressivism

Main Themes:
 Agrarian society takes off
 Growth of American business
 Politics and business

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 19: From Crisis to Empire
Chapter 20: The Progressives

Unit VIII – America and World War I

Main Themes:
 U.S. world impact and World War I

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 21: America and the Great War

Unit IX – New Era to New Deal

Main Themes:
 Economic Boom and American culture
 Great Depression
 Recovery and A “New Deal”

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 22: The New Era
Chapter 23: The Great Depression
Chapter 24: The New Deal

Unit X – Global Crisis and World War II

Main Themes:
 Diplomacy and Isolationism
 War

Textbook Readings
Chapter 25: The Global Crisis
Chapter 26: America in a World War

Unit XI – Cold War to America’s New Society

Main Themes:
 Red Scare and Nuclear Threat
 Subversives and Containment

Textbook Readings
Chapter 27: The Cold War
Chapter 28: The Affluent Society

Unit XII – Turbulent Times Home and Abroad

Main Themes:
 Vietnam- A worthy cause
 Economic and Government philosophy across the globe
 Social change at home
 Americas role in the world conflicts
  Watergate

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 29: Civil Rights, Vietnam, and the Ordeal of Liberalism
Chapter 30: The Crisis of Authority

Unit XIII – Reagan to the Present

Main Themes:
 Reagan Revolution
 Economic Boom
 Perils of Globalization

Textbook Readings:
Chapter 31: From the “Age of Limits” to the Age of Reagan
Chapter 32: The Age of Globalization

Grading: The grading for this course will be based on the following:

Test/ Projects 50%

Homework/ Quizzes
(study guides, analysis/ opinions, soapstones, cartoons, etc.) 30%
Final Exam – No Essay 10%
Attendance/ Participation 10%

The grading scale is as follows:

A= 94% B= 83% C= 73% F= 64%

A-= 90% B-= 80% C-= 70%
B+= 87% C+= 77% D= 65%

Supplies:
Each student is required to have the following items for class:
3 Ring Notebook full of paper for notes, Pens and pencils, highlighters, a set of 8-12 colored pencils,
and your textbook. -Keep a Vocabulary list and main points for each unit

Parents and students: Students are capable of being aware of their grade (Skyward/ Teacher) and a
student should take class seriously and do what is asked of you.
Extra Credit will be available and can be obtained. Check with teacher for further explanation.

Classroom Rules:
1. Be on time and in your seat when the bell rings.
2. Be orderly in discussions not monopolizing topics.
3. Respect differing opinions. It is ALRIGHT to disagree.
4. Do NOT abuse any person, materials, or items connected to this room or school.
5. Limited Food and Limited Drink in the Classroom.
6. If you get something out, put it away.
7. No cell phones.
 Reading Schedule: Pages Dates
Week #1 Chapter 1 p. 3 - p. 34 9/2-9/4
Week #1 Chapter 2 p. 37 - p. 65 9/4--9/8
Week #2 Chapter 3 p. 67 - p. 98 9/8-9/11
Collect People, Events, Themes Test

AP National Test
The national AP U.S. History test usually is administered the first week of May. Our class ends in
June. We can have study sessions before or after school to prep for the test depending on interest. By
taking the national test you will not have to take this class’s final comprehensive test. There is a fee to
take this national test and it will be during the school day. College credit can be obtained by a high
score on the test with many universities. All school work should be saved even when the unit is over to
help for studying for the test.

----------------------------Cut here and return signed ------------------------------

AP U. S. HISTORY COURSE SYLLABUS

Mr. Elsner

I have read and understand the requirements and expectations of this course.

Student Signature: _________________________________ Date: __________

Parent/Guardian Signature: ___________________________ Date: _________