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WELCOME TO 2021-2022 AP U.S. HISTORY (APUSH)!

The purpose of this course is to increase your understanding of United States History while building the knowledge and skills you will need to pass the AP Examination.   This course will be different than any course you have previously taken because this course is taught at the college level (unless, of course, you have taken a college class).  The major difference between a high school and college history course is the amount of reading and depth of focus, level of analysis as well as your responsibility for the content.  AP curriculum stresses higher order thinking skills within a rigorous academic context. Thus, you will be required frequently to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate primary and secondary historical sources in addition to comprehending and applying facts. The areas of concentration include historical, political and economic history coupled with an intense study of cultural and intellectual institutions and their development. These areas will be studied from a variety of perspectives with the hope of providing a balanced view of history.  I am looking forward to working with you this year!

Communication

The best way to reach me during the school year is through my school email at rrichards@schscougars.org. If necessary, I can be reached at (619) 660-3688, but email is the best way to reach me for a quicker response. 

Course Information

The primary challenge you will face this year is the pace of the course, the reading, and the level of difficulty on exams and essays. In the past, you have been been exposed to information that you must know and apply.  In this course, you must read on your own for content and in class we will work with the knowledge you have gained from the text.   If you fall behind in the reading you will find it is very difficult to catch up.  It will hurt your grade as well as your chances of passing the exam at the end of the year. You will find this class moves as a fast pace - approximately one chapter per week.  Because we have so much information to cover, we will not be spending a lot of time on any one unit.  For example, we cover the Civil War in two days!  If you do not understand the material, you MUST ask for help.  Study groups are also helpful.  In addition, much like a college course, your grade will be based primarily on your assessment scores. 

  1. Class Account Access: We will set up turnitin.com accounts at the beginning of the year.  All formal typed assignments must be submitted to turnitin.com. If it is determined that your submission was plagiarized, you will receive a score of "0" and you will be held accountable to school policy with regard to cheating/plagiarism. I do not accept technology excuses for failure to submit so ensure that you have seamless access in advance of your submission dates.
  2. Late Work Policy: See class syllabus
  3. Make-Up Work: See class syllabus
  4. Grades: Grades will be posted online on the student and parent portals for illuminate.
  5. Tutorial: Appointments can be made for tutorials, but please make arrangements in advance.  I will make every effort to help you, but it is your responsibility to ask for help if you need it.
  6. Study Help