Frequently Asked Questions: This page contains answers to common questions
of students and parents.
- How is my grade calculated for this course?
- What is your homework policy?
- How often is homework assigned?
- What are the requirements for assignments?
- What is your policy on absences and make-up work?
- How should I prepare for tests?
- What should I bring to class?
- What suggestions do you have for success in this course?
- What textbooks are used in the course?
- What are some suggestions for Prep books for the AP Exam?
How is my grade calculated for this course?
Advanced Placement U.S. History (APUSH):
Evaluations 60% (tests, quizzes, writing assignments,
projects)
Class Participation 25% (discussions & group activities)
Homework 15%
U.S. History:
Evaluations: 60% (tests, quizzes, writing assignments)
Homework: 20%
Class Participation: 20%
Class Participation
What is your homework policy?
Homework is directly related to class participation and class
activities.
You need to be prepared in order to participate in class
discussions and group activities, therefore, in order to succeed
in this class you will need to keep up with your homework assignments.
Your preparation for class is key to your success in this course.
LATE HOMEWORK WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED!!
How often is homework assigned?
You can generally expect to have some type of a homework
assignment on a daily basis. You will recieve a weekly syllabus
each Monday that will outline your assignments for the week.
The weekly syllabus will be posted on this site.
What are the requirements for assignments?
All written work turned in must be written in ink (blue or black
ONLY) or typed. If it is typed, all typing errors should be edited out
before the paper is turn in.
Written work must be written on only ONE side of an 8 1/2" X
11" paper. I will NOT accept paper that has been torn out of a spiral
notebook (those fuzzy ends get caught on all sorts of things!)
I WILL NOT ACCEPT papers that do not meet these criteria.
What is your policy on absences and make-up work?
All homework assignments missed due to an absence are to be completed
upon your return within the same number of days you were absent.
If you must be absent on the day of a quiz or test, you
MUST MAKE IT UP IN THE NUMBER OF DAYS EQUAL TO THE NUMBER
OF DAYS ABSENT. Arrangements must be made to take the test or
quiz before or after school. Work not made up within the above
requirement will be entered in the grade book as a zero.
Generally, students who miss tests on the assigned day do not do
as well when they make them up at a later time.
How should I prepare for tests?
DO NOT WAIT UNTIL THE LAST MINUTE!
Prepare for tests properly. Review your text notes and class
notes. Tests will consist of a variety of evaluations including
multiple choice, essays, and document analysis.
Attend Tutorials. They will be held after school the day before the test
and before school the day of the test.
Tests will be prepared by your teacher or the textbook authors.
What should I bring to class?
Bring your textbook and your notebook every day to class.
APUSH students need to bring your Volume I or II to class
whenever you have a Volume I or II reading assignment.
What suggestions do you have for success in this course?
US History:
Keep up with your daily assignments.
Take notes in class.
Ask questions.
Complete all of your homework assignments.
Participate in class activities & discussions
APUSH:
Keep up with your daily assignments.
There is a great deal of content material to cover in
American History from the colonial era to present day. Obviously
there is not enough time to cover everything in class lecture,
therefore, you are required to learn the basic content through
your textbook reading assignments. This content material will be
supplemented by class discussions, activities and some class lectures.
You must have this basic content background in order to participate
in class and to pass the unit tests as well as the National AP
Exam in May.
Take reading notes.
Review all of your notes regularly, particularly before each
class.
Participate in class discussions! Remember, in this class, there
is not one "right" answer to a question. Instead, your answer
is judged by your ability to support your position with well-organized,
substantial evidence.
In addition, participation is worth 25% of your grade, so it will
be to your advantage to participate in class discussions. Besides,
talking about history is more fun that listening to others talk
about history!
Start to prepare for the National AP Exam at the beginning of the
year!
This is not an exam you can "cram" for. You need to prepare for this exam
all year long! You should be using your AP Review book and the
online materials throughout the course.
What textbooks are used in the course?
U.S. History:
The Americans: Reconstruction to the 21st Century; McDougal Littell 2003
APUSH:
Textbook: "The American Pageant" by David Kennedy,
Lizabeth Cohen, Thomas A. Bailey; 13th Edition, Houghton Mifflin
2006
Supplemental Readers:
The American Spirit Vol I. to 1877
The American Spirit Vol II. Since 1865
What are some suggestions for Prep books for the AP Exam?
There are many available at the national book store chains or at
your local library. Two favorites of past AP students are:
The Princeton Review - Cracking the AP U.S. History Exam
Barron's How to Prepare for AP United States History
