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AP/Honors American Studies – Course Overview
Advanced Placement American Studies combines AP American History and Honors Literature and Composition to emphasize the natural connections between these content areas. In addition to receiving a thorough grounding in the history of the United States from the discovery and settlement of the New World to the present, students will also become familiar with major movements and representative works of American literature from the Colonial period to the present. Assignments in both content areas will emphasize active reading and listening; critical analysis and interpretation; and insight and fluency in speaking and writing. Students who elect to take this course should understand the rigor and dedication that are required for academic success. Students should expect to complete reading and writing in both content areas during out-of-class time most days of the week.

I. GOALS

 * To introduce students to ways of studying history and literature that will lead them to develop an understanding of each and the legacy they have left in contemporary society


 * To develop students’ ability to engage in deliberate, focused, and critical analyses of events and the texts and media that explain or are inspired by our history


 * To develop students’ facility with integrating the results of their analyses to create connections and produce insightful interpretations of historical and literary “events”


 * To develop students’ powers of oral and written expression, by providing opportunities for students to practice speaking and writing in a variety of situations and modes


 * To introduce students to historical and literary works of different periods, genres, and styles


 * To develop a moral and ethical sense of the values, goals, and processes of a “free” society


 * To foster students’ intellectual independence and integrity


 * To promote students’ enjoyment of –and lifelong interest in– history and literature


 * To prepare students for internal and external assessments by which their intellectual achievements will be measured (course exams, AP tests, SATs/ACTs, and the Ohio Graduation Test)


 * Students will develop and utilize 21st century skills.

II. OBJECTIVES

 * Students will engage in independent historical and literary analysis using familiar and unfamiliar texts in a manner that reveals insight, evidence, and fluency


 * Students will develop a wide-ranging appreciation of the structures, techniques, and styles employed by writers, and their effects (both fair and unfair) on readers


 * Students will independently structure ideas and arguments –orally and in writing– in a logical, sustained, and persuasive way, and support them with precise and relevant examples


 * Students will possess a command of the language appropriate to the study of history and literature, and a discriminating appreciation of the need for an effective choice of register and style in written and oral communication


 * Students will develop thorough knowledge both of the individual periods and texts studied and of the similarities and differences between them


 * Students will demonstrate confidence in their own powers as original thinkers; they will also be scrupulously honest about acknowledging the support of other thinkers and writers when offering ideas as their own


 * Students will develop and answer and essential question by researching diverse perspectives and developing a persuasive argument.

**III. INTEGRATION**

We believe that students are more engaged when the learning activities integrate the language arts and history curriculum. Additionally, students spend more time on task when asked to debate an issue that has great historical and contemporary significance for Americans. Consequently, we will integrate the content and bring in current events as much as possible.

I**V. INSTRUCTIONAL AND REFERNCE MATERIALS**

To expose students to a variety of perspectives, we will furnish students with extracts from books, periodicals, primary source documents and subscription databases. All handouts will be accessible either on the "APHAS-BuchholtzSidor American Studies" wiki (assignments) or AP Sidor Moodle sites (readings, PDF files, forums, questionnaires). Think of each site in this way: We publish our writing on the Wiki and Moodle is our file cabinet and a Forum for on-line discussion.

TEXTS MAY INCLUDE:

 * American History **
 * // Created Equal: A Social and Political History of the United States // by Jones, //et al//.
 * // The National Experience: A History of the United States // by Blum, //et al//.
 * // After the Fact: The Art of Historical Detection // by Davidson and Lytle

** American Literature **
* Some of the above works will be excerpted.
 * //The Language of Literature// textbook, McDougal Littell
 * // The Crucible // by Arthur Miller
 * Various essays by Henry David Thoreau and Ralph Waldo Emerson
 * Novels and/or short stories by Mark Twain
 * // Narrative in the Life of Frederick Douglas // s by Frederick Douglass
 * // Ethan Frome // by Edith Wharton
 * //The Jungle// by Upton Sinclair
 * // The Great Gatsby // by F. Scott Fitzgerald
 * // Of Mice and Men // by John Steinbeck
 * // Their Eyes Were Watching God // by Zora Neale Hurston
 * // The Things They Carried // by Tim O’Brien
 * // The House on Mango Street // by Sandra Cisneros

Instructors will assign additional primary and secondary source readings, including excerpts, articles, essays, letters, speeches, poems, and short stories.

V. ASSESSMENT OF STUDENT PROGRESS
==All learning activities are designed to help students engage course content at a critical level of thought. During the course of each unit, students will be offered opportunities to move through Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Levels, which are itemized in an ascending order, in the figure below. ==
 * [[image:fx_Bloom_New.jpg align="center"]] ||
 * Bloom’s Taxonomy of Cognitive Levels **

A. **Formative Assessment** opportunities will be offered frequently. Typical formative assignments include homework, reading checks, participation in class activities, power paragraphs that address narrow questions, engagement in collaborative activities, and asking probing questions. Formative assessment inform students about their progress toward the learning objectives. Students should use this information to adjust or refine their learning strategies. Absent students not only miss instruction, but also the opportunity for formative feedback, so consistent attendance is important.

B. **Summative Assessments** evaluate students' learning after a unit is completed and will make up a significant portion of the course grade. Typical summative assessments include tests, consisting of multiple choice questions and short answer essays, in-class essays that offer students an opportunity to develop a thesis with evidence and reasoning, multimedia presentations through which students develop an argument using persuasive rhetoric and a variety of media in support of their argument, additionally, students will write analytical papers that draw upon and synthesize evidence from myriad sources. During the second quarter, students will write a persuasive research paper focusing on the National History Day theme: Revolution, Reaction, Reform.

C. **Timeliness** is valued, consequently on most summative assessments students will receive two grades: one for the quality of the work and another for meeting the deadline. Timeliness will comprise 10% of a student's grade.

D. **Notebook**: Students will use a 3-ring binder to organize all course materials. Subject dividers should be labeled as follows: Syllabus and Assignments, Notes and Study Guides, Handouts, References, Graded Papers. EACH divider should be followed by a Table of Contents list. Notebooks including the Spiral Notebook, which contains the journal, will be collected on the last day of each quarter. Assessment will be based on neatness, organization, and how easily five randomly selected items can be retrieved. This is a summative assessment that makes up 10% of the quarter grade.

VI. SCORING
•Many assessments will be based on holistic scoring guides. •Other work will be assessed using criteria known to the students before work begins.

• Language arts and history grades will be kept in separate grade books. However, we hope to integrate at least 25% of our assignments and grades will be reflected in both History and English class grade books. Each grading policy is listed below.
 * VII. GRADING **

*Summative Assessments will include a timeliness grade *Zeros are a consequence for missing work *Students may use a reprieve pass (one per semester) to extend a deadline by **one** **day**. The pass may be used for either a formative or summative assessment, but **not** for collaborative assignments or semester exams.
 * AP American History Assignments **
 * 60% Summative Assessment (multiple choice questions, essays, DBQ, etc.)
 * 30% Formative Assessment (homework and class work)
 * 10% Speaking and Listening

Assignments will each have a point value that reflects the time, effort, and depth of the work. Short-term homework assignments may be worth 5-10 points, while a long-term project or paper may be worth 100 points. While grades are not categorically weighted, the assigned point values will reflect the quality and rigor of the work completed. A "Timeliness" assignment will be included in each quarter grade. This assignment will be worth 100 points, and if students turn in all work on time, they will retain all 100 points. Points will be deducted from this total for late work. This provides students with an accurate evaluation of their work, while reinforcing the need to complete assignments in a timely manner.
 * Honors American Literature Assignments **


 * IV. RULES OF ENGAGEMENT **

** Students are expected to: ** Arrive on time Follow the course syllabus (Posted on Moodle) Bring binders and necessary materials to class every day Come to class prepared to discuss the assignments Participate positively. Consider alternative perspectives. Listen. Share ideas. Ask for clarification or re-teaching as needed Suggest ways that learning activities can better meet their needs Ask for one-on-one time with the teacher immediately upon realizing their need for assistance with learning strategies, or content information Honor deadlines and commitments

** For special circumstances **, students are encouraged to communicate their needs in person and, when possible, in advance. For unexpected absences give us a heads up on your situation with an email: bsidor@uaschools.org or dbuchholtz@uaschools.org, and check Moodle for missed work.