AP Preview Day: Class Overview & Summer Assignment

Dear Student,
This is a college-level course in work load and rigor. It is not for
everyone. The reading load is large, challenging, and fast paced. Your grade
in the class is heavily based on test scores since the majority of students
here are working towards passing the AP Test in May. Please carefully
consider the AP class load you want to take, the extracurricular activities you
wish to be involved in and see if this is a class you want to make a priority. I
am not offended if that does not end up being the case.
I want you to be successful in your Junior Year, a pivotal year for
college and classes. In order for you to make the most well-informed
decision on whether to take this course or not Ive provided an overview of
the grading system and structure of APUSH.
Sincerely,
Ms. Blount

Your total grade is based on a weighted grading system:

Tests & Quizzes
Assignments

40% Unit Tests, Chapter Quizzes

25% Homework, Reading Assignment Questions,

written responses
Essays & Projects
Citizenship
discipline, etc.
& Participation

25% Essays and Projects

10% Class participation, tardies, discipline, attendance,

Course Content Structure

(Units of Study)
1
1491-1607

Ch. 1-3

Early Contact Among Groups in

North America

1607-1754

Ch. 4-6

N. American Societies in the Context of

the Atlantic World

1754-1800

Ch. 7-10

Birth of a New Nation and Struggling

Democracy

1800-1848

Ch. 11-17 Growing Pains of the new Republic

1844-1877

Ch. 18-21

Expansion, Regional Separation, the Civil

War and Its Aftermath

1865-1898

Ch. 22-27 Industrialization, Urbanization, and Cultural

Transformation

1890-1945

Ch. 28-37

Domestic and Global Challenges and the

Creation of Mass Culture

1945-1980

Ch. 38-39 Increasing Prosperity and Global Responsibility

After WWII

1980 present

Ch. 40-41

Globalization and Redefining

National Identity

30-40 question quizzes and 30-40 question Tests will occur every 3-4
chapters.

APUSH Summer Assignment Information

Welcome to APUSH!
This is a demanding but hopefully rewarding course, which will require that
you do some preparation before you arrive at the end of August.
The summer homework contains 2 assignments, which will take
approximately 8-10 hours to complete. To do this work you will need a copy
of American Pageant, which you should pick up before the end of the school
year from our school library. We will meet in May to check out the book and I
can answer any questions about the course or summer homework.
There are three general purposes for this preparatory work:
1) To get your juices flowing about American history, particularly our
first topic of Colonial America.
2) To accelerate our movement through this topic. As you will come to
learn, this course is simply too big for one school year. We will
battle this reality all year by various means. If there is already one
topic that most of you have already had limited exposure to,
colonial America is it. Therefore, we will be moving quickly through
this material
3) To orient you to the workload and variety you will have this year.
Reading is your primary homework all year long. As you read you

should analyze and ask yourself questions as you sift through main
ideas and concepts.

Checklist of Assignments:
o Outline of First Chapter
o Personal History Essay
o Study

APUSH Summer Assignment #1: Cornell Outlines A

Love/Hate Relationship
Reading Assignment: Chapters 1-3 in American Pageant
Get ready to read and write A LOT! History is the interpretation of the
written record. In many respects, it is the interpretation of someone elses
interpretation; it can go on for what seems like forever! You have signed up
for a course designed to prepare you for an exam that will demand of you
superior knowledge and content mastery. The exam also demands that you
demonstrate solid competency in the ability to write analytically in response
to challenging historical prompts. Your acquisition of greater content
knowledge begins at the point of reading the text and actively taking notes.
These Cornell outlines will become a study aid throughout the course. Notes
are not optional; they are essential.
1. Read Chapters 1-3 and complete the Cornell notes as you read. The
lists follow the text for the most part.

Ive provided below two examples of text notes; one is done poorly while the
other is done well. Check to see that your notes demonstrate solid thinking
and comprehensive thought. You need to handwrite your notes legibly.
Not-so-good example (not AP standard)
What is the Gadsden Purchase?: Land purchased near Mexico for the
railroads for $10 million dollars after the Mexican War.
How its done (definitely AP standard)
What is the Gadsden Purchase: Land deal orchestrated by James Gadsden
and Sec. of War Jefferson Davis in the hopes of building
a transcontinental rail line that would benefit
southern states. The deal was sealed in 1853 after the
Senate approved the pact and paid Mexico $10 million. It
was located of what are now Arizona, New Mexico, and part
of Texas. Northern interests demanded organization
of new Nebraska Territory in return (graphic p. 405)

Summer Assignment #2: Personal History

This year you will learn the political, economic, religious, social, intellectual
and cultural history of the United States through studying primary source
documents and memorizing hundreds of key people, ideas, events and
movements. However, we cannot bypass our own personal history and that
of our family because no matter how long you have lived in America or what
your background is, everyone has a story which reflects the development of
our nation.
Your second assignment over the summer is to investigate your own
personal history by interviewing relatives and doing some research. I would
like you to find out the following about your family:
1. When did they arrive in America? (names and dates)
2. Why did they come to America? Push and pull factors? Ex: if they came
as immigrants where did they come from and why did they leave?

3. When did they arrive in Stockton?

4. Why did they come to Stockton? Push and pull factors?
5. Do you know of any significant contributions that you or your family
has made to either local, state and/or national history?
6. Are there key turning points in your family history which you think have
shaped your own personal history?
7. Include any primary source documents which reflect your familys
history. Ex: newspaper articles, photographs, journals or diary entries.
8. Are there questions you still have about your personal history?
After answering the above questions reformat your question into an essay. It
needs to be typed, double-spaced with one inch margins. The paper should
be at least 1-2 pages, however, yours may end up being much longer. The
paper is worth 30 points.

Summer Assignment #3: Study-Study-Study

Your summer homework is due ON THE FIRST DAY OF SCHOOL.
Thats it. No exceptions. No substitutions, exchanges, or refunds. As per the
AP contract- failure to complete the summer assignment MAY result in not
remaining in the course.
On the second day of school we will be taking a test based directly on the
Cornell outline notes from the first three chapters. It will be 50 questions,
multiple choice, and will be worth 100 points in the Tests & Quizzes
category.