A.P. U.S. HISTORY Summer Fun 2016
INTRODUCTION Welcome to AP United States History! This course is designed to help you become a skilled researcher and interpretor of the past capable of effectively advocating your point of view about controversial issues. The summer assignment is intended to accomplish three goals: 1) introduce you to the concept of historiography by thinking about what "history" is and ​
how ​
we study the past; 2) familiarize you with the textbook as a research tool rather than your lone narrative of United States history; 3) establish a foundation of knowledge about the first of the nine historical time periods we will cover in the course. Taken together, these tasks should not only provide a good glimpse of the year to come, but also help guage the kind of workload you will be expected to handle as an AP student. ASSIGNMENT I. Historiography Assignment​
: Read the assigned sections of ​
Lies My Teacher Told Me​
and answer the following questions on a separate piece of paper. Most questions can be answered in a few sentences or short paragraph. ​
Note: Email Mr. Donnellan for a copy of the reading if you did not pick one up at the end of the year​
. ​
Responses should be typed, if possible​
. Introduction 1. According to Loewen, why do most high school students not find history to be a very interesting subject? 2. What is the "pyramid" of history? 3. How can textooks actually diminish student learning? Do you agree with Loewen's view? Afterward 4. Lowen admits that no book, including his own, can possibly cover all the distortions and errors in history that have accumulated over time. What is his proposed solution to this problem? Explain. 5. What are the 5 questions that good historians (you!) should ask when analyzing sources of information (past or present)? 6. According to Loewen, how can the study of history help us as individuals and as a socity? In your opinion, what is the most important reason to study history? 7.
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Chapter 2: 1493 What is the traditonal story of Columbus and his importance that is often given in textbooks? (Summarize) According to Loewen, what were the 5 main factors that led to Europe's foray into the New World? (Bullet­pt) How is Columbus' voyage a result of cultural "syncretism"? What myths are associated with Columbus that make his voyage a more compelling story? Loewen identifies two phenomena associated with Columbus that revolutionized race relations and transformed modern world. Describe the development of each in a short paragraph. What is "cognitive dissonance" and how does the story of Columbus serve as an example of it? List the effects of the Columbian exchange. II. Reseach Assignment​
: While the ​
Lies ​
assignment above establishes some of the initial outcomes of Europe's interaction with native people's in the New World, this assignment's main focus is use your textbook to summarize these causes/effects and chart the methods utilized by European countries to take/retain control over various parts of the New World during the 16th century. Your main focus should be the territory that would later become the United States, though areas such as Mexico, Canada and the Carribean are also relevant. ​
Complete the graphic organizer in pen​
. NOTE: Completing the research assignment will entail reading sections of Chapters 2 and 3 of your texbook, but you do not need to read the entirety of these chapters. Indeed, your goal should be to learn how to quickly extract useful information from the textbook (paying attention to section titles and using the index is helpful). As such, you should not use the internet for this research and are required to cite the page number(s) showing where you located the information. Indeed, after Loewen's criticisms of textbooks, aren't you interested to see how ours measures up? READINGS 1) ​
Lies My Teacher Told Me​
, James Loewen – Introduction, Chapter 2, Afterward. Excerpts of these chapters will be available in print at the APUSH welcome party and electronically on the course website under the "Summer Fun" tab. 2) Textbook: ​
The Enduring Vision​
(5th Edition) – Sections of Chapters 2 and 3 to complete reseach assignments. Available at the school Library. If you prefer to buy your own textbook, make sure to buy the ​
complete​
edition for advanced high school students. The ISBN # for our edition is 0­618­28064­2 THE FIRST DAY OF CLASS You are expected to turn in your Summer Assignment on the first day of class. We will begin the course by discussing the art of historiography and the general approach to studying history used in this class. Any remaining time will be dedicated to reviewing the syllabus and taking care of administrivia. The next week will be dedicated to covering early Native American society and contact with European powers. The summer assignment provides vital insight into these all of these issues, so be sure to do it! Falling behind in the beginning only makes things more difficult for you later. QUESTIONS? If you have a pressing question or problem and need to get in touch with Mr. Hartford or Mr. Velschow over the summer, you may contact them by e­mail (​
[email protected] or [email protected]​
). Mr. Hartford will be around most of the summer and checks his e­mail regularly, so unless he is out of town he will get back to you within a few days with an answer. Have a nice summer.
See you August 17.
Name: Period: Summer Research Assignment: European Empires in the New World Directions​
: In this assignment, you will use your textbook to look up information regarding the causes and effects of Europe's expansion into the Americas, the strategies employed by powerful empires to control new lands in this new world, and the early establishment of the slave trade. All information can be found in Chapters 2 and 3 of the textbook, but you are not required to read the entirety of those chapters (though you may of course do so). Practice using locators such as section titles to quickly identify the passages you must read to complete the boxes below. Part 1: Effects of New World Imperialism​
– The causes of Europe's exploration and occupation of the New World are straightforward and covered well by ​
Lies My Teacher Told Me. ​
However, there were a multitude of effects for both native peoples and Europeans that developed from this clash of cultures. Below, list the major cultural and economic effects that resulted from this interaction. Pay particular attention to the section on the Columbian Exchange. Make sure to list page numbers citing your source of information next to your entries [for example (33)]. Cultural Effects Economic Effects Summarize the Development of the early Atlantic Slave Trade (also called the "New Slavery")