University City High School  2023-24

AP United States History

Honors United States History

Mr.  Brown

Textbook

The Americans-Reconstruction to the 21st Century

Online Textbook 

Course Content  

United States History surveys the history of the United States beginning with the colonial period and ending with the international affairs and domestic changes in the post-1945 period to the present. Topics will be designed thematically around the following periods; pre-Columbian societies, discovery and settlement, revolutionary ideology, constitutional theory and development, origins of political parties, and Manifest Destiny and the American West. Other areas of focus will include the Civil War and Reconstruction, late 19th century immigration and industrialism, Progressivism, World War I and the Jazz Age, the Great Depression and the New Deal, 20th century diplomacy, the Cold War, and the post-Cold War era through the late 20th century. Themes will include discussions of American diversity, the development of a unique American identity, the evolution of American culture, demographic changes over the course of America's history, economic trends and transformations, environmental issues, the development of political institutions and the components of citizenship, social reform movements, the history of slavery and its legacies, and war and diplomacy in the 20th century. One of my major goals is to guide students through rich, balanced and thought provoking exploration of America's past. 

Homework

U.S. History assignments include readings from your textbook, in-class note taking, short response questions, projects, and formative/summative assessments. All classwork will be posted on this website and pushed out through Google classroom. The U.S. History webpage and schedule is updated every week. It is your responsibility to know what is expected and what has been covered everyday. Homework assignments are due Sunday evening and submitted through google classroom.

Late Work and Reassessment Policy

There is a 5 day grace period for assignments, however, the expectation is that this policy is not to be abused and only needed in extenuating circumstances. The drop dead date for assignments is the following Friday and any assignments turned in after this will be penalized 50%. All assignments need to be submitted the week prior to the end of each grading period to receive partial credit. Assignments due in a grading period that has ended will not be accepted in the current grading period. Each student is allowed and opportunity for reassessment on 3 chapter or unit exams each semester and must be retaken with a week of the assessment graded and returned. The course midterm/final exam will not be available for retake. It is up to the student to contact the teacher requesting the retake. All homework assignments for the unit must be completed in order to be able to retake an assessment.

Grades

United States History is graded on a point basis. Points are totaled to determine the grade earned for each grading period. There are four weighted categories; Assessments (60%), Homework/classwork (20%), and Projects (20%). Of the total weighted averages, 90%=A, 80%=B, 70%=C, 60%=D. The key to success in this class is your ability to be strategic learners, take good notes from lectures and reading assignments, and do your best to stay engaged and current with what is being covered in-class.

Student Materials 

Students are expected to maintain a physical or digital resource notebook/journal by incorporating in-class lectures, textbook notes, outlines, and key terms covered in this course. A spiral plastic covered multi sectioned notebook is recommended for class lectures. All assessments are open notes.

Academic Honesty

There is an academic honesty policy at UCHS. Cheating and plagiarism will result in a zero for the assignment with no opportunity to make it up. 

Office Hours

Office hours by appointment M-F. Independent consultation, small group discussions, guidance and directions on assignments, I am available during my prep period and at lunch. 

Fall and Spring Term

All of the readings should be completed by the end of each week during which they will be discussed. Each unit also utilizes essential questions and writing about related historiography: how interpretations of events have changed over time, how the issues of one time period have had an impact on the experiences and decisions of subsequent generations, and how such revelations of the past and continue to shape the way historians see the world today. These discussions are woven throughout the course.  Assessments are to be taken when scheduled. 

Office Hours

Office hours by appointment M-F. Independent consultation, small group discussions, guidance and directions on assignments, I am available during my prep period and at lunch.