Warwick School District

Curriculum❯AP U.S. History

AP U.S. History

Grade Levels: 10 | 11 | 12 |

Course Description

Advanced Placement U.S. History is a college-level introductory course, which examines the nations’ political, diplomatic, intellectual, cultural, social, and economic history from 1491 to the present. A variety of instructional approaches are employed and a college level textbook is supplemented by primary and secondary sources. The class is taught in accordance with the AP U.S. History curriculum framework, and is designed to prepare students for the AP U.S. History Exam in May.

Course Textbook: By The People: A History of the United State, James Fraser, AP Edition, Pearson/Prentice hall, 2015.

Core Curriculum Content Standards

PA Common Core: History and Social Studies (2012)

  • Reading Informational Text: Students read, understand, and respond to informational text – with emphasis on comprehension, making connections among ideas and between texts with focus on textual evidence.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Cite specific textual evidence to support analysis of primary and secondary sources, connecting insights gained from specific details to an understanding of the text as a whole.(8.5.11-12.A)
      • Determine the central ideas or information of a primary or secondary source; provide an accurate summary that makes clear the relationships among the key details and ideas.(8.5.11-12.B)
      • Evaluate various explanations for actions or events and determine which explanation best accords with textual evidence, acknowledging where the text leaves matters uncertain.(8.5.11-12.C)
      • Determine the meaning of words and phrases as they are used in a text, including analyzing how an author uses and refines the meaning of a key term over the course of a text (e.g., how Madison defines faction in Federalist No. 10).(8.5.11-12.D)
      • Analyze in detail how a complex primary source is structured, including how key sentences, paragraphs, and larger portions of the text contribute to the whole.(8.5.11-12.E)
      • Evaluate authors’ differing points of view on the same historical event or issue by assessing the authors’ claims, reasoning, and evidence.(8.5.11-12.F)
      • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources of information presented in diverse formats and media (e.g., visually, quantitatively, as well as in words) in order to address a question or solve a problem.(8.5.11-12.G)
      • Evaluate an author’s premises, claims, and evidence by corroborating or challenging them with other information.(8.5.11-12.H)
      • Integrate information from diverse sources, both primary and secondary, into a coherent understanding of an idea or event, noting discrepancies among sources.(8.5.11-12.I)
      • By the end of grade 12, read and comprehend history/social studies texts in the grades 11–CCR text complexity band independently and proficiently.(8.5.11-12.J)

  • Writing: Students write for different purposes and audiences. Students write clear and focused text to convey a well-defined perspective and appropriate content.

    • GRADES 11-12

      • Write arguments focused on discipline-specific content.-Introduce precise, knowledgeable claim(s), establish the significance of the claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that logically sequences the claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.-Develop claim(s) and counterclaims fairly and thoroughly, supplying the most relevant data and evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both claim(s) and counterclaims in a discipline-appropriate form that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level, concerns, values, and possible biases.-Use words, phrases, and clauses as well as varied syntax to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.-Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.-Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from or supports the argument presented.(8.6.11-12.A)
      • Write informative/explanatory texts, including the narration of historical events, scientific procedures/ experiments, or technical processes.-Introduce a topic and organize complex ideas, concepts, and information so that each new element builds on that which precedes it to create a unified whole; include formatting (e.g., headings), graphics (e.g., figures, tables), and multimedia when useful to aiding comprehension.-Develop the topic thoroughly by selecting the most significant and relevant facts, extended definitions, concrete details, quotations, or other information and examples appropriate to the audience’s knowledge of the topic.-Use varied transitions and sentence structures to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships among complex ideas and concepts.-Use precise language, domain-specific vocabulary and techniques such as metaphor, simile, and analogy to manage the complexity of the topic; convey a knowledgeable stance in a style that responds to the discipline and context as well as to the expertise of likely readers.-Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the information or explanation provided (e.g., articulating implications or the significance of the topic).Note: Students’ narrative skills continue to grow in these grades. The Standards require that students be able to incorporate narrative elements effectively into arguments and informative/explanatory texts. In history/social studies, students must be able to incorporate narrative accounts into their analyses of individuals or events of historical import. In science and technical subjects, students must be able to write precise enough descriptions of the step-by-step procedures they use in their investigations or technical work that others can replicate them and (possibly) reach the same results.(8.6.11-12.B)
      • Produce clear and coherent writing in which the development, organization, and style are appropriate to task, purpose, and audience.(8.6.11-12.C)
      • Develop and strengthen writing as needed by planning, revising, editing, rewriting, or trying a new approach, focusing on addressing what is most significant for a specific purpose and audience.(8.6.11-12.D)
      • Conduct short as well as more sustained research projects to answer a question (including a self-generated question) or solve a problem; narrow or broaden the inquiry when appropriate; synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.(8.6.11-12.F)
      • Gather relevant information from multiple authoritative print and digital sources, using advanced searches effectively; assess the strengths and limitations of each source in terms of the specific task, purpose, and audience; integrate information into the text selectively to maintain the flow of ideas, avoiding plagiarism and overreliance on any one source and following a standard format for citation.(8.6.11-12.G)
      • Draw evidence from informational texts to support analysis, reflection, and research.(8.6.11-12.H)
      • Write routinely over extended time frames (time for reflection and revision) and shorter time frames (a single sitting or a day or two) for a range of discipline-specific tasks, purposes, and audiences.(8.6.11-12.I)

History (2009-2012)

  • United States History

    • GRADE 12

      • Evaluate the role groups and individuals from the U.S. played in the social, political, cultural, and economic development of the world.(8.3.12.A)
      • Evaluate the impact of historical documents, artifacts, and places in U.S. history which are critical to world history.(8.3.12.B)
      • Evaluate how continuity and change in U.S. history are interrelated with the world. -Belief systems and religions -Commerce and industry -Technology -Politics and government -Physical and human geography -Social organizations(8.3.12.C)
      • Evaluate how conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations in the U.S. have influenced the growth and development of the world. -Ethnicity and race -Working conditions -Immigration -Military conflict -Economic stability(8.3.12.D)

    • US HISTORY 1850-PRESENT

      • Compare the role groups and individuals played in the social, political, cultural, and economic development of the U.S.(8.3.U.A)
      • Compare the impact of historical documents, artifacts, and places which are critical to the U.S.(8.3.U.B)
      • Evaluate how continuity and change have impacted the United States. -Belief systems and religions -Commerce and industry -Technology -Politics and government -Physical and human geography -Social organizations(8.3.U.C)
      • Evaluate how conflict and cooperation among groups and organizations have influenced the growth and development of the U.S. -Ethnicity and race -Working conditions -Immigration -Military conflict -Economic stability(8.3.U.D)

NCSS - Curriculum Standards for Social Studies (1994)

  • Grades K-12

    • Culture - Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of culture and cultural diversity, so that the learner can:(NCSS.I)
    • Time, Continuity, & Change Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ways human beings view themselves in and over time, so that the learner can:(NCSS.II)
    • People, Places, & Environments Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of people, places, and environments, so that the learner can:(NCSS.III)
    • Individual Development & Identity Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of individual development and identity, so that the learner can:(NCSS.IV)
    • Individuals, Groups, & Institutions Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of interactions among individuals, groups, and institutions, so that the learner can:(NCSS.V)
    • Power, Authority, & Governance Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people create and change structures of power, authority, and governance, so that the learner can:(NCSS.VI)
    • Production, Distribution, & Consumption Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of how people organize for the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services, so that the learner can:(NCSS.VII)
    • Science, Technology, & Society Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of relationships among science, technology, and society, so that the learner can:(NCSS.VIII)
    • Global Connections Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of global connections and independence, so that the learner can:(NCSS.IX)
    • Civic Ideals & Practices Social studies programs should include experiences that provide for the study of the ideals, principles, and practices of citizenship in a democratic republic, so that the learner can:(NCSS.X)

Units

Unit #1 - Period 1: Contact and Exploration 1491 – 1607

Unit #2 - Period 2: Settlements Old and New 1607 – 1754

Unit #3 - Period 3: A New Birth of Freedom 1754 – 1800

Unit #4 - Period 4: Crafting A Nation 1800 – 1848

Unit #5 - Period 5: Expansion and A New Union 1844 – 1877

Unit #6 - Period 6: Becoming An Industrial World Power 1865 – 1898

Unit #7 - Period 7: War, Prosperity, and Depression 1890 – 1945

Unit #8 - Period 8: Fears, Joys, and Limits 1945 – 1980

Unit #9 - Period 9: New Beginnings1980 – present

Unit #10 - Using the 4C's in the Lesson