AP United States History

Gregory Simpson
Gregory.Simpson@sweetwaterschools.org
Office Hours: After school Tuesday 3-5pm, Lunch (M-F) and by Appointment
Goals of the Class: To further develop the skills necessary to assess and evaluate information for the
purpose of forming your own opinions and arguments and to be able to properly communicate them
using a variety of mediums.

Reading: Foner, Eric. Give Me Liberty!: An American History. New York: W.W. Norton, 2014. Print.
Foner, Eric. "Voices of Freedom." Goodreads. N.p., n.d. Web. 11 May 2017.

The AP Exam will be on 5-8-20

Grading-Jupiter Grades
 A total of 1,100 point will be available during the semester, of which you will be able to drop
your lowest 100 points.
o If you miss a test and make up, it will reduce the drop amount
Assignment Value
M.C. Test (4) 40 Each (160)
Online Test/Writing Packets/Games (4) 40 Each (160)
Short Answers (4) 20 Each (80)
Long Essay (4) 15 Each (60)
DBQ (4) 25 Each (100)
Projects and Essays 240 Points
Midterm Review 140 Points
Midterm 160 Points
Projects will be completed in teams selected by students.
Each team will have a project manager that will grade the other team members.
o Teach a critical skill (researching, writing, communication, collaboration)
o Develop necessary skills to prepare for the AP Exam.
o Develop a class culture.
o Support curriculum retention.

Unit (3-4 weeks each) Chapters in Book Time Frame

Contact to colonies 1-4 1491-1754

Revolution to Sovereignty 5-8 1754-1815
Building a Nation 9-12 1815-1850
Division and Reunion 13-15 1844-1877
Industrialization and growth 16, 18 1865-1910
The Road to becoming a Superpower 17, 19-22 1890-1945
The Cold War 23-25 1945-1989
America’s place in the world Today 26-28 1980-Present
AP Exam-May 8th 2020

The exam requires students to apply historical thinking skills and knowledge of content as they respond, in writing, short-
answer, document-based, and essay questions. Multiple-choice questions ask students to use their knowledge of content to
analyze and interpret primary and secondary sources. The exam consists of the following sections, in order:

 Fifty-five multiple-choice questions (55 minutes, 40 percent)

 Three short-answer questions (40 minutes, 20 percent)
 One document-based question (60 minutes, 25 percent)
 One long essay question (40 minutes, 15 percent)

Skills to be taught throughout the course:

1. Causation (Causes and effects of History)
2. Continuity and Change Over Time (Finding patterns)
3. Comparison (Compare events with each other)
4. Contextualization (How a historical event relates to other events of the time)
5. Argumentation (Analyzing the strength of historical arguments).
6. Analyzing Historical Evidence (Analyzing a source, specifically, why was it created).
7. Synthesis (Create your own historical argument, apply your argument to the present.)

Accommodations for students with disabilities

If you have an IEP or a 504 plan and require accommodations/modifications, I encourage you to
discuss your accommodations and needs with me as early in the semester as possible. I will work with
you and the school support staff to ensure that accommodations/modifications are provided as
appropriate. If you have questions about what accommodations you are eligible to receive, please
talk to your case manager or school psychologist.

Student education and wellness

I encourage all students to see me whenever they are experiencing any difficulty with the class, either academically
or any other obstacle. If students have a preferred method of learning, I strongly encourage that they communicate with me.
Students have the right in this class to develop their own projects, assuming that they meet the criteria that the original
project was intended to teach. Above all else, student health (both physical and mental) and well being is considered
paramount and I will do all I possibly can to support the students learning while being considerate of any health issues that
may arise.

Class Themes

American and National Identity- This theme focuses on how and why definitions of American and national identity and
values have developed, as well as on related topics such as citizenship, constitutionalism, foreign policy, assimilation, and
American exceptionalism.

Politics and Power- This theme focuses on how different social and political groups have influenced society and
government in the United States, as well as how political beliefs and institutions have changed over time.
Work, Exchange, and Technology- This theme focuses on the factors behind the development of systems of economic
exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government.

Culture and Society- This theme focuses on the roles that ideas, beliefs, social mores, and creative expression have played
in shaping the United States, as well as how various identities, cultures, and values have been preserved or changed in
different contexts of U.S. history.

Migration and Settlement- This theme focuses on why and how the various people who moved to and within the United
States both adapted to and transformed their new social and physical environments.

Geography and the Environment- This theme focuses on the role of geography and both the natural and human-made
environments on social and political developments in what would become the United States.

America in the World- This theme focuses on the interactions between nations that affected North American history in the
colonial period, and on the influence of the United States on world affairs.

Support for students' learning and well-being

Well-being is paramount to student’s success and development. It is important for students

to be mindful about how they feel in order to help reduce stress and anxiety. Students need to

have a healthy balance between work and play in order to support their well-being. A healthy

diet, staying active, adequate sleep, and staying social are all ways to encourage a healthy

lifestyle. If at any point students feel too overwhelmed, there are outlets on campus to assist

students. These include our Counseling office, Nurse, Assistant Principals, Peer Mediators, Link

Crew Leaders, or any trusted adult on campus can help with sending students to the right

resource.

Advice to help students manage their learning

Time management is paramount to academic success in this class. Students should be

spending around 45 minutes a night on this course. This can be studying, working on

assignments, extra credit or projects. We have a calendar in the front of the class that has

everything we will be working on for up to a month in advance. Due dates are also on our
website’s calendar. In addition our website has study resources and tips under “Student

Resources”. Additionally, Students can receive tutoring during lunch or office hours after

school as well.

Summer Assignment

Books/Movies/Musicals 3. Casablanca
Unit 1 (1491-1754) 4. Saving Private Ryan
1. The Crucible 5. Seabiscuit
6. The Aviator
Unit 2 (1754-1800) 7. The Great Gatsby
1. Last of the Mohicans 8. Grapes of Wrath
2. Hamilton (The Musical)
Unit 7 and 8 (1945-present)
Unit 3 (1800-1848) 1. 13 Days
1. Amistad 2. Casablanca
2. Two Years Before the Mast 3. Bridge of Spies
4. Dr. Strangelove
Unit 4 (1848-1876) 5. 42
1. Glory 6. The Butler
2. 12 Years a Slave 7. Forest Gump
3. Lincoln 8. Goodnight and Good Luck
4. Gangs of New York 9. Charlie Wilson’s War
5. Gone With the Wind 10. The Help
6. Dances With Wolves 11. Legends of the Fall
7. Gettysburg 12. The Manchurian Candidate
8. Uncle Tom’s Cabin 13. Apollo 13
9. Huckleberry Finn 14. Cather in the Rye
15. To Kill a Mockingbird
Unit 5 (1876-1919) 16. Anthem
1. There Will Be Blood 17. Milk
2. The Wizard of Oz 18. Argo
3. Iron Jawed Angels 19. Black Hawk Down
4. Citizen Cane 20. Star Wars (Episode 4)
5. The Jungle 21. And the Band Played On
22. The Hurt Locker
23. Hidden Figures
Unit 6 (1898-1945) 24. Loving
1. Godfather II
2. Untouchables
*Summer Assignment-You need to read 2 books and watch 5 of the movies. This should be completed by
10-10-18. That is after Fall Break.
Student’s Name __________________________________ Period ________
Good communication between teachers, students and parents is essential to
maximizing a student’s success in high school. I will be communicating
regularly to you about your student’s progress through report cards and
online though Jupitergrades.com.

If you ever have a question, the preferred method is to email me at the

address listed on the top of the syllabus
(Gregory.Simpson@Sweetwaterschools.org) or through Jupitergrades. I will
attempt to return your email within 24 hours. Please feel free to contact me
about any concerns or issues you may have. If email is unavailable you may
call the school and leave a message for me to call you back. Please fill out the
following so I know the best way to reach you.

The first parent you would like me to contact if needed is:

1st Contact __________________________ Relationship to Student ________________
Preferred contact phone/email to reach _______________________________________
Secondary Phone/Email __________________________________

If I cannot reach the person above, you would like me to contact:

2nd Contact __________________________ Relationship to Student ________________
Preferred contact phone/email to reach _______________________________________
Secondary Phone/Email __________________________________

For your student’s first homework assignment please sign and date the
section below to indicate that you and your student have reviewed the course
syllabus and agree to assist with the communication and at home preparation
necessary to reach our goals this school year. They will turn in only this page
and keep the syllabus at home or in their binder as a reference.

Thank you and I look forward to a successful year,

Gregory Simpson

Student: ___________________________________ Date _____________________

Contact 1: __________________________________ Date _____________________

Contact 2: __________________________________ Date _____________________