2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 1
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment
Teacher Contact:
Teacher: Tim Jones
Subjects: AP U.S. History and AP Psychology
Email: [email protected]
Due Date: First day of class- August 23, 2016
No late assignments will be accepted
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 2
Welcome to Advanced Placement United States
History
AP United States History focuses on developing students’ abilities to think conceptually
about U.S. history from approximately 1491 to the present and apply historical thinking skills as
they learn about the past. Seven themes of equal importance — identity; peopling; politics and
power; work, exchange, and technology; America in the world; environment and geography;
and ideas, beliefs, and culture — provide areas of historical inquiry for investigation throughout
the course. These require students to reason historically about continuity and change over time
and make comparisons among various historical developments in different times and places.
This summer assignment is designed to “jump start” the course and allow for a more
reasonable pace during the school year. The purpose of this assignment is to allow you to enter
the course with some prior knowledge, and at the same time, give you an idea of what the class
workload will be like over the course of the year. The more thought and effort that you apply to
this assignment, the better prepared you will be for this course, and ultimately, for the AP test
in May. There will be questions on the AP Exam in May based on some of the material from this
summer assignment. This assignment will be due the second week of school. In addition, your
first major grade of the year will be a unit exam covering the material in this assignment, given
during the second week of school.
Spend some time familiarizing yourself with the AP US History website maintained by
the College Board. This portion of the summer assignment is designed to answer any questions
you may have pertaining to the AP program and the AP exam. In particular, you may want to
spend some time exploring the links at the top of the main page. (Course Details, About the
Exam) https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-united-states-history
This assignment has FOUR parts:
1. Assignments
Each assignment consists of two parts: 1) Terms and 2) Questions. When completing
terms, students will be asked to identify each term, and to also state the significance of each
term. For each question, students will be asked to provide a detailed and thoughtful written
response.
2. Critical Film Review Assignment
The APUSH film review assignment is designed to supplement student knowledge of a
particular historical period, person(s), event, or institution through the analysis of a related film.
This is an opportunity to experience a richer encounter with history, as well as connect the rise
of cinema as a prominent facet of American cultural history. Historical films open up history to
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 3
people. Films provide viewers a unique insight to events that we may never have the
opportunity to experience. And although no movie can be entirely accurate, when done well,
filmmakers can immerse audiences into a world lost in time, captivating our attention and
connecting our understanding to history beyond the classroom.
3. Evaluating Sources
The world is full of information to be found—however, not all of it is valid, useful, or
accurate. Evaluating sources of information that you are considering using in your writing is an
important step in any research activity. In this activity you will evaluate three sources of
various degrees of scholarship.
Frequently Asked Questions about the Summer Assignment and the AP
U.S. History Class in General:
1. Do the answers to the questions for the summer reading need to be typed?
No! Get used to handwriting most of your work for your AP History class. Staple
your assignment pages together. No cover pages or binders will be accepted. DO NOT
answer any questions directly on this packet. Students that turn in a packet with
answers written in will receive a 50 point deduction. Most of the work you will do in this
class will involve a lot of writing.
2. How long do the answers have to be to the chapter questions?
You must respond completely to the question in your own words. This will
require at least a paragraph.
3. What do you mean by “paragraph”?
The expectation for this class is that a paragraph should be 5-10 sentences,
which is approximately 150 words. The paragraph must include a topic sentence (the
main idea), lots of evidence or supporting details, and a clincher or summarizing closing
statement.
4. Okay, I understand what the author is saying but I don’t know how to put the answers
to the questions in my own words. Can I just copy the answers from the place in the
text where I got the information?
That’s called plagiarism. It’s alright to quote from the text, but you also need to
explain in your own words what the author means, or why you chose to answer it that
way. If you lift direct words from the text they must be documented. If you simply
parrot the author’s words, it provides no evidence that you have interacted with the
material and achieved any level of analysis. It’s not just enough to match the question to
a particular page; you must be able to do something with this information on a higher
level than simple comprehension. This is an individual assignment that is to be completed
entirely on your own. Any assignments that are found to be copied from another student will
NOT be accepted and will receive a grade of a ZERO
5. I want to do well in this course, but I have heard that it is really hard. I am taking a lot of
other difficult courses and I have sports and other activities as well as a part-time job. I don’t
know if I can make the time commitment that seems to be needed.
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 4
If you are a last minute type of person, then it is too heavy of a load. Something
will have to give. If not, you will create a lot of stress in your life and it is doubtful that
you will be as successful as you would like to be in this class. If you have excellent time
management skills and are the type to get started on an assignment the day it is given,
and you are able to pace yourself to meet a long-term deadline, you will have a fighting
chance. It still won’t be easy. If you are the type to make excuses for your lack of
foresight and planning, you will impede your chance of progress. My students, more
often than not, rise to the occasion and have cited this time management as their
greatest take-away from this class.
6. I am worried about my GPA. I think I can get a higher grade in a non-AP course.
You probably can, but remember that colleges look with scrutiny at your
application. Grades are only one part of the total picture. Admissions officers prefer to
see that students have chosen to challenge themselves at the highest level at which
they can be successful. You will be competing with lots of other kids who have chosen
AP levels of courses. By taking yourself out of that level of competition, you have
weakened your chances of admission. AP courses continue to be on the rise. More and
more students are taking AP classes; it is becoming the norm for students to enter good
colleges with some AP credit.
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 5
ASSIGNMENT #1
According to The Curriculum Guide for AP Course and Exam Description: AP US History Including
the Curriculum Framework Updated Fall 2016: “The Concept Outline is structured into nine
chronological periods, each comprised of key concepts typically encountered in college-level US
history courses.” However, Period 1: 1491-1607 only comprises 5% of the AP Exam. And
therefore, the rationale holds that we should cover this with great haste, and so this assignment will
do that for you. Your junior year will be challenging, but I hope it will also be beneficial as you
begin to prepare for college, and maybe even a little fun! If you run into any problems while
completing your summer assignment or any questions arise, please contact Mr. Jones at
[email protected]
Colliding Worlds, 1450-1600
Part One: Identification Terms
When completing “Identification Terms” (IDs) in a History class, students are required to
address two parts: 1) The Identification, and 2) The Significance.
Identification
Who/ What is this?
When answering the ID portion of
the question you are looking for cold
hard facts—usually something that
comes straight out of a reading.
Significance
Why is this important in a historical context?
Why study this? Who cares?
When answering the Significance portion of the
question you are doing historical interpretation.
You are providing the critical thinking. Your
answer is not wrong if it is relevant and wellthought out.
Identify and state the Significance of each of the following terms… (An example is done for
you!)
Pueblos
 ID: elaborate multi-room stone dwellings built by Pueblo Natives (Hohokams,
Mogollons, Anasazis) in the American southwest, circa A.D. 1000
 SIG: evidence of civilization in North American before the arrival of Europeans
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Tenochtitlan
Matrilineal
Peasants
Yeomen
Dower
Primogeniture
Pagans
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 6
8. Heresy
9. Civic Humanism
10. Republics
11. Guilds
12. Reconquista
13. Conquistadors
14. Encomiendas
15. Columbian Exchange
16. Mestizos
17. Caste System
18. Indulgences
19. Predestination
Part Two: Identification Terms
Each of the following guided reading questions should be answered in a complete, detailed,
well-reasoned paragraph. Students should make every attempt to include specific examples in
each response.
1. Using a map,Identify the following information:
Explorer
Dias
Columbus
Cabot
De Gama
Vespucci
Country Sponsor
Dates of Exploration
Area of Exploration
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 7
2. Using a map identify the following information:
Spanish Explorer
Dates of Exploration
Empire Encountered
Resources found
Columbus
Cortes
Pizarro
3. What were the main characteristics of the Indian civilizations in Mesoamerica? Please
provide four specific examples.
4. How were eastern woodland Indian societies organized and governed? In your answer,
please address culture, politics, gender, inheritance, and religion.
5. Explain both why and how Portugal and Spain pursued overseas commerce and conquest.
6. Compare and contrast the Portuguese impact in African with the Spanish impact in America.
7. Provide four specific examples of how Protestant religious doctrine differed from that of Roman
Catholicism.
8. Describe the impact of the Columbian Exchange in food, people, diseases, and gold on the
Americas, Europe, and Africa.
9. Describe three factors that prompted the large-scale migration from England to America.
10. Explain four different ways in which the Indian people of Mesoamerica and North America
developed.
11. Explain four factors that made Native American people vulnerable to conquest by European
adventurers.
12. Describe five factors that led to the transatlantic trade in African slaves.
13. What was Mercantilism? How did this doctrine shape the policies of European monarchs to
promote both domestic manufacturing and foreign trade?
14. Describe five factors that allowed Europeans to become leaders in world trade and extend their
influence across the Atlantic.
15. Concerning American Voices: The Spanish Conquest of Mexico pp.32-33
a. Both Diaz’s account and that of the Aztec elders were written in retrospect, and both
reflect their authors’ awareness of the impending conquest. Compare the tine of these
accounts. How does each reflect the author’s knowledge of what is to come?
b. Why does Montezuma pay “great reverence” to Cortes? Why does Cortes return the
honor? What is the strategy of each leader?
c. What is Diaz’s explanation for the easy entry of the Spanish into the city? What
explanation is suggested on the elders’ account?
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 8
American Experiments, 1521-1700
Part One: Identification TermsIdentify and state the Significance of each of the following terms… (An example is done for
you!)
Joint-Stock Companies
 ID: a British financial arrangement that allowed merchants to band together as stockholders,
raising money and sharing the risks and profits that came with colonization in the 1600s
 SIG: early example of a corporation; settled the first English colony—Virginia
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20.
21.
22.
23.
24.
25.
26.
27.
New Amsterdam
Headright system
House of Burgesses
Cecil Calvert
Indentured servant
Chattel Slavery
Nathaniel Bacon
Mayflower Compact
Predestination
Roger Williams
Anne Hutchinson
Proprietor colonies
Metacom
Encomienda
Captain John Smith
Powhatan
Pocahontas
John Rolfe
Toleration Act
Lord Baltimore
William Berkeley
Virginia Company
Jamestown
Pilgrims
Puritans
John Winthrop
Puritan-Pequot War
Part Two: Questions
Each of the following guided reading questions should be answered in a complete, detailed, wellreasoned paragraph. Students should make every attempt to include specific examples in each
response.
1. What were the settlement goals of the Spanish, French, Dutch, and English? How did their
ambitions lead to different settlement patterns?
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 9
2. How and why did a system of forced labor based on the factors of class and race emerge in the
Chesapeake and Virginia colonies in the early seventeenth century?
3. Describe the two major systems of bound labor that took hold in the Chesapeake colonies.
4. Compare the Indian uprisings in Virginia in 1622 with Bacon’s Rebellion in 1675-1676. How
did each one impact development in Virginia?
5. Describe the economic, religious, political, and intellectual foundations of Puritan society in
New England.
6. How did colonial society in the Chesapeake region differ from that of New England?
7. Compare the causes of the uprisings led by Popé in New Mexico and Metacom in New England.
Which rebellion was more successful? Why?
8. Why were there were no major witchcraft scares in the Chesapeake colonies and no uprisings
like Bacon’s Rebellion in New England? Consider the possible social, economic, and religious
causes of both phenomena.
9. Describe three elements of intertribal methods of military engagement in Canada during the
early 1600s.
10. What was the fate of the very first settlers to the Jamestown colony? What crop eventually
changed the fortune of Jamestown?
11. Why did the vast majority of European immigrants to the Chesapeake come as indentured
servants?
12. How were the experiences of indentured servants and slaves in the Chesapeake and Caribbean
similar? In what ways were they different?
13. Where was the area of “New France”? Who came, and what were the goals?
14. Where was the settlement of “New Netherland”? Who came, and what were the goals?
15. Why did the Puritans immigrate to North America? How did the religious dissenters who
flooded into the northern colonies address the question of religious dissent in their new homes?
16. Describe the events that took place in Salem, Massachusetts in 1692. What was revealed about
tensions in Puritan new England?
17. Bacon’s Rebellion highlighted significant tensions within Chesapeake society. What provoked
the rebellion, and what did it accomplish?
The British Atlantic World, 1660-1750
Part One: Identification Terms
Identify and state the Significance of each of the following terms… (An example is done for
you!)
Manorial System
 ID: the traditional social order in England—an upper noble class that rules over a mass of
serfs; envisioned in the colonies through the Fundamental Constitutions of Carolina (1669)
 SIG: an early example of class struggle; what the rich nobility envisioned did not come to
pass; led to rebellions by the lower classes
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
William Penn
Navigation Acts
Dominion of New England
Edmund Andros
Two Treatises on Government
Jacob Leisler
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 10
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
Middle Passage
Stono Rebellion
Gentry
Bills of Exchange
Salutary Neglect
War of Jenkin’s Ear
Molasses Act of 1733
Currency Act
Quakers
Covenant Chain
South Atlantic System
Part Two: Chapter Questions
Each of the following guided reading questions should be answered in a complete, detailed, wellreasoned paragraph. Students should make every attempt to include specific examples in each
response.
1. How did African-American communities in America respond to and resist their condition?
2. Explain the causes and the results of the Glorious Revolution in England and America.
3. What was the role of the colonies within the British mercantilist system and how did
economic considerations affect political decision-making in both England and North
America?
4. Describe the three major components of the South Atlantic system. How did it shape the
development of the various colonies?
5. Describe the role of both Africans and Europeans in the expansion of the Atlantic slave trade.
6. Explain how did the ideas and policies of the English Whigs affected British and colonial
politics between 1700 and 1760.
7. Describe how the British followed the policy of salutary neglect and explain its
consequences.
8. Voices from Abroad (p. 81) Olaudah Equiano: The Brutal “Middle Passage”
a. Describe two ways in which Equiano’s account of slavery is consistent with the
analysis of slavery in this chapter.
b. What evidence does Equiano offer in his description of the Middle Passage that
explains the average slave mortality rate of about 14 percent during the Atlantic
crossing?
9. What was the purpose of the Carolina colonies? What was their connection to the West
Indies?
10. How did Quaker ideals shape the colony of Pennsylvania?
11. What did Native Americans have to gain by participating in imperial wars?
12. How did an African American Community emerge in the New World?
13. How much autonomy could slaves attain, and what did slave owners do to control them?
14. How did the planter elite maintain alliances with their smallholder neighbors?
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 11
Growth, Diversity, and Conflict, 1720-1763
Part One: Identification Terms
Identify and state the Significance of each of the following terms…
1. Marriage Portion
2. Household Mode of Production
3. Cradle Scythe
6. Pietism
7. The Enlightenment
8. Deist
9. Poor Richard’s Almanack
10. Revival
11. Jonathan Edwards
12. George Whitefield
13. William Pitt
14. Consumer Revolution
15. Paxton Boys
16. Regulator Movement
Part Two: Questions
Each of the following guided reading questions should be answered in a complete, detailed, wellreasoned paragraph. Students should make every attempt to include specific examples in each
response.
1. How did regional differences in settlement patterns, labor conditions, and religious identity
develop during the eighteenth century in both freehold society in New England and the
diverse communities of the Middle Atlantic?
2. Describe the similarities and differences between the three colonial regions—New England,
the Middle colonies, and the South—from 1720 to 1750. Draw three conclusions about
colonial society based on this comparison.
3. In what ways were the lives of women and men in New England similar? In what ways were
they different?
4. Who were the new migrants to the Middle Colonies? Why did they leave Europe? What were
their goals in British North America?
5. Explain three issues that divided the ethnic and religious groups of the Middle Colonies.
6. Explain three ways that the Enlightenment and the Great Awakening prompted Americans to
challenge traditional sources of authority?
7. Describe how the Baptist insurgency in Virginia challenged conventional assumptions about
race, gender, and class.
8. Describe three causes of unrest in the American backcountry in the mid-eighteenth century.
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 12
ASSIGNMENT #2
AP US HISTORY FILM REVIEW
Movies did not create Nazism, racism, or even a love for conspiracy theories -ignorance did. It is still up to teachers to help interpret and represent the past,
and using movies in the classroom will help advance that mission.
--Raymond J. Haberski, Jr., is an assistant professor in the
Department of History and Social Science and the director of the honors
program at Marian College in Indianapolis.
Students are responsible for critically viewing the work, evaluating historical accuracy, and
writing an overall evaluation following the guidelines provided. You may choose a film that is
not on the list but you must have parental consent prior to viewing. Without a parent’s
signature the paper is rendered futile.

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
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


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




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The Crucible (1996) – Salem witch trials; Puritans (PG13)
Roots – Path of Diversity in America
John Adams (TV-14, 2008)
Gettysburg (1993) – decisive battle of the Civil War (PG)
Gone With the Wind (1939) – Antebellum and Civil War South (PG)
Immigration & American Frontier (1800s)
Far & Away (1992) – Immigration & Western Frontier Land Grab (PG13)
True Grit (2010) – Law & Order on the Western Frontier (PG13)
Wyatt Earp (1994)—Law & Order on the Western Frontier (PG13)
Little Big Man (1970) –Sand Creek Massacre (PG)
Dances with Wolves (PG-13, 1990)
The Alamo (PG-13, 2004)
Jeremiah Johnson (PG, 1972)
Son of the Morning Star (PG-13, 1991)
Wyatt Earp (PG-13, 1994)
Lincoln (PG-13, 2012)
Tombstone
The Outlaw Josie Wales
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 13
APUSH Film Review Format
Student Name:
Date Submitted:
Class Period:
Title of Film (Year Produced)
Genre
Director
Main Actors
Awards (nominations or wins)
The Truth
Research the true history of the historical event, person(s), time period, or institution portrayed
in the film. You may want to begin with a film review site for an overview of the film, but this site will
NOT provide students with the historical background, or content needed, to complete the review
assignment. For research, students should use print or online resources such as Hippocampus—
excellent short videos!—at http://www.hippocampus.org.
The Plot
Write a synopsis, or summary, of the film. Make sure that your summary makes sense to a
reader who does not know the movie. Do not refer to specific scenes and do not try to explain
everything. You must also include the next items, but not as different parts (they may be included in
your description of the story) Place and time: Where does the action take place? When does the action
take place? (present time, 19th century) Is the story chronological (according to the order of time ) or
flash back
Background
Society, country, kind of people (age, culture social class), historical time, etc.
Comparison & Evaluation
To what extent is the film historically accurate? Identify specific accuracies and director’s
liberties with the film. How has the film furthered student knowledge of the history portrayed?
Provide an evaluation of the film. Give your opinion, but it must be more than “I liked it.” This is
important as the reviewer can express the elements of the movie they enjoyed or disliked. However, as
in all good journalism, the reviewer should also give impartial details, and allow the reader to make their
own mind over an issue the reader liked or disliked. Opinions should be explained to allow the reader to
determine whether they would agree with your opinion.
____________________________________________
______________
(Parent’s Signature)
(Date)
Important note of writing
The reader understands you are writing this review; therefore, do NOT use 1st or 2nd person
personal pronouns (I, me, us, we, you). This is a formal writing assignment—be sure to check your work
for GUMS (grammar, usage, mechanics, and spelling) errors.
* A word about PLAIGIRISM
Plagiarism is never ok. Do NOT copy another writer’s work. All reviews are to be TYPED, single
spaced, and are subject to submission to online plagiarism checkers. Students will receive a grade of 0%
on work that is plagiarized, parent phone call, referral to administration.
All resources must be cited, MLA format.
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 14
Jennifer Wilson
May 25, 2012
1st Period
Sample Film Review
Pocahontas (1995)
Animation, Adventure, Drama
Mike Gabriel
Mel Gibson, Christian Bale, Billy Connelly
The Truth
Pocahontas was daughter of Powhatan, the chief of the Algonquian Indians in Virginia, near Jamestown, the first
permanent English settlement. In 1607, the English leader of the Jamestown settlement Captain John Smith was taken captive
of the Algonquian Indians.
During a ritual ceremony in which the chief feigns to bludgeon the captive, John Smith was “saved” by the chief’s daughter,
Pocahontas, when she covered his body with her own in a dramatic display of saving him. Following the mock execution and
saving of Smith,
Powhatan took Smith as an honorary member of his family; Pocahontas and Smith became friends. Over the next year,
relations with the Algonquian and English remained friendly and mutually beneficial via trade; however, by 1609, hostilities
grew between the
American Indians and English. Injured in a gunpowder explosion, Captain John Smith was forced to return to England,
subsequently eroding existing relations.
In 1613, Pocahontas was initially taken as captive of an English settlement in the Jamestown community; enjoying
relative freedom within the community, Pocahontas began studying Christianity and formed a friendship—and later romance—
with the tobacco pioneer
John Rolfe. With Powhatan’s consent, and following her baptism and adopting of the English Christian name Rebecca, Rolfe and
Pocahontas married. A general peace and a spirit of goodwill between the English and the Indians resulted from this marriage.
In 1616, Rolfe, Pocahontas, and their son Thomas returned to London to much fan-fare as Pocahontas’ arrival
generated a fire-storm of interest. She was presented to King James I and even reunited with her friend John Smith, whom of
which she believed to be dead. In
1617 the Rolfe family returned to Jamestown; however, Pocahontas did not survive the journey, dying of pneumonia or
tuberculosis.
Historians widely credit Pocahontas for not only serving as a representative of the Virginia Indians, but also as a vital
link between the American Indians and the Englishmen. Without her courage and friendship, many believe Jamestown would
have suffered much more
greatly, perhaps even the same fate as the doomed Roanoke colony.
The Film
Set in 1607 colonial America, Disney’s Pocahontas captures the early relationship of the Algonquian Indians with the
Englishmen, and their arrival at Jamestown. The first half of the film depicts the English as gold-hungry settlers woefully
prepared for conditions of the Virginia terrain, poor relations between the American Indians and English, and the saving of
Captain John Smith by Pocahontas. As a burgeoning friendship and love affair develops between Smith and Pocahontas, the
chief’s daughter, rivalries between the groups over land threaten the survival of Jamestown, the first permanent English colony
in America. Smith and Pocahontas work together to bring peace to their communities, each acting as a liaison.
Comparison & Evaluation
Overall, the relationship between Smith and Pocahontas in the Disney film is fairly accurate as she does save Smith
from execution, although truly this was more of an act of ceremony than an actual threat to his life. And though they do
develop a strong friendship that helped bring peace and prosperity to the Jamestown colony, Smith and Pocahontas never fall
in love or marry, as depicted in the sequel. Whereas Pocahontas was only 12 years old when the English arrived and therefore
the physical portrayal of Pocahontas is quite exaggerated in the film, the depiction of Jamestown, the gold fever, and rivalries
are fairly on target thereby providing audiences an accurate visual of colonial life at the turn of the 17th century. Considering
Pocahontas is an animated Disney film, the storyline is well done: the animation and music are appealing and “kid” friendly, the
love story is believable and strong, and the history is worthwhile for audiences to learn from.
Works Cited
An example of a Works Cited page can be found at the end of this packet.
____________________________________________
(Parent’s Signature)
*You must have a parent signature, accompanying your Film Review.
______________
(Date)
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 15
ASSIGNMENT #3
Evaluating Sources
The quantity of information available is so staggering that we cannot know everything
about a subject. For example, it's estimated that anyone attempting to research what's known
about depression would have to read over 100,000 studies on the subject. And there's the
problem of trying to decide which studies have produced reliable results.
Similarly, for information on other topics, not only is there a huge quantity available but
with a very uneven level of quality. You don't want to rely on the news in the headlines of
sensational tabloids near supermarket checkout counters, and it's just as hard to know how
much to accept of what's in all the books, magazines, pamphlets, newspapers, journals,
brochures, Web sites, and various media reports that are available. People want to convince
you to buy their products, agree with their opinions, rely on their data, vote for their candidate,
consider their perspective, or accept them as experts. In short, you have to sift and make
decisions all the time, and you want to make responsible choices that you won't regret.
Evaluating sources is an important skill. It's been called an art as well as work—much of
which is detective work. You have to decide where to look, what clues to search for, and what
to accept. You may be overwhelmed with too much information or too little. The temptation is
to accept whatever you find. But don't be tempted. Learning how to evaluate effectively is a
skill you need both for your course papers and for your life.
When writing research papers, you will also be evaluating sources as you search for
information. You will need to make decisions about what to search for, where to look, and once
you've found material on your topic, if it is a valid or useful source for your writing.
Below you will find hyperlinks to 4 articles concerning the recent changes to the AP US
History curriculum. You must answer the questions that follow for each of the 4 sources as you
read through them. Entitle each question set separately and appropriately based on the article
you are evaluating. Handwrite your responses on a separate sheet of paper.
A. http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2015/02/ap-u-s-history-the-beautiful/
B. http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/02/who-should-decide-howstudents-learn-about-americas-past/385928/
C. http://tah.oah.org/february-2015/internationalization-of-us-history-curriculum/
D. http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/386202/how-college-board-politicized-ushistory-stanley-kurtz
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 16
QUESTIONS
1. Consider the author, the title of the work, the summary, where it is, and the timeliness
of the entry. You may also want to look at the keywords to see what other categories
the work falls into. How credible is the author? If the document is anonymous, what do
you know about the organization?
2. Read the introduction--What does the author want to accomplish? Is your topic covered
in enough depth to be helpful?
3. Check for a list of references or other citations that look as if they will lead you to
related material that would be good sources. List any and all references and evaluate
them. (That means look them up if possible).
4. Determine the intended audience. Are you the intended audience? Consider the tone,
style, level of information, and assumptions the author makes about the reader. Are
they appropriate for your needs?
5. Try to determine if the content of the source is fact, opinion, or propaganda. If you think
the source is offering facts, are the sources for those facts clearly indicated?
6. Do you think there's enough evidence offered? Is the coverage comprehensive?
7. Is the language objective or emotional? Explain. Is this detrimental of helpful?
8. Are arguments very one-sided with no acknowledgement of other viewpoints?
9. Are there broad generalizations that overstate or oversimplify the matter? Or are there
vague or sweeping generalizations that aren't backed up with evidence? Quote them
and explain.
10. What is the difference between a primary source and a secondary source? Cite
examples. Does the author use a good mix of primary and secondary sources for
information?
11. If the source is opinion, does the author offer sound reasons for adopting that stance?
(Consider again those questions about the author. Is this person reputable?)
12. How timely is the source? Is the source twenty years out of date? Some information
becomes dated when new research is available, but other older sources of information
can be quite sound fifty or a hundred years later.
13. Do some cross-checking. Can you find some of the same information given elsewhere?
Cite new found source and briefly summarize. Does this give credibility to your sources
or confound them.
14. What is historiography? How is the subject of this article an example of historiography?
How does it tackle this subject separately and distinctly from the others?
2016 AP US History Summer Assignment 17
Works Cited
Craig, Ziggy, Philip Engle, Michelle Hudgens, Patrick DeVille, and Steven Geter. "Summer
Assignments." ACPS. TC Williams High School, n.d. Web. 05 May 2016.
<http://www.acps.k12.va.us/tcw/assignments.php>.
Newman, John J., and John M. Schmalbach. United States History: Preparing for the Advanced
Placement Examination. New York, NY: Amsco School Publications, 2004. Web.
"Welcome to the Purdue OWL." Purdue OWL: Evaluating Sources of Information. N.p., n.d.
Web. 10 May 2016. <https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/553/01/>.
The Atlantic. Atlantic Media Company, n.d. Web. 10 May 2016.
<http://www.theatlantic.com/education/archive/2015/02/who-should-decide-how-studentslearn-about-americas-past/385928/>.
Trusty, Lea. "AP U.S. History the Beautiful." The Daily Princetonian AP US History the Beautiful
Comments. The Daily Proncetonian, 22 Feb. 2015. Web. 10 May 2016.
<http://dailyprincetonian.com/opinion/2015/02/ap-u-s-history-the-beautiful/>.
"AP United States History." – Students – AP Courses – The College Board. CollegeBoard, Nov.
2015. Web. 10 May 2016. <https://apstudent.collegeboard.org/apcourse/ap-united-stateshistory>.
Hartman, Andrew. "The American Historian." : The Internationalization of the U.S. History
Curriculum. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 May 2016. <http://tah.oah.org/february2015/internationalization-of-us-history-curriculum/>.
Kurtz, Stanley. "National Review Online | Print." National Review Online. N.p., 25 Aug. 2014.
Web. 11 May 2016. <http://www.nationalreview.com/node/401827/print>.