AP United States History

Advanced Placement United States History is designed for juniors and seniors who are highly motivated and have a strong interest in history. The course will explore issues, innovations, and conflicts that have shaped American life. Discussions, writings, and readings will emphasize the emergence of social patterns and political structures that characterize today’s centralized, urban industrial nation. The goal of the course is to prepare students for higher-level college work by making demands on them equivalent to those associated with an introductory college course. As a result, the course has a significantly heavier course load than that of the Honors American Civic Engagement (ACE) course. It will present students with a groundwork in facts and instill an understanding of methods for evaluating facts. Students will also review historical materials, analyze and criticize historical evidence, and arrive at conclusions on the basis of informed judgment. The course is designed to sharpen analytical and inquiry skills. Students will be encouraged to participate in seminars, discussions, and to pursue independent research projects. Students will be required to complete an independent research paper as part of the course. The paper becomes a course requirement once it is assigned in January.