apush

Mercy     Mr. Marchand's
High School       Advanced Placement US History Class
^{-Baltimore-

   A
Pattern (Semester 1,
Sophomores)


G Pattern (Semesters 2 and
3, Juniors)}

The Advanced Placement United States History course is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and enduring understandings necessary to deal critically with the events and patterns in the history of the United States. The course also prepares students for college by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by introductory college courses.

Students should learn to assess historical materials such as first hand descriptions, documents, and opinion pieces as well as following the text. Students should learn all the components of historical scholarship, including analysis of events based on an informed knowledge base. Students should also learn how to write clearly and quickly, and how to make persuasive arguments based on evidence. Lastly, students should discover themselves as active learners who seek information rather than passive consumers who expect all the material for a course and its assessments to be presented to them.

World Cultures Government Back to Main Page Model Diplomats

The Mercy High School Honor Pledge: "As a woman of Honor, I pledge that this work is my own".

Learning Guide

Link to Curriculum Guide

Text: E-Text
Please link to notes and resouces:

Purpose: Thie students should understand the United States government through the following themes:
     1. The Constitution and it's Amendments
     2. Federalism, the separation of powers, and federal state and local government
     3. Political Parties
     4. Elections, through primaries and caucuses, to nominating conventions and
         through a general election
     5. The branches of the government and how they work; Legislative, Executive,
   Judicial
     6. Comparative Politics; the federal system with the parliamentary and
          conferderation systems
     7. State and local government

Skills: Students should learn to assess current materials such as first hand descriptions, documents, and opinion pieces as well as following the text.

Students should also learn how to write clearly and quickly, and how to make persuasive arguments based on evidence.

Students will develop and carry out a research plan that meets the standards of the most advanced high school students, and will learn how to deal with a variety of methods of assessment.

Objectives: Are at the beginning of each syllabus

Click Here for A Period Syllabus

Click Here for G Period Syllabus

Click Here for Assessment Calendar

Click Here for AP Test Resources

Click Here for Journal Guidelines and Assignments

APUSH Timeline

Click Here for Research Project Schedule

Click Here for Peer Review Worksheet

Click Here for 1st Semester G Period Syllabus

Click Here for 1st Semester A Period Government

Grading Rubric

These are the performance standards that lead to the specific grade that you wish to earn for the course. Achievement of you desired grade can be reasonably be expected if you complete assignments, perform tasks and achieve assessment results that are consistent with these standards.

GRADE	Mastery of Vocabulary	Reading to Learn	Homework and Use of Web Resources	Group Work	Project Assignments	Tests, Quizzes, Assessment
A	Can use vocabulary in everyday speech, and can put vocabulary together with assignments and tests	Reads each section before doing homework, seeks links, similarities and differences between words and concepts in the section	Completes all homework assignments, does homework after reading the assigned section, uses the web to reinforce understanding	Completes all parts of the assignment, performs work and positively contributes to the group activity	Completes project assignments over enough time to make sure the final product exceeds all objectives	Masters detail knowledge (multiple choice/ short answer), analysis (comparisons and description), and synthesis (essay)
B	Can relate vocabulary to current instruction and previous assignments and tests	Reads most sections before doing homework, sometimes finds links, similarities and differences between words and concepts in the section	Completes most homework assignments, does most homework after reading the assigned section, frequently uses web resources and searches the web to reinforce understanding	Completes all parts of the assignment, performs work and positively contributes to the group activity	Completes project assignments with a strong knowledge of the content of the project	Understands detail knowledge (multiple choice/ short answer), analysis (comparisons and description), and synthesis (essay)
C	Can relate vocabulary to current instruction	Skims sections to find homework vocabulary, usually does not read the section	Looks at vocabulary first, tries to find vocabulary in the section, does not seek similarities or differences between words and concepts in the section, uses the web for specific assignments	Completes enough work to help the group complete requirements of the group assignment	Completes the project with all objectives barely accomplished	Understands one of the following: detail knowledge (multiple choice/ short answer), analysis (comparisons and description), or synthesis (essay)
D	Can define most vocabulary words	Tries to find homework vocabulary in index and/ or dictionary without reading the section	Defines vocabulary and answers questions without seeking similarities or differences between words and concepts in the section, rarely uses the web	Does not contribute equally to help the group complete the assignment, depends on other group members to complete project	Completes the project with some objectives minimally accomplished	Asks the question "what material is going to be on the test" (NOTE: It's DEFINITELY OK to ask what SECTIONS or CHAPTERS are on the quiz/ test!)
F	Cannot define vocabulary	Makes no attempt to read assigned sections	Does not do homework, does not use web resources	Does not participate in the group assignment	Does not complete (partial grade) or turn in the project (grade of 0)	Does not meet the minimal requirements of the assessment

Journals

Each student will keep a journal in a separate section of her notebook. Each Journal entry will be worth up to 25 points. The guidelines for writing Journal entries may be found at Journal Guidelines.

The journal questions for Government are posted as assigned at Government History Journal Questions.

Projects and Research Papers

First Semester Research Project

I. DESIGNED LEARNING OUTCOMES AND EVIDENCE FOR ASSESSMENT

To express verbally or in writing an awareness of our nation's past and present
To understand current issues and how to reason towards solution.
To analyze and interpret primary sources, including documentary materials, maps, statistical tables, and pictorial and graphic evidence of historical events
To write essay examinations and analytical papers
To express themselves with clarity and precision and know how to cite sources and credit the phrases and ideas of others
To understand the causes and effects of major events such as the American Revolution, Civil War, Great Depression, the World Wars, and The Cold War
To see trends in areas such as politics, diplomacy, and social reform
To understand significant historical controversies concerning each period in American History
To understand the complexity of American backgrounds and problems and develop a tolerance toward differences among Americans and American ideas
To express an appreciation of the student’s own identity, his own worth, and his place in the society in which he lives

II. INSTRUCTIONAL METHODS

Students are expected to keep a notebook on the material covered during class lectures, discussions and presentations.
Students are given regular reading assignments in their text, The American Pageant.
They are expected to do these assignments since the reading directly relates to the class discussions.
For each class, the students should construct several discussion-based questions pertaining to the reading assignment. Through these questions, the class can discuss those things that were unclear in the reading as well as explore opinions and implications to other topics not mentioned in the reading.
Each semester, the students are expected to give a brief presentation on one topic mentioned in the readings. On his assigned day, the student must be well organized and interesting. He must present the topic as well as provide stimulating questions to help direct the class discussion. Each presentation/discussion should last about 15-20 minutes.
Since a constant effort is made to relate historical topics with what is happening in the world today, each class will begin with a brief discussion on a current event topic. Each student will be expected to keep abreast of events taking place in the world today by watching the news, reading the newspaper or listening to a news-based radio station.
Class discussions are a daily item. They are based on the text reading and the daily presentations. Each student is expected to participate in the class discussions. During each lesson several students will be called upon to provide brief summaries of the reading assignment.
Each student will write a research paper on a topic agreeable with the instructor. More information on these will be given at a later date.

III. METHODS OF EVALUATION

Occasional quizzes will be given to ensure that reading assignments are being done and that students are aware of current events. These quizzes will be small (10 – 15 questions).
Tests are given every 3-4 weeks. They will consist of multiple choice/true-false and essay questions. The tests will count for approximately 60% of the student's semester average.
Topic presentation is worth 40 pts. Students will be evaluated on their organization, knowledge and creativity.
The semester paper will be worth 200 points (two test grades).
At the end of the first semester, a comprehensive examination is given. This exam counts as two test grades.

IV. TEXTS AND MATERIALS

.
Handouts from current articles.
Relevant readings from books, articles and the Internet.
Materials discoverd during the year by students and the teacher.

Themes

Each theme can be traced throughout the course to varying degrees:

1. American Diversity (race, class, ethnicity, and gender)
2. American Identity/American Exceptionalism
3. Reform/Social Change
4. Culture (literature, art, music, philosophy, theatre, and film)
5. Demographic Changes within the American Population
6. Changes within the American Economy/Legacy of Capitalism
7. Environmental Attitudes and Policies
8. Increasing/Decreasing Trends of Globalization
9. Role of Religion in America
10. Conflict and Diplomacy

Practical Objectives - Student Skills

1. To prepare each student to succeed on the May AP US history exam

2. to improve each students -

· < analytical and critical-thinking skills

· < writing skills

· < study skills

· < knowledge of significant Americans

· < knowledge of major events in U.S. history and various interpretations of these events

· < knowledge of geography

· < research skills

· <public speaking skills