Mr. Temple's US History

AP US History

One of the most important goals of this course is to prepare students for the Advanced Placement Examination in United States History which is administered by the College Board every spring. Students who do well on this test usually are awarded actual credit or advanced standing when they enroll in a college or university. This year the test is scheduled for Friday, May 9, 2008 at 8:00 am. For the most current information on this test and all tests administered by the College Board go to www.collegeboard.com

An equally important goal of the class is to introduce students to the methods used in the study of history. The study of history concerns events and ideas occurring in the past that can be useful in understanding the world in which we live today. The meaning of most of these events and ideas is still open to interpretation. This course does not pretend to unveil the one true explanation of all historical events. It provides instead an opportunity to examine evidence concerning the events and ideas of the past, consider explanations that have occurred to others, and to construct independent conclusions of our own. Hopefully, such a situation will enlighten and excite students as they discover that the study of the past is a tool to be used to predict possible outcomes in the future.

TEXTBOOK: America: Past and Present

Required: A notebook or binder is needed to keep track of notes, outlines, and assignments.

REQUIRED Outside Readings: CHOOSE 1 EACH GRADING PERIOD.

Choose an Autobiography or Biography of any famous, historical figure. See Mr. Temple for suggestions.

Bailey, T., and Kennedy, D., The American Spirit, 9th Ed.

Boyer, Paul. The Enduring Vision

Lemons, J. Stanley. The Woman Citizen: Social Feminism in the 1920's

Kennedy, John F. Profiles in Courage

King, Martin Luther A Letter From a Birmingham Jail

Steinbeck, John The Grapes of Wrath

Upton, Sinclair The Jungle

Wright, Richard. Black Boy

Ellison, Ralph. Invisible Man

Zinn, Howard A People's History of the United States

McGlowan, Anglela. Bamboozled

Malkin, Michelle. Unhinged

Parker, Star. White Ghetto

Gingrich, Newt. God in America

Parker Star. Uncle Sam’s Plantation.

Elder, Larry. Ten things you can’t say in America

Limbaugh, Rush. The way things ought to be.

Colmes, Allen. Red, White, and Liberal.

Coulter, Ann. Godless

Williams, Juan. Enough

Dickerson, Debra. End of Blackness.

Mclaurin, Melton. Celia, A Slave

Miller, Zell. A National Party No More

Weikart, Richard. From Darwin to Hitler

Kennedy, John, F. Profiles in Courage

Brown, Dee. Bury my heart at Wounded Knee

Du Bois, W.E.B. The Souls of Black Folk

Elkins, Stanly. Slavery

Josephson, Mathew. The Robber Baron

Parkman, Francis. The Oregon Trail

Rodriquez, Luis. Always Running

Hershey, John. Hiroshima

Washington, Booker T. Up From Slavery

Halberstam, David. The Fifties

Morris, Roger. Partners in Power: The Clintons'

America Stowe, Harriet Beecher. Uncle Tom's Cabin

Twain, Mark. Gilded Age

Walid, Shoebat. Why I left Jihad.

Sowell, Thomas. Blacks, Rednecks, White Liberals

Goldberg, Bernard. Bias

Gabriel, Brigitte. Because they Hate

Kaufman, Robert Gordon. In Defense of the Bush Doctrine

Bernstein, Andrew. The Capitalist Manifesto

Marx, Karl. The Communist Manifesto

Other books will be listed on the board.

THE COURSE: AP United States History is an accelerated introduction to American history and culture. The reading and writing load is significantly heavier than regular sections of the same course, and our agenda assumes that AP students are highly motivated and possess sophisticated classroom skills. Indeed, success in this class will depend in large measure on a student's ability to be an analytical reader and have written and verbal communication skills. In this course knowing the facts is important, but only one part of a process which also demands interpretation and synthesis of large and in depth data. Students can sometimes have difficulty with the amount of time required in an AP class, but this is expected for college prep students enrolled in a weighted class that requires the passage of the AP Exam for college credit.

Note: Fridays are usually used for evaluating student progress, via in-class essay and multiple choice tests, or some type of presentation. The emphasis will be on analytical, reading, and writing skills. Writing with a thesis and using evidence to construct logical and reasonable arguments are essential for those hoping to excel. Students should expect to seek help from Mr. Temple frequently if the demands seem to be too much, especially in the early going. I am available before school begins from 7:30-8:00 and after school from 2:30-2:45Make-up tests and essays are to be taken at lunch or before school within a week following the missed assignment. No tests or make-up assignments are expected from unexcused absences or tardiness.

GRADES: Each grading period, Grades will be computed accordingly:

Attendance/Participation: 10%

Book Report Presentation and Review: 10%

Tests 30%

Outlines 20%

Chapter Presentation (1 to 2) 10%

Class work and homework 20%

*Final project: Each student will have their own web pages that include the main points of the topics in the book and in class. Quality websites will have lots of details, be organized with links, and be creative in design. There should be many links and enough pages to include the bulk of the years content. Work on this should be ongoing from the beginning of the school year until the end.

This is the home page.

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Great AP US History Links

Even Better AP US History Link

More practice and good history stuff.

Quizzes and Answers

This Website is offered to help AP US History students pass the Exam they will take in may to earn college credit for American History.

The site will be updated periodically.

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