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Because of the special nature of Advanced Placement classes, students must make specific commitments. After reading the following expectations and responsibilities, your signature indicates agreement to these requirements. Your parent or guardian must sign also, indicating his/her understanding and support of the time commitment and requirements of APUSH.
COURSE CONTENT: Advanced Placement United States History surveys the history of the United States beginning with the colonial period, and ending with international affairs and domestic changes in the post-1945 period to the present.
The course is designed to provide a comprehensive overview of U.S. history and to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials in United States history. Students should learn to assess historical materials -- their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance -- and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship. The APUSH course develops the skills necessary to arrive at conclusions on the basis of an informed judgment and to present reasons and evidence clearly and persuasively in essay format.
In addition, the goal is for students to be prepared to take the college-level examination in May 1996 which can earn a year's college credit in U.S. history. Preparation for this exam as well as course requirements will include striking a balance between learning factual knowledge and critical thinking skills of analysis, interpretation, synthesis, and evaluation.
HOMEWORK: APUSH is a demanding course requiring homework every night! Students planning to earn a grade of "A" or "B" will spend a minimum of eight hours per week. Begin planning and preparing NOW to take the exam in May.
In addition to the textbook, assignments include supplementary readings varying from a few pages to book length, research projects, seminar presentations, oral reports, group discussion, quizzes, essays, objective and essay tests, critiques of current events, documentary programs, and others. Major assignments will be given in advance with specific due dates assigned in advance to allow students to organize their time schedules and work load. Late work will be accepted with a ONE DAY GRACE PERIOD. After that it will be automatically downgraded.
GRADES: APUSH assignments are graded on a mark system (90% = A, 80% = B, 70% = C). Essays will be graded on a 15 point scale, similar to the manner used by Educational Testing Service (AP Exam). Tests will returned to students to review their scores but will be collected after inspection. Keep all assignments returned to you! Keep a resource notebook! DO NOT THROW ANYTHING AWAY.
PARTICIPATION: A significant part of the APUSH grade will be student participation. Each day that you are in class, on time, and work productively and cooperatively you earn participation credit. Credit will be deducted for such things as, but are not limited to, failure to bring working materials such as textbook, assignments, and notes to class, disruptive behavior, working on other subjects, reading unrelated materials, sitting idly, and so forth. Participation will constitute approximately 10% of the class grade.
MAKE-UP WORK: After an excused absence, it is the student's responsibility to find out what has been missed. Failure to make up work within a reasonable amount of time will result in an "F". If an absence occurs on a day when a class assignment is to be completed during the period, a different assignment MAY be given to students with an excused absence. TESTS given following reading and note-taking assignments, if missed due to an excused absence, MUST BE MADE UP THE DAY YOU RETURN AFTER ONE OR DAY DAY ABSENCES. Being absent on the DAY BEFORE THE TEST DOES NOT EXCUSE YOU FROM TAKING THE TEST WHEN SCHEDULED. Establish a "telephone tree" with classmates to keep informed when you are absent.
MATERIALS: Students should organize a notebook and develop their own note taking skills. Textbook, paper, pen and other working materials should be brought to class daily. I recommend keeping a "spiral" notebook for class lectures and another spiral type notebook for all of your "terms" assignments. ALL HOMEWORK ESSAYS MUST BE WRITTEN IN BLUE/BLACK INK! Yes, you may type your papers, but always double-spaced on unlined typing paper.
GOOD LUCK TO ALL OF YOU!
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