Advanced Placement U.S. History is equivalent to a first semester, introductory United States History college-level course. The rigor of this course is consistent with colleges and universities and will prepare students for the Advanced Placement exam in May. Upon successful completion of the exam, students may receive college credit and will be well-prepared for advanced history coursework. Additional details on this course from College Board can be found here: College Board: AP U.S. History.
In this course, students will explore eight themes:
1. American and National Identity: This theme focuses on how and why definitions of American and national identity and values have developed among the diverse and changing population of North America as well as on related topics, such as citizenship, constitutionalism, foreign policy, assimilation, and American exceptionalism.
2. Work, Exchange, and Technology: This theme focuses on the factors behind the development of systems of economic exchange, particularly the role of technology, economic markets, and government.
3. Geography and the Environment: This theme focuses on the role of geography and both the natural and human-made environments in the social and political developments in what would become the United States.
4. Migration and Settlement: This theme focuses on why and how the various people who moved to and within the United States both adapted to and transformed their new social and physical environments.
5. Politics and Power: This theme focuses on how different social and political groups have influenced society and government in the United States as well as how political beliefs and institutions have changed over time.
6. America in the World: This theme focuses on the interactions between nations that affected North American history in the colonial period and on the influence of the United States on world affairs.
7. American and Regional Culture: This theme focuses on the how and why national, regional, and group cultures developed and changed as well as how culture has shaped government policy and the economy.
8. Social Structures: This theme focuses on how and why systems of social organization develop and change as well as the impact that these systems have on the broader society.
Students will investigate topics such as interactions between Europeans and Native populations, the philosophical ideas behind the Revolution, the development of the Constitution, the expansion of democracy and America’s role in the world, cultural movements throughout our history, and immigration and migration over the centuries.
This course incorporates a variety of textbook and multimedia resources. Students will develop the skills required to write successful DBQs, LEQs, and SRQs, as well as practice reading and analyzing primary sources. Students will develop historical thinking skills and connect historical events to current events, in order to develop a deeper understanding of United States History.
Students will be expected to enroll in My AP Classroom through their VHS Learning AP course and will be guided to complete review work in My AP Classroom throughout the course. My AP Classroom resources include AP Daily Videos and unit-based Personal Progress Checks, which include AP-style multiple choice and free response questions.
Students enrolled in VHS Learning Advanced Placement courses with a passing grade are expected to take the AP Exam. Students register for AP exams through their local school or testing site as “Exam Only” students. AP exam scores will be reported to VHS Learning through My AP Classroom; exam results will not affect the student’s VHS Learning grade or future enrollment in VHS Learning courses.
About the Self-Paced Course Model
Self-Paced courses are comprehensive, self-paced courses designed for students who need or desire more flexibility in their academic schedule. VHS Learning teachers will regularly interact with students in asynchronous discussions, will host weekly office hours, and will invite students to monthly 1-on-1 progress meetings. Teachers will support students, answer questions, and provide feedback on work. Students will work independently on course activities; the course does not include class discussion assignments or other collaborative work.
Students may start this course on any Monday from September (after the American Labor Day holiday) through the first Monday in December. Students must maintain enrollment for a minimum of 20 weeks and have until mid-June to complete all assignments in the course. It is expected that students will work for approximately 330 hours to complete this course, though the amount of time may vary depending on a student’s work habits and comfort with the material.
Course Essential Questions:
- How has what it means to be "American" changed over time?
- What factors lead to systems of economic exchange?
- How has the physical geography of America shaped the United States and vice versa?
- How and why did immigration and migration change the United States?
- How and why has the center of power shifted in our politics throughout history?
- How have international events shaped the United States?
- How has culture shaped government policy and the economy?
- How and why do systems of social organization develop and change?
Course Objectives:
- Identify and explain historical developments and processes.
- Analyze sourcing and situation of primary and secondary sources.
- Analyze arguments in primary and secondary sources.
- Analyze the context of historical events, developments, or processes. Using historical reasoning processes (comparison, causation, continuity and change), analyze patterns and connections between and among historical developments and processes.
- Develop a historically defensible argument and support it with specific examples of relevant evidence.