• AP U.S. HISTORY SUMMER ASSIGNMENTS

    As an AP U.S. History (APUSH) student you are expected to complete summer reading assignments before the first class meeting. These assignments will focus on course content preceding the American Revolution (APUSH Periods 1 and 2). Your participation will be assessed on an assessment given the first week of class. So it is imperative that you complete the assignments.

    Each assignment will be associated with a chapter in our supplemental text (AMSCO United State History), a lecture, primary documents, and YouTube lecture.

    Assignment #1: Native American Cultures

    1. Read Chapter 1 A New World of Many Cultures, 1491-1607
    2. Watch the Native American Cultures Lecture

    *Students will be expected to turn in the following items completed by hand (not typed) on the first day of class

    Assignment #2 Columbian Exchange and Atlantic Trade

    1. Read the Columbian Exchange Article and complete the graphic organizer
      1. Columbian Exchange Graphic Organizer  (Must be completed by hand and not typed)
    2. View the TED Ed video clip The Atlantic Slave Trade
      1. Complete Cornell Notes and annotations (Complete the Video use this method to take notes on the video lectures)

    Assignment #3 Colonial Encounter Video Lecture

    It is important that APUSH students know, understand, and be able to explain how and why various European colonies developed and expanded from 1607 to 1754 (Collegeboard course framework objective 2.2 European Colonization). For this you will view the video lecture series and organize the different European colonies using a graphic organizer.  You will compare and contrast the different colonizing powers using key characteristics and goals of each of the Spanish, French, Dutch, and British. You will compare and contrast their tactics and motivations regarding their interaction with the indigenous people of North America. 

    Assignment #4 Introduction to Analysis of Primary Sources  

    One of the critical disciplinary practices of historians is analyzing primary sources. In this activity, we are introducing you to the acronym CHAPPY which is one way to remember the methods historians use to interrogate sources. (We use multiple acronyms that accomplish the same goal throughout the year).

    1. Review the question on the CHAPPY chart handout
    2. Document 1. Christopher Columbus, March 14, 1493, Lisbon, Portugal, Letter to the treasurer of Argon Analysis example.
      1. Read the document, taking note of how the CHAPPY Chart is applied.
    • Complete the CHAPPY chart for Document 2. This is your chance to begin to practice these skills – with Point of View filled in for you already – Use this activity to help you with the other categories.
      1. Write out your responses to the chart by hand

    Assignment #5: Introducing Historiography

    The next disciplinary practice critical to being a historian is analyzing secondary sources. Throughout the course you will be asked to evaluate historians’ arguments, usually by reading a brief excerpt from much longer works. Often you will be asked to compare what different historians have to say about particular events or processes. In this activity you will be introduced to the questions that you should use to evaluate secondary sources.

    1. Read the Underlying questions that historians ask to analyze secondary sources
    2. Review the Steps for analysis of secondary sources.

    Assignment #6: Lectures on the 13 Colonies

    1. Unit 2: Period 2, 1607 -1754: Read the following chapter 2: The Thirteen Colonies and the British Empire, 1607-1754 and chapter 3: Colonial Society in the 18th Century, and take notes again using your Cornell Note taking method.
    2. Watch the lecture videos and combine your notes from the reading with the video lectures, highlight important ideas, events, and people.
    • Answer the Multiple Choice Questions and Short Answer Questions at the end of each chapter. Again this should be written by hand and will be collected on the first days of school.