AP US History - SS600A/B

AP US History - SS600A/B

Learning Recommendations: Students should be prepared for a reading load and writing assignments at a collegiate level.

General Description: AP US History is a year-long Advanced Placement course designed to cover American history from the Colonial Era through the year 2000. This course follows the College Board’s curriculum to parallel college-level U.S. History courses, providing students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to critically address historical problems and materials. The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making equivalent demands to those of a full-year introductory college course. Students will learn to assess historical materials, weigh evidence, and interpret historical scholarship.

Content: The course covers U.S. history from 1491 to the present, divided into 9 units:

• Discovery and Settlement of the New World: Pre-colonial North American peoples and early European settlements
• Colonial Period: Development and characteristics of the American colonies
• Revolutionary Era: Causes and consequences of the American Revolution
• Constitutional Development: Creation and implementation of the U.S. Constitution
• Early Republic: Political, social, and economic developments in the early United States
• Westward Migration and Expansion: Manifest Destiny and its impacts
• Civil War and Reconstruction: Causes, major events, and outcomes
• Late 19th Century and Industrialization: Economic growth and social changes
• Progressive Era and WWI: Reform movements and the impact of World War I
• 1920s to the Great Depression: Economic boom and subsequent bust
• World War II: Causes, major events, and aftermath
• Cold War Era: Political, social, and cultural developments during the Cold War
• Civil Rights Movement: Struggle for civil rights and social justice
• Modern Era: Recent historical developments and current events

Homework: Students should expect to spend 1 hour of work per evening on reading the textbook, primary, and secondary documents, which prepares them for class, the AP exam, and college-level social studies courses.

Equipment to be Provided by Student: None

AP Exam Information: Students must register for the AP exam for this course. AP exam fees vary each year, and scholarships are available for students who qualify. Registration takes place in September and October. College credit can be earned with a passing score on the AP exam, although the score required and amount of credit awarded varies by college.