Headstart+Assignment

= AP US Summer Assignment 2014=

Welcome to the challenge of taking Advanced Placement US History! Doing well in this class will not only fulfill a state requirement in Social Studies but offers the opportunity to receive college credit if you score a three or better (out of five) on the national exam next May. This course is the rare among the various AP offerings in that, regardless of your college major, success in this class will complete a REQUIRED course at most colleges and universities.

Success, however, is not guaranteed. Nationally, just about 50% of the students taking this exam get a three or higher (the cut score for credit at 95% of colleges and universities nationwide). Depending on the time and effort you put in over the course of the year will determine your ultimate success. That work begins with this summer project.

This course is demanding – requiring time and dedication on a daily basis. In 34 weeks next school year, we will cover 41 chapters and nearly 500 years of American History in order to prepare for the exam. This summer reading assignment has been created to establish the expectations, reduce some of the content load, and introduce you to the workload of this course.

Your assignment is pretty straightforward:
 * 1) Watch the first four episodes of //Crash Course US History// on YouTube and answer the worksheets provided (links to the episodes are also found there).
 * 2) Read Chapters 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 from //The American Pageant//. The textbook itself will be available in hardcopy at some point over the summer but .pdf versions are available if requested.
 * 3) Answer the 90 multiple choice questions in this document for each chapter.
 * Save trees and just write the multiple-choice letters on a separate sheet of paper (do NOT printout the entire guide to turn-in).

The multiple choice and //Crash Course// questions will be due __on the second class period of the school year__. Failure to turn this project in on time will result in a letter grade deduction for each additional class period it is late.

You (and your classmates) are unique in that you are part of something that has never been tried before in the state of Delaware – taking the AP US History Exam as sophomores. Taking any AP class during your sophomore year is rare in itself as only 150 sophomores in the state took a College Board exam last year. As someone who has taught both this subject and taught AP sophomores for several years, I look forward to challenging, preparing, and working with you next school year to make sure we show what NCS students are capable of!

Have a great summer and see you in late August!

Summer Reading Assignment packet



 * This assignment was digitally sent to students registered for AP US History at the end of the 2013-2014 school year via Mrs. Prueter.

Return to the AP US Unit Guide Page