AP United States History Course Information for Incoming 11th Graders
Course Information

AP US History is a year-long course designed to replace an introductory college-level course in American History. Students in the course will need to come equipped with solid writing, reading, and critical thinking skills, and should expect to devote considerable time to the course reading and writing assignments. AP US History is a fast-moving, stimulating course that covers a lot of material in a short time. It is a course designed for those with a genuine interest in history and in America.

The course is structured like a college course; the grading is based primarily on in-class performance, rather than out of class homework assignments. As such, students will need to keep up with the reading for the course on their own in order to perform on in-class tests, quizzes, writing assignments, and group work. It will not be possible to succeed in the course without extensive commitment to outside work, in order to learn and grasp the material.

All students who enter AP US history will be required to remain in AP US History. As per counseling policy, no mobility from AP US History to regular US History will be permitted. As such, all students who enter the course must be dedicated to doing the work in the course and understand the implications for their grades if they do not. If you elect not to enter the course, approach Ms. Ferejohn BEFORE JUNE 12, so that she may have counseling remove you and enable a wait-listed student to take your place.

Summer Work

Please read ONE of the following books, and write an essay on the prompt below.

The Feminine Mystique (Betty Freidan, any unabridged edition)
The Autobiography of Malcolm X, As Told to Alex Haley (Alex Haley and Malcolm X, any unabridged edition)
Silent Spring (Rachel Carson, any unabridged edition)

Essay Prompt: Write an essay in which you use textual evidence to evaluate the intentions of the author in writing the book, including an analysis of what they intended to change about America. Include in your analysis an assessment as to how thoroughly this author’s vision has been realized in America in the present day.

The essay is due on the first day of school. Failure to hand in the essay on that day may result in removal from the course.

All essays must be typed, double spaced, 1.5-2.5 pages long, and in Times New Roman font.

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Page last updated 6/08 by Madeline Britton, Librarian