• American History 1/2/AP United States History

    2024-2025

    Ms. Kiley

    845-256-4175 ext. 69575

    kkiley@newpaltz.k12.ny.us

     

    This course is designed to provide you with multiple pathways to receive college credit.  Upon successful completion of this class and payment of $74 per credit (financial aid is available) to SUNY Ulster you will receive 6 credits which are made up of HIS 103 and HIS 104.  Additionally, if you pay for and take the AP exam in May, you have the opportunity to earn even more college credit.  The Collegian/AP program is designed to provide students with the analytical skills and factual knowledge necessary to deal critically with the problems and materials presented by United States history.  The program prepares students for intermediate and advanced college courses by making demands upon them equivalent to those made by full-year introductory college courses.  Students should learn to assess historical materials-- their relevance to a given interpretive problem, their reliability, and their importance-- and to weigh the evidence and interpretations presented in historical scholarship.  Conclusions must be drawn based upon an informed judgment and presented with evidence in persuasive written responses. 

     

    This is a very rigorous course of study that will require tremendous effort and commitment of your time.  The reward is in the additional skills you will build as a result of your hard work (and, of course, the college credit you can earn).

     

    Scope of course:

    The Collegiate/AP United States history course deals with the period 1492 to present.  The following is a rough outline of areas to be emphasized:

    Discovery and Settlement 1492-1650

    America and the British Empire 1650-1754

    Revolution and the New Republic 1754-1800

    The Age of Jefferson 1800-1816

    Nationalism, Economic Expansion, and Sectionalism

    The Age of Jackson 1828-1848

    Territorial Expansion and Sectional Crisis

    Creating an "American" culture

    The Civil War Era and Reconstruction 1850-1877

    New South and the Last West

    Industrialization and Corporate Consolidation

    Urban Society

    Intellectual and Cultural Movements

    National Politics 1877-1896:  The Gilded Age

    Foreign Policy 1865-1914

    The Progressive Era

    The First World War

    The 1920's

    Depression, New Deal, and Diplomacy 1929-1941

    The Second World War

    Eisenhower and Modern Republicanism

    Kennedy's New Frontier; Johnson's Great Society

    The Nixon Era

    The United States Since 1974                                                                       

    - excerpted from the SUNY Ulster Course Outline Book and The College Board Advanced Placement Course Description

     

    Grading Policy:

    There will be several quizzes, exams, assignments, essays, and projects given throughout the year.  Your average is calculated using a total points method.   (For example: 430/450 points = 96%)  Assignments will be given the following values:

     

    • Tests: 100 points

    • Quizzes: 50 points

    • Essays: 100 points

    • Classwork/Participation: 20-30 points

    • Homework: 10-20 points

     

    Midterms/Finals:

    Since this course includes HIS 103 and HIS 104 from SUNY Ulster, you will be required to take both a midterm and final exam for both courses.  This means that you will have a midterm at the end of 10 weeks, a final at the end of 20 weeks, another midterm at the end of 30 weeks and another final at the end of 40 weeks.  Colleges run on semesters and even though you are taking one course here at NPHS, you are essentially taking two courses, one each semester, through SUNY Ulster. 

     

    Classroom Rules and Expectations:   

    Please come to class on time, and be ready to start immediately. Please go to the bathroom, office, etc. prior to the start of class.  In addition, please refrain from cell phone usage during class.  Repeated cell phone usage will first result in students putting it in the cell phone bin until the end of class.  If the student refuses, still uses the phone, or it is in the bin daily, parent contact will be made and a referral written.  We have a lot to cover and if I have to stop to ask you to put your phone away, it takes time away from the entire class. 

     

    Homework and Attendance Policy:

    Full credit will be given for homework that is completed thoroughly and on time.  If you are legally absent, your homework will be accepted the following class for full credit, otherwise, late homework is not accepted.  You are responsible for looking in the classroom for any work that was missed.  Students will have one week to make up quizzes and tests.  It is your responsibility to schedule these with me.  If they are not made up a zero will then be put in the gradebook.  Please be prepared for the next class when you are out. 

     

    Materials:

    Please come prepared with your materials.  It is a good idea to have a three ring binder with paper, pens and/or pencils, and a notebook.  The notebook will be used for your chapter annotations.  Please let me know if you have any issues getting the required materials as I will help in any way that I can.